It was featured on the rosette of the warbonnet of the screaming sioux, which was the squadron emblem for the lafayette escadrille, made up of volunteer americans who flew. Most of their recruits hailed from the south western states of arizona and new mexico. The division insignia is a golden thunderbird on a red square. Before the 1930s, the division s symbol was a red square with a yellow swastika, a tribute to the large native american population in the southwestern united states. Media in category 45th infantry division united states the following 124 files are in this category, out of 124 total. Combat team was actually a divisionfirst the 45th division, then the 45th infantry division. Felix sparks and wwiis forgotten 45th infantry division. Permission is granted to copy, distribute andor modify this document under the terms of the gnu free documentation license, version 1. This was the unit patch of the oklahoma army national guards 45th infantry division which was comprised of the consolidated colorado, arizona, new mexico and oklahoma national guard units. The patch is in unused condition and has never been sewn onto a uniform. Your patch is embroidered, which means it was made after 1939, and in your case specifically, much later as it was made for collectors. The division adopted the thunderbird shoulder patch in 1939 after the rise of the nazi party in germany which used the swastika, a symbol that bore a resemblance to the original divisional patch. The 45th infantry division was an infantry division of the united states army, part of the.
Patch us army 45th inf div swastika w yellow bdr, pre. The thunderbird is a symbol of the southwestern indians meaning sacred bearer of unlimited happiness. Prewwii us 45th infantry division felt patch this auction is for one patch as pictured. Their shoulder patch is a bright red square, balanced on one of its points, with a golden wingspread bird on it, a symbol of the navaho indians. On december 7, 1945, the division was deactivated and its members reassigned to other army units.
The 45th infantry division was an infantry division of the united states army, part of the oklahoma army national guard, from 1920 to 1968. Mandela effect us army uses swastika patch rallypoint. Us army national guard, the 45th infantry division david irving. The 45th infantry division was an infantry division of the british army, formed just prior to the start of the second world war. Auction is for 1 new full color us army 45th infantry patch. Us army 45th infantry division shoulder sleeve patch with a gold thunderbird on a red field object accession number. The use of the swastika symbol in the pre ww2 us army national guard, the 45th infantry division used a swastika as their shoulder patch. A even had the swastika as there emblem during ww1 but was changed when the nazi party used the emblem. The thunderbirds are members of the 45th infantry division of the national guard, mostly from oklahoma. Unanswered questions why does stryver continually criticize and belittle sydney carton for. Pay attention before you ignorant peeps go flying off the handle and claiming that this is a nazi emblem, it is not. The 45th infantry division, along with the 7th infantry division, fought off repeated chinese attacks all along the front line throughout 1952, and chinese forces frequently attacked old baldy hill into the fall of that year. This patch in not in patch king catalog or supplement it is listed j.
What does the 45th infantry division us army have to do with. Photo provided the 45th infantry division originally used the swastika to represent the unit as a symbol of good luck. It replaced another previously used native american symbol, a swastika, that. It replaced another previously used native american symbol, a swastika, that was withdrawn when it became closely associated with the nazi party.
Mitnick, a 27 yearold jewish american, served as a captain in the 65th infantry division, european theater and in the chemical warfare service, 91st chemical mortar battalion, 45th infantry division. From the swastika to the thunderbird, the 45th infantry division. Thats why the 45th infantry the oklahoma national guardused it as their patch. Dec 10, 2014 45th division patch posted in army and usaaf. Us army infantry division patches, military gifts and more. This native american symbol became the division s insignia in 1939.
The thunderbird division adopted this native american symbol in 1939 to replace the previous symbol. Company sells swastika t shirts page 2 gun and game. Hopefully this will be a good reference for all collectors. In 1974 the lincoln park armory, the present site of the museum, became available and was dedicated to. This is the early, preww2 design depicting a yellow native american swastika on a red background. The division was raised from guard units in oklahoma, colorado, new mexico and other western states with a large native population. Object shoulder sleeve insignia of the 2nd infantry division, united states army, nicknamed the indian head division, due to the design of their black badge with a cartoonlike head of a native american on a white star. This was the shoulder patch of the us armys 45th infantry division before 1938. It wasnt until hitlers rise to power did they change the division s insignia. Since 1949 the 45th has been exclusively the oklahoma army national guard. Armys 45th infantry division was the swastika the 45th was part of the oklahoma army national guard and the swastika was a tribute to the large native american population in the southwest. From swastika to thunderbird 45th infantry division museum. In 1974 the lincoln park armory, the present site of the museum, became available and was dedicated to the museum for permanent occupancy. Who we are want to volunteer schedule of events venturing crew.
