US Army 101st Airborne Division shoulder sleeve patch with a bald eagle head

Identifier
irn514640
Language of Description
English
Alt. Identifiers
  • 2000.561.1 a-b
Level of Description
Item
Languages
  • English
Source
EHRI Partner

Extent and Medium

overall: Height: 3.500 inches (8.89 cm) | Width: 2.500 inches (6.35 cm)

Archival History

The badge was acquired by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2004.

Acquisition

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection

Scope and Content

Shoulder sleeve insignia of the 101st Airborne Division, United States Army, known as the Screaming Eagles. The shield shaped badge has an Airborne banner and a bald eagle, originally representing a Civil War mascot named Old Abe, the origin of the unit’s nickname. The Airborne parachuted into Normandy, France, on D-Day, June 6, 1944, to clear the way for troops to land on Utah Beach. In September, it was part of the Allied attempt to liberate the Netherlands during Operation Market Garden. The Unit was in southern Germany in late April 1945, where it discovered Kaufering IV, a subcamp of Dachau concentration camp. The 101st Airborne and the 12th Armored Divisions liberated the camp on April 27th and 28th. They found approximately 500 dead prisoners; the other inmates had been transported by SS guards as Allied Forces closed in. The Divisions forced local residents to bury the dead. The Unit was moving toward Berchtesgaden when Germany surrendered on May 7, 1945. The 101st Division was part of the Army of Occupation until their inactivation in Germany on November 30th, 1945.

Conditions Governing Access

No restrictions on access

Conditions Governing Reproduction

No restrictions on use

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Shield shaped military patch topped by an arched banner machine embroidered on white net backing. It has a black field, with an embroidered black border. In the center is the white head of a bald eagle in left profile with a single black eye, an open, yellow beak, and a red tongue. The word Airborne is stitched across the banner in yellow uppercase letters. The patch shows no signs of use. a: arched banner b: patch

Corporate Bodies

Subjects

Genre

This description is derived directly from structured data provided to EHRI by a partner institution. This collection holding institution considers this description as an accurate reflection of the archival holdings to which it refers at the moment of data transfer.