Air Defense Artillery Patches History 1

Information extracted from the book "US ARMY PATCHES"  by Barry Jason Stein

USED BY PERMISSION
The blue stylized wings suggest the sky and flight in reference to the air defense function, and the arrowheads denote accuracy and aerial warfare. The X-shape formed by the wings refers to the roman numeral ten, the unit's numerical designation.
10th ADA Bde

 Worn from:  3 January 1984 - Current.

Parent unit constituted in the Regular Army in 1924 as the Tenth Coast Artillery (Harbor Defense) and organized from existing companies with headquarters at Fort Adams, Rhode Island.  The blue stylized wings suggest the sky and flight in reference to the air defense function, and the arrowheads denote accuracy and aerial warfare.  The X-shape formed by the wings refers to the roman numeral ten, the unit's numerical designation.

Campaigns:  World War II (New Guinea, Bismarck Archipelago, Leyte, Luzon), Korean War (UN Defensive, UN Offensive, CCF Intervention, First UN Counteroffensive, CCF Spring Offensive, UN Summer-Fall Offensive, Second Winter, Summer-Fall 1952, Third Winter, Summer 1953).

Decorations:  Philippine Presidential Unit Citation (streamer embroidered 17 October 1944 - 4 July 1945), Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citations (streamers embroidered Korea 1950 - 1952, and Defense or Korea).


Organized in 1907 at Fort Terry, New York as the 133rd Company, Coast Artillery Corps. The mission of air defense is suggested by the yellow arrowhead, representing incoming aerial weaponry, and the red arrowhead coming from below to intercept. The combined silhouette of the two arrowheads simulates the roman numeral for eleven, the unit's numerical designation.  
11th ADA Bde

Worn from:  27 May 1980 - Current.

Organized in 1907 at Fort Terry, New York as the 133rd Company, Coast Artillery Corps.  The mission of air defense is suggested by the yellow arrowhead, representing incoming aerial weaponry, and the red arrowhead coming from below to intercept.  The combined silhouette of the two arrowheads simulates the roman numeral for eleven, the unit's numerical designation.  

Campaigns:  World War I (Aisne-Marne, Oise-Aisne, Meuse-Argonne, Champagne 1918), World War II (Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe), Armed Forces Expeditions (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait). 


The three arrows are used to allude to missiles and the three main Ryukyu Islands of the unit's home station. The dual band symbolizes a specific area (target), and also simulates a zero which, in conjunction with the three arrows, suggests the numerical designation of the organization.
30th ADA Bde

Worn from: 26 April 1966 - 12 June 1973.

The three arrows are used to allude to missiles and the three main Ryukyu Islands of the unit's home station.  The dual band symbolizes a specific area (target), and also simulates a zero which, in conjunction with the three arrows, suggests the numerical designation of the organization.

Campaigns:  World War I (St.-Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne, Lorraine 1918, Champagne 1918, Champagne-Marne).


Organized in 1918 at Key West, Florida as the Thirty-first Heavy Artillery Brigade, Coast Artillery Corps. The stylized missile represents the types of weapon systems employed by the brigade. The unit's numerical designation is indicated by the sets of three stars and one star. The yellow stripes represent radar beams employed for detection and acquisition.
31st ADA Bde

Worn from:  12 November 1975 - 30 September 1979.

Re-assigned:  1 April 1988 - Current.

Organized in 1918 at Key West, Florida as the Thirty-first Heavy Artillery Brigade, Coast Artillery Corps.  The stylized missile represents the types of weapon systems employed by the brigade.  The unit's numerical designation is indicated by the sets of three stars and one star.  The yellow stripes represent radar beams employed for detection and acquisition.

Campaigns:  World War I (Aisne-Marne, Oise-Marne, Meuse-Argonne, Champagne 1918), World War II (Rome-Arno, Southern France, Rhineland


Organized in 1918 at Key West Barracks, Florida as the Thirty-second Artillery Brigade, Coast Artillery Corps. The five arrowheads simulating missiles allude to the air defense mission of the brigade and their placement, three and two, indicates the unit's numerical designation.
32nd ADC

Worn from:  2 May 1966 - 1995.

