Taylor Patch Collecting

Hi, it’s been a minute since I’ve posted on this page, got busy, got distracted, but that’s no excuse! Anywho! Back to business.

Here are 3 patches of the 45th Infantry Division/45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team(IBCT), of the Oklahoma Army National Guard.

The 45th Infantry Division started out as an infantry division of the United States Army, most associated with the OKNG from 1920-1968. It wasn’t until after the disbanding of the unit in 1968 and the later revival, did it gain the 45 IBCT name. Through and through, the unit has always been referred to as the “Thunderbird” Division, because of its notable design for the insignia.

The 3 patches below are all subdued variants, one being OD Green, another being the Desert Tan, and the final being in Forest Green. All feature the infamous Thunderbird insignia in the center of the patch.

While I lack the full color and OCP/Coyote variants, I can hope to get ahold of them in the future to add them to the collection.

A pretty cool looking patch, designed for the 138th Fighter Wing, 125th Fighter Squadron, Oklahoma Air National Guard.

A brief history:

The 138th Fighter Wing is an Air National Guard wing for the state of Oklahoma, operating out of Tulsa International Airport since 1957. They currently operate the F-16CM/DM Block 42, and have flown with the nickname “Tulsa Vipers.”

The state mission of the 138th is to support the Governor of Oklahoma with units organized, equipped, and trained in the protection of life and property, and the preservation of peace, order, and public safety.

Patch details:

The patch has a round design, featuring a red ring along the outer edge, and a brief checkerboard pattern on the left and right side, with a blue center. It displays an F-16 Fighting Falcon in the center of the patch, with the lettering “Tulsa Vipers” and “F-16CM” embroidered on the top and bottom half of the patch.

Side note:

If you guys would like to see some pictures of these guys, I have tons on my photography page! (Which you can find using the “Photography Page” link in my bio!)

A unique patch designed for the A-7D Corsair II.

A brief history:

The LTV A-7 Corsair II was an American carrier-capable subsonic light attack aircraft designed and manufactured by Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV).

The A-7 was developed during the early 1960s as replacement for the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk. Its design was derived from the Vought F-8 Crusader; in comparison with the F-8, the A-7 is both smaller and restricted to subsonic speeds, its airframe being simpler and cheaper to produce.

While originally adopted by the United States Navy, it proved attractive to other services, soon being adopted by the United States Air Force, and Air National Guard.

Patch details:

The patch features a unique shield shape, with black merrowed edges, and a blue background. The typeface reads out as “BIG D A-7D”, signifying the patch was designed for the D variant of the Corsair II. The patch displays the aircraft itself embroidered in the center.

An iron on patch regarding the F-15E Strike Eagle.

A brief history:

The F-15E Strike Eagle is an American all-weather multirole strike fighter derived from the McDonnell Douglas (Now Boeing) F-15 Eagle. Intended for the Dual-Role Fighter (DRF) program (initially called Enhanced Tactical Fighter), the F-15E was designed in the 1980s for long-range, high-speed interdiction without relying on es**rt or electronic-warfare aircraft. USAF F-15E Strike Eagles can be generally distinguished from other US Eagle variants by darker aircraft camouflage, conformal fuel tanks (CFTs) and LANTIRN pods mounted behind the engine intake ramps (although CFTs can also be mounted on earlier F-15 variants) and a tandem-seat cockpit.

Patch details:

The patch features a round shape, with the merrowed border being a silver/glittery based thread. The center of the patch features a split between black and a shade of grey, with an eagle embroidered in the center, and “F-15E” directly below it.

A unique velcro patch from the 177th Fighter Wing; 119th Fighter Squadron; NJANG.

A brief history:

The 177th Fighter Wing is an Air National Guard wing for the New Jersey National Guard, in active use since October of 1961. They are based out of Atlantic City International Airport, flying the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon. The wing’s nickname is often referred to as the “Jersey Devils.”

Patch details:

The patch features a red inverted triangle design, with a white/silver outline going around the patch. It displays an F-16 with an afterburner trail, a large falcon embroidered in the center, a silhouette of New Jersey on the bottom, and “Atlantic City” embroidered in the top right corner.

Hi! I’ve created this page as a little side project. On here you’ll see posts regarding patches from my collection, and a brief history on them!

I’ll try to keep the posts on here as frequent as possible. (Like I try to on the main page.)

But I hope you guys will enjoy what you see on here, and maybe learn a little something!

Please make sure to check out my main page for photography related stuff! (Taylor Aviation Photography)