Military Insignia - United States and Philippines
Approximately 1920 - 1950

Go directly to photos/titles of insignia

Most of the following insignia were collected by my Dad in the 1920's and 1930's. My Grandfather was twice stationed on Corregidor in the Philippines, once from 1927 to 1930 and once from 1935 to 1938. Each time the family traveled in Army Transports to the Philippines and later back. On those voyages, my Grandfather, Robert Ellsworth Phillips (retired as Colonel) would buy my Dad cigarettes. My Dad would then go to the troop decks and trade them for insignia. Initially, cigarettes cost about 18 cents a pack. Eventually, an insignia became more expensive - up to $1.50.

Many thanks to Scott Hughes, who is Adjutant of The American Society Of Military Insignia Collectors (ASMIC), and who so graciously responded to my plea for help in identifying insignia. Most of the labeled insignia below have labels because Scott provided them. Scott can be emailed at adjutant@asmic.org.

Also thank you to the folks at the Fort Sam Houston Museum who also graciously took the time and effort to identify many of the insignia. I have abbreviated the credits below to FSHM.

Some of the insignia I found on the Philippine Scouts Heritage Society website, which has a nice description of the role the Scouts played. I have abbreviated the credits to PSHS.

MSG Jose R. Ramirez Jr. publishes a website on the Infantry Regiments of the US Army which is the best organized, easiest to navigate website I have ever visited. It is also incredibly comprehensive. There are pages devoted to every Infantry regiment. I have linked each Infantry insignia to its page on MSG Ramirez's website.

If anyone who sees these pages happens to have additional information about any insignia, I would appreciate your passing the information back to me at phillipsbob27@yahoo.com.

I will publish information on the insignia as I collect it. If you are willing to have your name, email address, and/or URL link published, I will be happy to credit anyone who provides information.

On an unrelated note, I also maintain websites on other topics of personal interest to me:

• A Journey of Survival: My Memoir of World War II by Raymond Witges
• Genealogy of Phillips & Eggleston families with Civil War Diaries of my ancestors
• Turning the Berkeley Campanile (Sather Tower) into a Mickey Mouse watch: and other memories from the '60's
• Backpacking: Yosemite Backcountry Photos
• Calorie Restriction - the only diet reliably shown to increase health and maximum lifespan in many species
• NeighborhoodNet: Neighborhood development issues, local politics of Johnson County, Kansas, USA

