USAF Pararescue / Cheshire Cat / Morale OCP Patch

USAF Pararescue / Cheshire Cat / " Keep Calm, We're All MAD Here"/ OCP Morale Patch

Made in USA / Circa 2019

Keep Calm and Carry On was a motivational poster produced by the British government in 1939 in preparation for the Second World War. The poster was intended to raise the morale of the British public, threatened with widely predicted mass air attacks on major cities. Although 2.45 million copies were printed, and although the Blitz happened, the poster was hardly ever publicly displayed and was little known until a copy was rediscovered in 2000. It has since been re-issued by a number of private companies and has been used as the decorative theme for a range of products.

The Keep Calm and Carry On poster was designed by the Ministry of Information during the period 27 June – 6 July 1939. It was produced as part of a series of three "Home Publicity" posters (the others read "Your Courage, Your Cheerfulness, Your Resolution Will Bring Us Victory" and "Freedom Is in Peril. Defend It With All Your Might"). Each poster showed the slogan under a representation of a "Tudor Crown" (a symbol of the state). They were intended to be distributed to strengthen morale in the event of a wartime disaster, such as mass bombing of major cities using high explosives and poison gas, which was widely expected within hours of an outbreak of war.

The Cheshire Cat is a fictional cat popularized by Lewis Carroll in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and known for its distinctive mischievous grin. While most often celebrated in "Alice"-related contexts, the Cheshire Cat predates the 1866 novel and has transcended the context of literature and become enmeshed in popular culture, appearing in various forms of media, from political cartoons to television, as well as cross-disciplinary studies, from business to science. One of its distinguishing features is that from time to time its body disappears, the last thing visible being its iconic grin.

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USAF PJ / CCATT - OEF Patch

USAF Pararescue / Critical Care Air Transport Team  - Operation Enduring Freedom Patch

Made in Afghanistan. Circa 2010/5'.

This is a SUPER rare piece custom made in Afghanistan on request for a Pararescue Flight Surgeon and  Physician attached to a CCATT team. The design is actually pretty nice mixing the PJ crest with the CCATT logo combined. I have to admit that the craftsmanship is probably the worst I have ever seen before, but due to the rareness of this piece, it deserves a place in the collection. It's believed that belonged to a 920th Rescue Wing member.

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USAF Pararescue / OCP Patch

USAF Pararescue / OCP Patch

Another color variation of the classic PJ crest. Circa 2017/18'.

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USAF 67th ARRS / Jolly Green Patch

USAF 67th Aerospace Rescue & Recovery Squadron / Jolly Green Patch

This classic and nice JGG patch was kindly donated for the collection by my friend and fellow collector AMR from the USAF Jolly Green Giant Collection. Circa 1980's.

The 67th ARRS operated the HH-53C & the HC-130 at RAF Woodbridge, UK until the unit split in 1988 as the 21st SOS took over the HH-53C's, & the 67th kept the HC-130's. This patch dates back to the early 1980's & has a bit of grime with wear & tear of being well used.

An HH-53C Super Jolly Green Giant approaches a tanker during an exercise in 1987. (USAF photo by SSgt. David Nolan)

The 67th ARRS conducted rescue and recovery operations in the European area, including spacecraft recovery in the Atlantic, Oct 1952-Mar 1960 and May 1961-Jun 1988. Supported special operations forces conducting NATO operations over Northern Iraq, 1991 and 1993. Conducted extraction, infiltration and resupply missions into hostile territory; also supported search and rescue, medical evacuations, humanitarian operations and air refueling to special operations helicopters and tilt-rotor aircraft, 2000-.

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USAF 67th ARRS / Anniversary Patch

USAF 67th ARRS / Anniversary Patch

This piece was kindly donated for the collection by my friend and fellow collector AMR from the USAF Jolly Green Giant Collection. Made in UK 2019.

In 2019, the 67th Special Operations Squadron, formally 67th Air Rescue Squadron celebrated its 67th Anniversary. The 67th was originally formed at RAF Sculthorpe, Norfolk in1952. On the 31st January 1953, the Squadron was tasked with assisting the rescue efforts in the nearby seaside town Hunstanton following a storm surge that affected many parts of the East Anglian Coast. 

On that day, 2nd Class Airman Reis Leming, aged 22, rescued 27 locals from the low lying areas of Hunstanton heavily affected by the floods in dark and difficult conditions despite not being able to swim and suffering the effects of hypothermia and exhaustion which caused him to collapse. In April 1953, Leming was presented with George Medal for his actions and has always remained in the minds of the locals.

