Military Army  Patches History 1

The field army is composed of a headquarters, army troops, a variable number of corps, and a variable number of divisions.  A battle is influenced at the field-army level by transferring divisions and reinforcements from one corps to another to increase the pressure on the enemy at a critical point.

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

USED BY PERMISSION

1st Army

The First United States Army was organized at La Ferte-sous- Jouarre, France, in August 1918 for the St.-Mihiel offensive, under the command of General John J. Pershing.  Red and white are the colors of distinguishing flags for armies, and the black letter "A," signifies army.

Campaigns:  World War I (Lorraine 1918, St.-Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne), World War II (Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe).

2nd Army

The Second United States Army was organized in September 1918 at Toul, Meurthe-et-Mosellle, France.  It was a training army during World War II, and through its efforts fifty-seven superbly trained divisions were sent into combat.  Red and white are colors of distinguishing flags for armies, while the numeral "2" identifies the unit's designation.

3rd Army

The Third United States Army initially was organized in November 1918 at Ligny-en-Barrois, France, under command of Major General J. T. Dickman, for the purpose of advancing into Germany and occupying the bridgehead at Coblenz during  World War I.  One of the army's finest moments came in World War II when, under the command of General George Patton, the Third Army raced one hundred fifty miles in nineteen hours to relieve the beleaguered 101st Airborne Division during the Battle of the Bulge.  The disc's two borders allude to the designation of the unit, and the white letter "A" signifies army.  The "A" is also inside of "O," which stands for the Army of Occupation, World War I.

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

4th Army

The Fourth United States Army was activated August 1932 in Omaha, Nebraska.  As a training army, it prepared and equipped about half the combat troops sent overseas during World War II.  The cloverleaf on the insignia signifies the numerical designation of the army, while the colors are those traditionally associated with armies.

5th Army Early

Both the pentagonal design and five red stars indicate the unit's numerical designation.

5th Army

The first Fifth Army design was abandoned at the request of Commanding General Mark Clark who wanted a patch that was more representative of the area in which the Fifth was formed.  The second design is an outlined figure of a mosque, represen- tative of Morocco, North Africa, where the army was activated in January 1943.  The letter "A" indicates army.  From Operation Avalanche -- the invasion of Italy at the Gulf of Salerno -- to its final push across the Po Valley, the Fifth Army engaged in 604 continuous days of combat.

Campaigns:  World War II (Naples-Foggia, Anzio, Rome-Arno, North Apennines, Po Valley).

6th Army

Both the six-pointed star and the hexagonal shape of the patch refer to the unit's designation.  The colors red and white represent the distinguishing flags for field armies.

6th Army

The Sixth United States Army was activated in January 1943 at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.  Among other heroic feats, it is credited with the liberation of Manila at a cost of over thirty- seven thousand casualties.  The six-pointed star refers to the number six, and the red letter "A" signifies army.

Campaigns:  World War II (New Guinea, Bismarck Archipelago, Leyte, Luzon).

Decorations:  Meritorious Unit Commendation (streamer embroidered Pacific Theater), Philippine Presidential Unit Citation (streamer embroidered 17 October 1944 to July 1945.

7th Army

The Seventh United States Army was activated at sea in July 1943 off the coast of Sicily.  Upon landing in southern Sicily, it became the first field army to see combat in World War II.  The Seventh Army participated in Operation Anvil (later Operation Dragoon) and helped liberate southern France.  The pyramidal figure encloses the letter "A" which represents the first letter of the word "army," while the seven steps on each side indicate the unit's numerical designation.  Red (Artillery), blue (Infantry), and yellow (Armor) represent the combat branches that constitute a field army.

Campaigns:  World War II (Sicily, Rome-Arno, Southern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe).

8th Army

The Eighth United States Army was activated in June 1944 at Memphis, Tennessee.  During World War II, the "Amphibious Eighth" made fifty-two beach assaults on islands across the pacific, each one a D day in miniature.  The octagon represents the numerical designation of the army and is in the colors of distinguishing flags for armies.

Campaigns:  World War II (Leyte, Luzon, New Guinea, Southern Philippines), Korean War (UN Defensice, UN Offensive, CCF Intervention, First UN counteroffensive, 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 Citation (streamer embroidered Korea 1950), Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation (streamer embroidered Korea 1950 - 1951), Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation (streamer embroidered Korea 1952 - 1953).

9th Army

The Ninth United States Army was organized in April 1944 at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.  The Ninth holds the distinction of being the first Allied army to cross the Elbe River and would have been the first into Berlin were it not for orders issued by higher command to cease advancing.  Red and white are colors associated with armies.  The nine-sided figure indicates the numerical designation of the organization.  The white letter "A" represents the first letter of the word "army."

Campaigns:  World War II (Northern France, Rhineland, Central Europe).

10th Army

The Tenth United States Army was organized in June 1944 at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.  This army was charged with planning for and carrying out the invasion of the Ryukyus Island Group.  The objective was achieved despite sustaining huge losses against a suicidal enemy.  The composition of the design refers to the roman numeral ten, indicating the Tenth Army.

Campaigns:  World War II (Ryukyus).

14th Army

This "ghost" army was never activated.  The shape of the patch in the form of an acorn suggests strength.  The "A" represents "army."  The colors red and white are colors of army distinguishing flags.  The patch was designed as part of Operation Fortitude.  

15th Army

The Fifteenth United States Army was organized in August 1944 at Fort Sam Houston, Texas and arrived in Europe as Nazi Germany was about to collapse.  The Fifteenth was involved in cleaning up the remaining pockets of resistance in the Lorient and St. Nazaire areas of France.  Red and white are the colors of distinguishing flags for armies.  The division per saltire and the sides of the pentagon suggest the numerical designation of the organization, while the letter "A" indicates army.

Campaigns:  World War II (Rhineland).