1 Motto: ANYWHERE ANY TIME Philippine Scouts 57th Infantry Regiment (PS) PSHS Approved 8/25/1924		2 Motto: TOUJOURS FIDELE 360th Coast Artillery (Anti Aircraft) Identified by ASMIC See MSG J.R. Ramirez Jr. Site Approved 8/6/1926		3 Motto: WE LEAD THE WAY 29th Infantry Regiment Identified by ASMIC See MSG J.R. Ramirez Jr. Site		4 8th Infantry Regiment Identified by ASMIC See MSG J.R. Ramirez Jr. Site
5 33rd Infantry Regiment Identified by ASMIC See MSG J.R. Ramirez Jr. Site		6 10th Coast Artillery (Coastal Defense of Narragansett Bay) Identified by ASMIC		7 Motto: AGE QUOD AGIS Panama Division Trains (Misc. support troops) Identified by ASMIC		8 10th Infantry Regiment Identified by ASMIC See MSG J.R. Ramirez Jr. Site
9 6th Cavalry Regiment Identified by ASMIC		10 25th Infantry Regiment Identified by ASMIC See MSG J.R. Ramirez Jr. Site		11 17th Infantry Regiment Identified by ASMIC See MSG J.R. Ramirez Jr. Site		12 243rd AntiAircraft Artillery Battalion Identified by FSHM
13 Motto: MORS AB ALTO 7th Bombardment Group Army Air Corps Identified by ASMIC		14 7th Infantry Regiment Identified by ASMIC See MSG J.R. Ramirez Jr. Site		15 Motto: AMOR PATRIAE 63rd AntiAircraft Artillery Battalion Identified by FSHM		16 15th Infantry Regiment See MSG J.R. Ramirez Jr. Site
17 143rd Infantry Regiment Identified by ASMIC See MSG J.R. Ramirez Jr. Site		18 Philippine Scouts 45th Infantry Regiment (PS) Post War Variant PSHS		19 21st Infantry Regiment Identified by ASMIC See MSG J.R. Ramirez Jr. Site		20 33rd Infantry Regiment Identified by ASMIC See MSG J.R. Ramirez Jr. Site
21 23rd Infantry Regiment Identified by ASMIC See MSG J.R. Ramirez Jr. Site		22 Philippine Scouts 12th Quartermaster Regiment Approved Sept 27, 1937 PSHS		23 38th Infantry Regiment Identified by ASMIC See MSG J.R. Ramirez Jr. Site		24 Motto: Observe and Report 12th Observation Group See detailed notes Approved 4/12/1932
25 59th Coast Artillery (Harbor Defense - Corregidor) Identified by ASMIC		26 24th Infantry Regiment Identified by ASMIC See MSG J.R. Ramirez Jr. Site		27 Air Corps Technical School, Army Air Corps Identified by ASMIC
28 Philippine Scouts 57th Infantry Regiment (PS) 1924 PSHS (See 1 for better condition)		29 Philippine Scouts 26th Cavalry Regiment (PS) 1924 PSHS		30 16th Coast Artillery (Coastal defense) - Hawaii Identified by ASMIC		31 16th Coast Artillery (Coastal defense) - Hawaii Identified by ASMIC
32 18th Field Artillery Identified by ASMIC		33 62nd Coast Artillery (Harbor defense) Fort Totten, NY Identified by ASMIC		34 14th Infantry Regiment Identified by ASMIC See MSG J.R. Ramirez Jr. Site		35 245th Coast Artillery (Harbor Defense) Identified by ASMIC
36 18th Infantry Regiment Identified by ASMIC See MSG J.R. Ramirez Jr. Site		37 11th Infantry Regiment Identified by ASMIC See MSG J.R. Ramirez Jr. Site		38 116th Infantry Regiment Identified by ASMIC See MSG J.R. Ramirez Jr. Site		39 31st Infantry Regiment Identified by ASMIC See MSG J.R. Ramirez Jr. Site
40 19th Infantry Regiment Identified by ASMIC See MSG J.R. Ramirez Jr. Site		41 Motto: LANAKILA O PELE 1st Chemical Battalion Identified by ASMIC		42 Coast Artillery School Identified by ASMIC		43 20th Fighter Group (20th Pursuit Group) Identified by FSHM
44 Philippine Scouts 91st Coast Artillery Regiment (PS) 1928 PSHS		45 11th Field Artillery Identified by FSHM		46 Philippine Scouts 14th Engineer Regiment (Combat) (PS) 1926 PSHS		47 12th Coast Artillery Identified by FSHM
48 HQ, Hawaiian Division Identified by ASMIC		49 2nd Medical Regiment Identified by FSHM		50 14th AntiAircraft Battalion Identified by FSHM		51 8th Field Artillery regiment Identified by ASMIC
52 15th Field Artillery Identified by FSHM		53 13th Coast Artillery Regiment (Harbor Defense), Charleston SC Identified by ASMIC		54 52nd Artillery Group Identified by FSHM		55 344th Field Artillery Identified by FSHM
56 13th Field Artillery Identified by FSHM		57 9th Coast Artillery (Harbor Defense) Fort Banks, MA Identified by ASMIC		58 10th Field Artillery Identified by FSHM		59 Philippine Scouts 92nd Coast Artillery Regiment (PS) 192? PSHS Note variation in placement of 155 mm gun
60 60th Air Defense Artillery Identified by FSHM		61 2nd Coast Artillery (Harbor Defense) Fort Monroe, VA Identified by ASMIC		62 30th Infantry Regiment Identified by ASMIC See MSG J.R. Ramirez Jr. Site		63 3rd Bombardment Group Identified by ASMIC
64 Walter Reed Army Medical Center Identified by ASMIC		65 3rd Field Artillery Regiment Identified by ASMIC		66 83rd Field Artillery Identified by ASMIC		67 55th Coast Artillery Regiment (Coastal Defense) Hawaii Identified by ASMIC
68 1st Coast Artillery, (Harbor Defense) Panama Canal Zone Identified by ASMIC		69 244th Coast Artillery Regiment (Tractor Drawn) Identified by ASMIC		70 7th Coast Artillery (Harbor Defense) Fort Hancock, NJ Identified by ASMIC		71 4th Cavalry Identified by FSHM