Organized in 1918 at Key West Barracks, Florida as the Thirty-second Artillery Brigade, Coast Artillery Corps.  The five arrowheads simulating missiles allude to the air defense mission of the brigade and their placement, three and two, indicates the unit's numerical designation.

Campaigns:  World War I (St.-Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne), World War II (New Guinea, Leyte).

Decorations:  Philippine Presidential Unit Citation (streamer embroidered 17 October 1944 - 4 July 1945).


Organized in 1918 at Fort Hunt, Virginia as the Thirty-fifth Coast Artillery Brigade. The ascending arrowhead, apparently meeting and destroying an aircraft in flight, illustrates the basic mission of the Air Defense Artillery Branch. The three peaks and V-shape indicate the unit's numerical designation.
35th ADA Bde

Worn from:  13 February 1985 - Current.

Organized in 1918 at Fort Hunt, Virginia as the Thirty-fifth Coast Artillery Brigade.  The ascending arrowhead, apparently meeting and destroying an aircraft in flight, illustrates the basic mission of the Air Defense Artillery Branch.  The three peaks and V-shape indicate the unit's numerical designation.

Campaigns:  World War I, World War II (Naples-Foggia, Anzio, Rome-Arno, Southern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe).


Organized in 1918 at Camp Eustis, Virginia as the Thirty-eighth Artillery Brigade, Coast Artillery Corps. The partition line represents the division of the Korean Peninsula by the Demilitarized Zone. The gauntlet represents the protection offered by the brigade, the lightning bolt the swift retaliation against any hostile air attack.
38th ADA Bde

 Worn from:  25 May 1961 - 31 July 1981.

Organized in 1918 at Camp Eustis, Virginia as the Thirty-eighth Artillery Brigade, Coast Artillery Corps.  The partition line represents the division of the Korean Peninsula by the Demilitarized Zone.  The gauntlet represents the protection offered by the brigade, the lightning bolt the swift retaliation against any hostile air attack.

Campaigns:  World War I, World War II (Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe).


Organized in 1918 as the Sixty-ninth Regiment at Fort Worden, Washington. The comets allude to flight trajectory and swiftness. The black discs suggest cannon balls. The comets are placed in a defensive posture referring to the unit's mission and resemble the arabic number sixty-nine. Their position further suggests the link in defense between Europe and the United States.
69th ADA Bde

Worn from:  6 September 1983 - Current.

Organized in 1918 as the Sixty-ninth Regiment at Fort Worden, Washington.  The comets allude to flight trajectory and swiftness.  The black discs suggest cannon balls.  The comets are placed in a defensive posture referring to the unit's mission and resemble the arabic number sixty-nine.  Their position further suggests the link in defense between Europe and the United States.

Campaigns:  World War I, World War II (Western Pacific).

Decorations:  Meritorious Unit Commendation (streamer embroidered Pacific Theater).


The tower symbolizes a strong defensive position. The two arrows represent ground-to-air missiles, which refer to the unit's mission. The sea lion, commemorative of the unit's proud heritage, alludes to World War II service in the Philippines and the South Pacific.
94th ADA Bde

Worn from:  17 July 1984 - Current.

The tower symbolizes a strong defensive position.  The two arrows represent ground-to-air missiles, which refer to the unit's mission.  The sea lion, commemorative of the unit's proud heritage, alludes to World War II service in the Philippines and the South Pacific.

Campaigns:  World War II (East Indies, New Guinea, Leyte, Luzon).

Decorations:  Philippine Presidential Unit Citation (streamer embroidered 17 October 1944 - 4 July 1945).


The "X," map symbol for brigades, is also the roman numeral for ten and refers to Virginia as the tenth state admitted to the Union. The arrowhead rising from the orbit suggests artillery and the orbit, symbol for dominion, alludes to Virginia as the Dominion state.
107th ADA Bde

 Worn from:  9 July 1967 - 22 July 1968.

