Material: Cloth
Size: 65mm
Description: This vintage textile insignia is an official United States Army Pacific (USARPAC) Shoulder Sleeve Insignia. Measuring approximately 65mm in diameter, the circular patch features a heavily embroidered red arrow outlined in a clean white border, pointing straight up at the absolute center of a rich navy-blue fabric field. Flanking the arrow are twelve embroidered white stars meticulously organized into three distinct astronomical groups: the lone North Star at the apex, the seven-star Big Dipper constellation on the right, and the four-star Southern Cross constellation on the left. The outer perimeter is cleanly bound by a matching tightly stitched blue merrowed edge, providing structural rigidity to the canvas-backed uniform component.
Circa: 1947-1952
Notes:
Beyond their navigation meanings, the total layout of the twelve stars encodes a secret message detailing the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor; the twelve total stars represent the month of December, the seven stars of the Big Dipper represent the 7th day, and the four stars of the Southern Cross plus the single North Star total five to represent the year 1941.
According to the official U.S. Army Institute of Heraldry, the bold red arrow represents the "arrow of war" denoting the self-sufficiency and raw valor of the combined forces, while the expansive blue field stands for the staggering geographical size of the Pacific theater.