72 14th AntiAircraft Battalion Identified by FSHM		73 7th Field Artillery Regiment Identified by ASMIC		74 21st Coast Artillery (Harbor Defense) Fort Miles, DE Identified by ASMIC		75 12th Infantry Identified by FSHM See MSG J.R. Ramirez Jr. Site
76 27th Infantry Identified by FSHM See MSG J.R. Ramirez Jr. Site		77 6th Coast Artillery (Harbor Defense) Fort Scott CA Identified by ASMIC See note from Joe Armstrong SgtMaj USMC (Ret)		78 13th Engineer Battalion Identified by ASMIC		79 12th Field Artillery Identified by FSHM
80 15th Coast Artillery (Harbor Defense) Hawaii Identified by ASMIC		81 13th Coast Artillery (Harbor Defense) Charleston SC Identified by ASMIC		82 6th Infantry Identified by FSHM See MSG J.R. Ramirez Jr. Site		83 3rd Engineer Battalion Identified by ASMIC
84 1st Infantry Identified by FSHM See MSG J.R. Ramirez Jr. Site		85 972nd Coast Artillery Battalion Identified by ASMIC		86 59th Coast Artillery (Harbor Defense) (Tractor Drawn) Corregidor Identified by ASMIC		87 Philippine Scouts 24th Field Artillery Regiment (PS) 1924 PSHS 4 Legged Mule Variant
88 11th Engineer Battalion Identified by ASMIC		89 Philippine Scouts 12th Medical Regiment (PS) 1925 PSHS		90 4th Field Artillery Identified by FSHM		91 8th Coast Artillery (Harbor Defense) Fort Preble, ME Identified by ASMIC
92 51st Coast Artillery Camp (Now Fort) Eustis, VA Identified by ASMIC		93 6th Engineer Battalion Identified by ASMIC		94 Headquarters, Hawaiian Division Identified by ASMIC		95 3rd Coast Artillery Regiment (Harbor Defense) Fort MacArthur, CA Identified by ASMIC
96 Motto: UNION LIBERTY AND THE LAWS 180th Field Artillery Regiment Identified by ASMIC		97 24th Medical Battalion Identified by ASMIC		98 66th Infantry (Light Tanks) See detailed notes Identified by ASMIC See MSG J.R. Ramirez Jr. Site		99 11th Cavalry Identified by FSHM
100 61st Air Defense Artillery Identified by FSHM See also ASMIC note		101 35th Infantry Identified by FSHM See MSG J.R. Ramirez Jr. Site		102 5th Bombardment Group, Army Air Corps Identified by ASMIC		103 305th Infantry Regiment Identified by ASMIC See MSG J.R. Ramirez Jr. Site
104 1st Cavalry Identified by FSHM		105 4th Composite Group, Army Air Corps Identified by ASMIC		106 65th Coast Artillery (Antiaircraft) - Canal Zone circa 1020 - 1930 Identified by ASMIC		107 6th Bombardment Group, Army Air Corps Identified by ASMIC
108 3rd Cavalry Identified by FSHM		109 6th Field Artillery Identified by FSHM		110 Motto: Aut Vincere Aut Mori First Pursuit Group See Langley AFB Description Approved 1/21/1924		111 64th Coast Artillery (Antiaircraft) Hawaii Identified by ASMIC See Notes
112 9th Infantry Identified by FSHM See MSG J.R. Ramirez Jr. Site		113 55th Coast Artillery (Mobile) Hawaii Identified by ASMIC See Notes		114 Hawaiian Division's Quartermaster detachment Identified by ASMIC See Notes		115 Reserve Officer Training Corps Identified by FSHM
116 242nd Coast Artillery (Harbor Defense) Connecticut National Guard unit Identified by ASMIC		117 242nd Coast Artillery (Harbor Defense) Connecticut National Guard unit Identified by ASMIC		118 Marine Corps Badge Identified by ASMIC		119 4th Composite Group, Army Air Corps Identified by ASMIC
120 242nd Coast Artillery (Harbor Defense) Connecticut National Guard unit Identified by ASMIC		121 242nd Coast Artillery (Harbor Defense) Connecticut National Guard unit Identified by ASMIC		122 242nd Coast Artillery (Harbor Defense) Connecticut National Guard unit Identified by ASMIC		123 242nd Coast Artillery (Harbor Defense) Connecticut National Guard unit Identified by ASMIC
				126 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment Infantry Officer Collar Insignia Identified by ASMIC See MSG J.R. Ramirez Jr. Site		127 41st Coast Artillery (Railroad) Hawaii Identified by ASMIC On Dec.7, 1941 The 41st Coast Artillery was part of the harbor defense of Pearl Harbor
128 Expert Pistol Qualification Badge Identified by ASMIC		129 Shooting Competition Award Identified by ASMIC		130 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment Identified by ASMIC See MSG J.R. Ramirez Jr. Site		131 Infantry Officer Collar Insignia Identified by ASMIC
132 The University of Georgetown ROTC (Probably) Identified by ASMIC		133 Enlisted Collar Insignia Battery D of a Coast Artillery Unit Identified by ASMIC		134 Enlisted Collar Insignia 242nd Coast Artillery Regiment, Connecticut National Guard Identified by ASMIC		135 Infantry Officer Collar Insignia Identified by ASMIC
136 Enlisted Collar Insignia 242nd Coast Artillery Regiment, Connecticut National Guard Identified by ASMIC		137		138 Army General Staff Officer's Insignia Identified by ASMIC		139 World War I Victory Medal Identified by FSHM
140 Coastal Defense of Long Island Sound Identified by ASMIC