The "X," map symbol for brigades, is also the roman numeral for ten and refers to Virginia as the tenth state admitted to the Union.  The arrowhead rising from the orbit suggests artillery and the orbit, symbol for dominion, alludes to Virginia as the Dominion state.


Activated in March 1942 at Camp Davis, North Carolina. The crenellated configuration of the border indicates a strong defensive position. The blue center symbolizes the sky and the pheon alludes to the unit's striking capabilities; thus, the design elements embody the unit's mission. They also refer to the unit's location, Kaiserslautern, Germany, which derives its name from a local stream (the blue area) and a castle built on the site in the twelfth century (the crenellated border).
108th ADA Bde

 Worn from:  7 December 1983 - Current.

Activated in March 1942 at Camp Davis, North Carolina.  The crenellated configuration of the border indicates a strong defensive position.  The blue center symbolizes the sky and the pheon alludes to the unit's striking capabilities; thus, the design elements embody the unit's mission.  They also refer to the unit's location, Kaiserslautern, Germany, which derives its name from a local stream (the blue area) and a castle built on the site in the twelfth century (the crenellated border).

Campaigns:  World War II (Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Central Europe), Vietnam (Counteroffensive Phases III/IV/V/VI/VII, Tet and Tet/69 Counteroffensives, Summer-Fall 1969, Winter Spring 1970, Sanctuary Counteroffensive, Consolidation I).

Decorations:  Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm (streamer embroidered Vietnam 1971).


The modified ancient Indian sun symbol of Zia was suggested by the state flag of New Mexico. The barbed sun rays allude to the brigade's mission to provide air defense for forward combat elements. The horizontal bars also symbolize defense and control, while the vertical bars allude to "111," further distinguishing the numerical designation of the brigade. The colors red and yellow, the national colors of Spain, refer to the Spanish influence in New Mexico.
111th ADA Bde

 New Mexico Army National Guard

Worn from:  24 July 1973 - Current.

The modified ancient Indian sun symbol of Zia was suggested by the state flag of New Mexico.  The barbed sun rays allude to the brigade's mission to provide air defense for forward combat elements.  The horizontal bars also symbolize defense and control, while the vertical bars allude to "111," further distinguishing the numerical designation of the brigade.  The colors red and yellow, the national colors of Spain, refer to the Spanish influence in New Mexico.

Campaigns:  World War II (Philippine Islands).

Decorations:  Presidential Unit Citation -- Army (streamers embroidered Manila 1941; Bataan; and Defense of the Philippines), Philippine Presidential Unit Citation (streamer embroidered 17 October 1944 - 4 July 1945).


The color blue is symbolic of the skies which are the battlefield of the unit. The arrowhead refers to the unit's missile systems and the lightning bolt alludes to speed. The rayed sun represents Florida, the unit's location.
164th ADA Bde

 Florida Army National Guard

Worn from:  6 February 1989 - 1994.

The color blue is symbolic of the skies which are the battlefield of the unit.  The arrowhead refers to the unit's missile systems and the lightning bolt alludes to speed.  The rayed sun represents Florida, the unit's location.


The missile and cannon, adapted from the branch insignia, represent firepower and strength. The palmetto and crescent are associated with the South Carolina state flag and reflect the home of the unit.
263rd ADA Bde

 South Carolina Army National Guard

Worn from:  14 February 1991 - Current.

The missile and cannon, adapted from the branch insignia, represent firepower and strength.  The palmetto and crescent are associated with the South Carolina state flag and reflect the home of the unit.

Campaigns:  Revolutionary War (Fort Johnston, Charleston 1776 and 1780, Beaufort Island1779), War of 1812, Civil War (Sumter, South Carolina 1862/1863/1864, Carolinas 1865), World War II (Tunisia, Sicily, Rome-Arno, Southern France, Northern France, Rhineland).