APPENDIX “C” Sixth Marine Division Insignia

The basic design for the shoulder patch of the Sixth Marine Division was submitted by Colonel Victor Bleasdale of the Twenty Ninth Marines. The design as finally adopted, incorporated ideas of Corporal Michael W. Pawl and Major General Lemuel C. Shepherd, Jr. The artist who actually drew and colored the design was Lieutenant George Thompson.

The outside diameter of the patch is three inches and the diameter of the inner circle is two and one fourth inches. Embroidered on the red outer border are the words Melanesia—Micronesia—Orient. Superimposed upon a crusader sword in the center of the patch is a one and a quarter inch block numeral “6”, two inches long. The shading of the “6” is in the same color as the outer border. The “6” and the lettering of the words on the border is golden yellow. Cobalt blue is the color of the center background and the crusader sword is silver white.

To commemorate the fighting in the Solomons of the Raider Battalions, from which the Fourth Regiment was formed, the word Melanesia was chosen. Similarly, the word Micronesia commemorates the fighting of the Twenty Second Marines at Eniwetok, the First Provisional Brigade on Guam, and the First Battalion, Twenty Ninth Marines, at Saipan.

The board of officers, representing all units of the division, which adopted the patch selected the word Orient for two reasons: First, because China was the home of the old Fourth Marine Regiment, lost in the early days of the war on Bataan. The Raider Battalions were the units used to reactivate the Fourth Marines. The second reason advanced by the board was, that it was their belief that in its final stages, the war against Japan would have to be fought in the Orient. It is significant that the division took part in the last campaign, which was fought on Okinawa, and, as predicted, in the Orient.

The crusader’s sword was chosen as a symbol of the Sixth Marine Division’s crusade against the tyrannical principles of the axis powers.

In a special order, dated 17 October 1944, General Shepherd brought the insignia into official existence.

Transcriber’s Notes: Footnotes have been collected at the end of the text, and are linked for ease of reference.