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US Army 45th Infantry Division shoulder sleeve patch with a gold Thunderbird on a red field

Object | Accession Number: 2004.749.28

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    US Army 45th Infantry Division shoulder sleeve patch with a gold Thunderbird on a red field
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    Overview

    Brief Narrative
    Shoulder sleeve insignia of the United States Army 45th Infantry Division, nicknamed the Thunderbird Division. The embroidered gold thunderbird design symbolizes the troops from the southwestern states of Oklahoma, New Mexico, Colorado, and Arizona, who formed the unit when it was established in 1942 as a National Guard Division. The 45th landed in North Africa on June 22, 1943, and was redeployed to Sicily for the Italian campaign on July 10. The unit was then sent to southern France in August. The Thunderbird Division crossed the Rhine River in March 1945 and continued into southern Germany, capturing Nuremberg and Munich in late April. With the 42nd Infantry and 20th Armored Divisions, the unit liberated Dachau concentration camp on April 29th and 30th. US Army and Allied representatives treated the sick and brought food for starving survivors at the camp. The civilian residents of the city of Dachau were ordered to bury the dead. The unit was stationed near Dachau after the surrender of Germany on May 7. The 45th returned to the US on September 14, 1945, and was inactivated on December 7, 1945.
    Date
    unavailable: 
    Credit Line
    United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection

    Physical Details

    Classification
    Military Insignia
    Category
    Badges
    Physical Description
    Square patch machine embroidered on white netting that is turned on point and features a yellow thunderbird, a Native American stylized bird symbol, facing right with displayed wings and a red eye, on a red field with a red embroidered border. The patch has no visible signs of use.
    Dimensions
    overall: Height: 3.375 inches (8.573 cm) | Width: 3.250 inches (8.255 cm)
    Materials
    overall : thread, net

    Rights & Restrictions

    Conditions on Access
    No restrictions on access
    Conditions on Use
    No restrictions on use

    Keywords & Subjects

    Administrative Notes

    Provenance
    The badge was acquired by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2004.
    Record last modified:
    2025-02-06 11:24:47
    This page:
    http:​/​/collections.ushmm.org​/search​/catalog​/irn35183

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