#24 Note
12th Observation Group - This insignia was identified at the Valor Collectables website page.

#77 Note
Thank you to Joe Armstrong, SgtMaj USMC (Ret), who provided the following information and can be contacted at joe "dot" armstrong "at" togetherweserved.com

"Army DUI item #77 6th Coast Artillery

6th Coast Artillery Regiment - at Fort Winfield Scott CA, Presidio of San Francisco - had at least 4, probably 5 battalions on south and north ends of the Golden Gate Bridge entrance to San Francisco Harbor. Two battalions were in Marin County on the north end of Golden Gate Bridge at Fort Baker, Fort Barry and Fort Cronkite, all outlying posts of Presidio. This was at least from 1946 thru 1950. Fort Barry was the Regimental Hq forward and had at least 3 support companies. One was the tow target/crash boat company with 4 boats. My Dad was a Tech Sgt and skipper of one of the boats from 46-50."

#98 Note
This piece has been worn by a number of units. It's either the 15th Tank Battalion (1924-1930), the 1st Tank Regiment (1930-32) or the 66th Infantry battalion (Light Tanks) (1932-42). One reference lists the 1st Tank Regiment in one part of the description and 2nd Tank Regiment in another part, so not certain which is right.

#100 Note
61st ADA - This was originally the 61st Artillery Battalion (Coast Artillery Corps) Fort Monroe, VA

#111 Note
"This is another one that has had a number of designations over the years. To properly ID to the 1920-30 period", ASMIC identifies it as the 64th Coast Artillery (Antiaircraft) Hawaii
Alternate identification: 64th AntiAircraft Battalion
Identified by FSHM

#114 Note
"Most probably the Hawaiian Division's Quartermaster detachment, it also was worn by the 11th Quartermaster Regiment and most recently by the 24th Supply and Transportation Battalion." - From ASMIC

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