The 45th infantry division has an illustrious history, in both warfare and american. The 45th infantry division gained its nickname, thunderbird division, from the gold thunderbird. The yellow swastika on a square background of red symbolized the spanish heritage of the 4 southwestern states that made up the membership of the 45th oklahoma, new mexico. Us army 45th infantry division pre wwii swastika patch from ebay. Find us army infantry division patches, military gifts and more at. For the first 15 years, members of the 45th infantry division proudly wore on their left shoulders an ancient american indian symbol of good luck, commonly referred to as the swastika. Armory transfer ceremonymarlowpublic release oklahoma deq. Bill mauldin 45th division news angelo casertano unknown wilson kale unknown herb alexander 120th quartermaster eloy bacca. Dec 05, 2017 and thats that the 45th infantry division, nicknamed the thunderbird division because they had a shoulder patch, a beautiful soft felt thunderbird patch on their shoulders. Before world war ii, the armys 45th infantry division wore a swastika patch on their left shoulders in honor of native americans. The patch was designed to tell a little about the region of the country the division hailed from. Patch, 45th infantry division 19241939 quartermaster inspector. They changed it to a thunderbird in the late 1930s.
Today i learned that the 45th infantry division used to have. George mitnick when he served in the 45th infantry, us army, during wwii. For the first 10 years of its existence, members of the 45th infantry division proudly wore on their left shoulders an ancient american indian symbol of good luck, commonly referred to today as the swastika an east indian word. It is interesting to note that the year 1938 found hitler taking his first toll from the 180th infantry of the 45th division. If you visit native american museums, youll probably see swastikas everywhere. United states army for the first 15 years of its existence, members of the 45th infantry division proudly wore on their left shoulders an ancient american indian symbol of good luck, most commonly referred to as the swastika. For the first 15 years of its existence, members of the 45th infantry division proudly wore on their left shoulders an ancient american indian symbol of good luck.
The 45th museum still sells the old swastika patch. But thats okay because you really have seen it all before in one iteration or another. Swastika, texas the swastika or sun wheel is a sacred symbol among american indians. Up to that time the insignia had been an indian swastika. Oklahomas thunderbirds wear historic emblem local news. What does the 45th infantry division us army have to do. Most collectors are aware of the fact that, from the 1920s to the late 1930s, the shoulder patch of the 45 th infantry division was a yellow swastika on a red square. That division had more native americans among its ranks. A militia group in germany, called the freikorp, had already adopted the swastika and was using the symbol on arm bands that they wore in 1919 when they fought the communists in the streets of bavaria. Army air corps 55th pursuit squadron insignia, 1929 to 1932. Feb 12, 2017 45th id swastika patches posted in army and usaaf. Each side of the square represents one of the four states. The sooner soldiers swastika influenced the swastika of the union of soviet socialist republic swastikas ussr as a socialist symbol before the national socialist german workers party existed. The yellow swastika on a square background of red symbolized the spanish heritage of the 4 southwestern states that made up the membership of the 45thoklahoma, new mexico, colorado, and arizona.
However, with the rise of the nazi party in germany, with its infamous swastika symbol, the 45th division stopped using the insignia. Armys 45th infantry division was the swastika the 45th was part of the oklahoma army national guard and the swastika was a tribute to. History from swastika to thunderbird 45th infantry museum. So i think, a sole combat division is around 14,000, 15,000 guys, round about 7000, 8000 will actually see combat. After the nazi partys adoption of the swastika, the 45th changed their insignia to a thunderbird. The use of the swastika symbol in the pre ww2 us army national guard, the 45th infantry division used a swastika as their shoulder patch and incidentally. The yellow swastika on a square background of red symbolized the spanish heritage of the 4 southwestern states that made up the membership of the 45th oklahoma, new mexico, colorado, and arizona.
Red patch with an embroidered yellow thunderbird issued to j. These patches are excellent for the collector, military enthusiast, paintball gunner or cosplayer. The division, which recruited in arizona and new mexico, had a high proportion of indians native americans in pcspeak, who also thought the swastika was a symbol of the sun. Us army, 45th infantry division, class a thunderbird patch. This native american symbol became the divisions insignia in 1939. Sep 05, 2016 the use of the swastika symbol in the pre ww2 us army national guard, the 45th infantry division used a swastika as their shoulder patch and incidentally. Us army 2nd infantry division shoulder sleeve patch with a native american caricature on white star. They trace their lineage from frontier militias that operated in the southwestern united states throughout the late 1800s.
