The Story of the Old Breed's nickname and Divisional patch

THE STORY OF THE OLD BREED'S NICKNAME AND DIVISIONAL PATCH

A First Marine Division NCO presents the image of soldierly appearance and bearing. On his left shoulder is displayed the Divisional patch. USMC Photo

The First Marine Division was never really a green outfit in the sense of a newly formed military unit. When it was activated early in 1941, the Division was filled by Old Corps Marines with many years of expeditions and campaigning behind them. Filled with these Leathernecks, many with service going back to World War I, the Divisional name, "The Old Breed," made its way into common usage. The name fit, and it stuck.

Through the war, many of the old timers were killed, wounded, or became sick in the harsh conditions of the Pacific. But they left an indelible stamp on their Division that endured long after they had packed their seabags.

Except for the interlude of 1943 in Australia, the First Marine Division spent its years of service in austere conditions. This helped cement its inner feeling of being somehow different and set apart from the rest of the Marine Corps. The Divisional history noted that, "We never really came out of the boondocks..."

The story of how the Divisional patch was adopted is described on pages 143-144 of The Old Breed, by George McMillan:

"They sat in facing bucket seats, between the litter of packs, seabags, typewriters, briefcases — the kinds of things that staff officers would necessarily bring out of battle.

General Vandegrift had begun to be a little bored with the monotony of the long plane ride. "Twining," he said, "what are you doing?"

"An idea I have for a shoulder patch," said Twining. "The stars are the Southern Cross."

Capt Robert Scherr, Division Staff Judge Advocate, in a fine studio portrait late in World War II. He wears a finely embroidered Divisional patch on his right shoulder. Courtesy of the Scherr family

Vandegrift looked at it for a moment, scribbled something on it, and handed it back to Twining, who saw the word, "Approved," with the initials, "A.A.V."

They had been on the ride from Guadalcanal to Brisbane. Because the first few days in Australia were hectic, Twining did nothing else about the patch until one morning he was called into Vandegrift's office.

"Well, Twining, where's your patch?" Vandegrift asked to the discomfort of Twining.

"I bought a box of water colors," Twining says in recalling the incident, "and turned in with malaria. I made six sketches, each with a different color scheme. In a couple of days I went back to the General with my finished drawings. He studied them only a minute or so and then approved the one that is now the Division patch."

Twining knew there was more to his mission. He placed an order for a hundred thousand with the Australian subsidiary of an American woven name manufacturer although money was one of the things the Division did not have when it arrived in Australia.

"I convinced the Army PX people that they should supply credit until our outfit could get some folding money," Twining remarks.

The patches went on sale in February [1943], three weeks after Vandegrift approved Twining's design."

Sgt Lloyd Crusan was part of the first group of Old Breed Marines to rotate home in 1944 after over two years in the Pacific. he was a veteran of the campaigns for Guadalcanal and Cape Gloucester and earned the Navy Cross in January 1944. Here Crusan is being fitted for a new set of dress greens at MCB, San Diego. The tailor is checking the position of the First Marine Division patch and rank insignia. Leatherneck Magazine

Their first civilian meal after more than two years of hard campaigning with the Old Breed in the Pacific. L-R: Sgt Albery Goguen, of Massachusetts, Pfc Kenneth Osgood, of Connecticut, and Sgt Crusan, of Pennsylvania, dig into steaks and spaghetti at a San Diego eatery in 1944.Leatherneck Magazine

Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. A. A. Vandegrift awards the Bronze Star Medal to SSgt James Moser of Culpeper, Virginia. Moser was drafted as a combat correspondent in 1943 and served with the 1st Marine Division on Cape Gloucester and Okinawa. He volunteered for service on Guam and his Bronze Star was awarded for his courage and professional skill there. He was wounded on Guam and recuperated in the United States prior to returning to the Old Breed. USMC Photo

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