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