Heraldry and Insignia of the California State Military Forces
40th Infantry Division
40th Separate Infantry Brigade
 
Distinctive Unit Insignia
 
Design Approved: Approved for 40th Separate Infantry Brigade 22 February 1970
 
Symbolism: The semi-sunburst represents the division's allocation to California. The demi-fleur-de-lis symbolizes service in World War I. The outer rim of sun-rays refer to the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation. The red arrowhead represents the assault landing on Luzon in World War II. The torii gate, a symbol of the Far East refers to the Republic of Korean Presidential Unit Citation. awarded the division.
 
Motto: DUTY HONOR COURAGE
Distinctive Unit Insignia, Pre-1945
 
Shoulder Sleeve Insignia
Images courtesy of Mr. David Kaufmann
 
World War I
 
Embroidered on thick wool, 3 1/4" sides


Embroidered on wool, 2 1/2" sides

Double colored bullion on black wool; possible mourning detail, 2 1/2" sides

Embroidered on cloth; significance of the dots in center is unknown, 3 1/2" sides


Divisional command staff directed that the patches be worn flat, so some were made as rectangles; embroidered on wool, sides 3" L x 2 1/2" H
 
Embroidered on cloth, sides 3" L x 2 1/2" H

Doughboys being doughboys, they rejected the directive, and had round patches made. Wool on wool, 2 1/2" in diameter; note there are 14 rays.

Bullion on velour on wool. 12 irregular rays; 2 3/4" diameter on 3" wool square.


Embroidered on cloth. 16 irregular rays; 2 1/2" diameter on 3" cloth

Wool on wool, small ( 1 7/8" sides) square on armband.
 
1920's and 1930's
 
1920s, oversized on wool

1930s, standard size, on wool
World War II

Fully embroidered with OD border

Fully embroidered, no OD border

Embroidered on wool, yellow border, unit designation unknown

Post war, German-made, bullion sun, border on wool

Post war Japanese-made, bullion rays, red center (Division Artillery) on wool
 
Korean War

Japanese made, embroidered on fine cloth; 11th Ranger Infantry Company, Airborne. Ranger John J. Muñoz states, "We were trained at Fort Benning, GA, and were the first Ranger Company to complete an 8 week course at the Ranger Training Command, then proceeded to Camp Carson, CO for "Mountain and Cold Weather Survival", then proceeded to Japan for full scale amphibious training by the US Marine Corps. The 11th Company was officially inactivated on September 18, 1951. Although the 11th Company did not participated in combat as a company, many of the rangers saw combat in either the 187th Regimental Combat Team, Airborne, or their parent unit, the 40th Infantry Division."



Standard, US-made fully embroidered


Unknown divisional element - possible a scout platoon; Japanese-made, quilted, bullion border, letters "JAPAN"; has Indian figure on sun
 
Japanese-made gold bullion sun on wool
Japanese-made Ball of Fire, fully embroidered. After command staff replaced by command staff from 82nd Airborne Division Artillery, and National Guardsmen rotated home for US and RA personnel, the 40th Infantry Division patch was morphed into the patch and scroll combination. Not everyone had them; patches were unauthorized by War Department, so not many made it home.


One piece Ball of Fire patch and scroll; embroidered on twill.


40th Infantry Division (NGUS) reserve cadre, fully embroidered. Worn by those National Guardsmen who remained behind in California and were not sent to Japan with the division.

Japanese-made, fully embroidered, with divisional scroll
 
Institute of Heraldry Historical Data
 
Shoulder Sleeve Insignia
Distinctive Unit Insignia
 
 
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Updated 19 July 2017