The number of pows taken by the 45th division during its almost two years of fighting totaled 124,840. From swastika to thunderbird community the newstalkers. Period original 45th div patches 192439 were made out of melton wool. Til the 45th infantry division featured a swastika patch. Jul 11, 2010 their shoulder patch was a sun symbol indicating good luck. The spanish colors, red and gold, indicate that the four states colorado, oklahoma, new mexico, and arizona represented by national guard units in the division were settled by. Patch, 45th infantry division 19241939 before the 1930s, the division s symbol was a red square with a yellow swastika, a tribute to the large native american population in the southwestern united states. The 45th infantry division was formed in 1923, and on august 11, 1924, it adopted an ancient symbol used by native americans, called the swastika. Most collectors are aware of the fact that, from the 1920s to the late 1930s, the shoulder patch of the 45thinfantry division was a yellow swastika on a red square. Even native americans used the swastika and because of this the 45th infantry division u. Today i learned that the 45th infantry division used to. Other patches bearing the swastika symbol are to be found in collections, where often they are identified as variants of the sleeve patch of the 45 th. This close resemblance to the symbol of nazi germany constituted a source of embarrassment on several occasions.
What does the 45th infantry division us army have to do with the swastika. Return to table of contents thunderbird division the division insignia is a golden thunderbird on a red square. Us army 45th infantry division shoulder sleeve patch with a. The insignia served as recognition of the great number of native americans proudly serving in the 45th infantry division. The 45th was activated as a national guard division in 1924 in arizona, colorado, new mexico and oklahoma. Around that time, the 45th infantry division relinquished command of old baldy hill to the 2nd infantry division. The influence of american socialism is exposed in the union of soviet socialist republics. The 45th infantry division the holocaust encyclopedia. Infantry division, the shoulder patch of the 45th infantry division was a yellow swastika worn on a diamond background of red. Many native american tribes used the shape as a symbol of happiness. The first cut edge patches came out in early 1941 prior to our entry into the war. The division returned to new york in early june, 1945, and from there went to camp bowie, texas.
Patch, 45th infantry division 19241939 before the 1930s, the divisions symbol was a red square with a yellow swastika, a tribute to the large native american population in the southwestern united states. Regardless of the swastikas provenance, its attractiveness as an insignia began to fall after it. Before world war ii, 45th infantry division members wore a swastika patch on their left shoulder in honor of native americans. Find 45th infantry division, military gifts and more at. When this design became unpopular in the 1930s they changed the design to the more familiar thunderbird. The 45th infantry division was formed in 1924 from national guard units in the. Show your military pride with the finest quality military patches, pins and gifts from all branches of the military. I thought i would start a thread on the swastika patches of the 45th division. The patch was adopted by the department of heraldry in 1939. They were one of the handful of national guard units that were federalized and brought into service overseas for ww2. They were the national guard for oklahoma, new mexico, colorado before wwii. The thunderbird division adopted this native american symbol in 1939 to replace the previous symbol, a swastika.
In march 1939, after the reemergence of germany as a significant military power and its occupation of czechoslovakia, the british army increased the number of divisions in the territorial army ta by duplicating existing units. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled gnu free documentation license. In later years the us army national guard 45th infantry division had a gold swastika patch on their uniforms prior to entry into world war 2. Til the 45th infantry division featured a swastika patch on their shoulder sleeves as a tribute to the large population of native americans in the sw united states, this was changed in 1939 due to the nazi party adopting this symbol as their own. The use of insignia of organizations that have been banned in germany like the nazi swastika or the arrow cross are also illegal in austria, hungary, poland.
In 1940, the thunderbird division was reactivated and deployed in late june. In the us army national guard, the 45th infantry division used a swastika as their shoulder patch. What american infantry division had the swastika as its. From swastika to thunderbird for the first 15 years of its existence, members of the 45th infantry division proudly wore on their left shoulders an ancient. The 45th infantry division of the united states army was a major formation of the oklahoma army national guard from 1920 to 1968. Us army 45th infantry division shoulder patch footggett.
Before the 1930s, the divisions symbol was a red square with a yellow swastika, a tribute to the large native. I would encourage members to post their samples of the patch so that we can build a database of good and bad patches. Anthony christy was the oldest active serving coast guard member. Til the 45th infantry division featured a swastika patch on. The thunderbird patch is retained today by the 45th ibct and 90th troop command, units once part of the old 45th infantry division. Us army 45th infantry division shoulder sleeve patch with. Swastika to thunderbirds history of the 45th infantry division. The division, which recruited in arizona and new mexico, had a high proportion of indians native americans in pcspeak, who also thought the swastika. Other patches bearing the swastika symbol are to be found in collections, where often they are identified as variants of the sleeve patch of the 45th. Headquartered mostly in oklahoma city, the guardsmen fought in both world war ii and the korean war. So lets see your good, bad and the ugly swastika 45th id patches.
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