Shoulder Sleeve Insignia (SSI) — commonly called division patches — are the colorful cloth devices worn on the upper left sleeve of the service uniform to identify a soldier's division, corps, or army command. Established during World War I and standardized by World War II, SSI became one of the most recognizable elements of the American military uniform.
The patches in this collection date from the 1940–1947 period and represent units that fought across every theater of World War II. Manufacturing methods varied from hand-embroidered examples made locally or in the theater, to machine-embroidered pieces produced stateside by commercial manufacturers. Theater-made variations — with different materials or construction techniques — are especially prized by advanced collectors.
Each SSI in this collection is individually examined and documented. Where known, manufacturing origin (domestic vs. theater-made), construction method, and backing type are noted to help collectors make informed decisions.