On 10th November 2012 the 67th SOS now based at RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk celebrated their 60th Anniversary, with a parade in Hunstanton and Mr. Leming was planning to attend as part of the squadrons reunion. As part of the event, the local council had named part of the seafront Reis Leming Way in his, and the squadrons honor and planned a surprise unveiling to thank him for efforts and recognize the part he played in the rescue efforts. Sadly, Mr. Leming passed away aged 81, on the 4th November 2012, and the sign is located on the seafront close to and as part of a permanent memorial of that day in 1953. 31 people died in Hunstanton that night, 307 along the East Anglian coast.

The unit was constituted as the 67th Air Rescue Squadron on 17 October 1952. It was activated on 14 November 1952 at RAF Sculthorpe, England, and discontinued, and inactivated, on 18 March 1960 at Prestwick, Scotland. It was activated again on 10 May 1961 and organized on 18 June 1961 at Prestwick, Scotland. The unit was redesignated 67th Air Recovery Squadron on 1 August 1965, and then as the 67th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron on 8 January 1966.

It was transferred to Morón Air Base, Spain on 1 July 1966. On 15 January 1970, the 67th ARRS transferred to RAF Woodbridge, UK. The unit operated the Lockheed HC-130 fixed wing (also used as rotational support for their Detachment of H-3 helicopters stationed at Keflavik, Iceland) and Sikorsky MH-53 rotary wing aircraft.

On 1 June 1988, the unit was split into two units redesignated the 67th Special Operations Squadron for the HC-130 aircraft and the 21st Special Operations Squadron for the HH-53 rotary wing. On 1 April 1992, they moved to RAF Alconbury, UK. They are still active as the 67th SOS and have flown the HC-130 since 1965 (designated the MC-130P since 1996). It is currently stationed at RAF Mildenhall, UK

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WANTED!: USAF PJ / American Flag / Call Sign Patch

WANTED!: USAF Pararescue / American Flag / Call Sign Patch

Circa 2018

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WANTED!: USAF 58th RQS / Guardian Angel / Legends Patch

WANTED!: USAF 58th Rescue Squadron / Guardian Angel / "Heroes got remembered, Legends never die" Patch

This patch belongs to the 2nd Troop from the 58th.

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USAF 303rd ERQS / CSAR / Centennial Patch

USAF 303rd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron / Combat Rescue / 1912-2012 / Arizona Centennial Patch

This is a rare first version patch from the 303rd RQS in commemoration of the centennial of the state of Arizona who became officially the State of Arizona on February 14, 1912. Arizona was the 48th state. Really hard to find patch. This piece came from an Africa deployment. Circa 2012/3'.

The 303d Expeditionary Rescue Squadron is a provisional unit of the United States Air Force. It is permanently deployed to Camp Lemonier, Djibouti. It was reactivated in 2013 as a forward deployed umbrella organization for rotational Sikorsky HH-60 Pave Hawk and pararescue/Guardian Angel combat search and rescue units of the Air Force Reserve deployed to U.S. Africa Command, specifically to Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa.

From 1997 until 2003, the then-303d Rescue Squadron was a Lockheed HC-130 Combat King squadron, part of the Air Force Reserve Command's 939th Rescue Wing at Portland Air Reserve Station at Portland International Airport, Oregon. When the 939th transitioned to an air refueling mission with the KC-135 Stratotanker and became the 939th Air Refueling Wing, the 303d was inactivated. As part of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission process, the 939 ARW was itself inactivated in June 2008.

The 303d was reactivated in 2013 as an expeditionary rescue squadron for rotational Air Force Reserve Sikorsky HH-60G Pave Hawk and pararescue/Guardian Angel units deployed to Camp Lemonier, Djibouti in support of Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA). The squadron replaced Heavy Marine Helicopter Squadron 464 (HMH-464) Detachment A.

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News: From the field

Love to see some cool pictures sent by the men and women in the field wearing the 83rd ERQS Rotorwash design. 

Keep it up guys!

USAF CSAR / CRO / OCP Patch Set

USAF Combat Search & Rescue / Combat Rescue Officer / OCP / Call Sign Patch Set

Made in USA. Circa 2018

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USAF PJ / IR Patch

USAF Pararescue / Infrared / Call Sign Black-Tan Patch

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USAF 56th RQS / Jolly Green / Faceless Patch

USAF 56th Rescue Squadron / Jolly Green / Faceless Patch

Nice and rare version of the classic JGG patch known as the "Faceless" version.

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USAF 4460th Helicopter Squadron / Subdued Patch

USAF 4460th Helicopter Squadron / Subdued Patch

This is the small squadron patch for the 4460th Helicopter squadron that performs rescue missions. This squadron belongs to the 57th Wing (57 WG) is an operational unit of the USAF Warfare Center, stationed at Nellis AFB (gunnery range), Nevada;  as well as support for the Mercury test site. It was located in Indian Springs, NV. The squadron was de-activated in 1988. The 57 WG's mission is to provide well trained and well-equipped combat forces ready to deploy into a combat arena to conduct integrated combat operations, including CSAR missions.

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