Since their advent in WW I, cloth unit insignia, "patches", have been items of interest to students of American military history. In some instances, such as the Army's 1st and 45th Divisions, the nickname of the unit has been derived from its shoulder patch (The Big Red One; Thunderbird). This book is intended to be a quick-reference identification guide to cloth unit insignia of the United States military forces and auxiliary organizations from W.W. I to the present.

Most of the patches pictured herein are properly classified as shoulder patches as they are worn on the shoulder part of the shirt or jacket sleeve. A section on U.S. Army pocket patches has been included and some pocket patches have been included in the Cavalry section. In order to narrow the scope of this work, Air Force, Navy and Marine pocket patches are not covered.

The pocket patch and R.O.T.C. sections are not intended to be complete guides to those areas, but only representative samplings. The other sections are as complete as the editors could make them given the necessity of obtaining for photographing any patch that was to be included herein. Although there are a few omissions, virtually all of the well known patches have been included and most of the lesser known ones too.

It is particularly hoped that patch collectors will find this guide a useful aid in the pursuit of their avocation.