Material: Cloth
Size: 72mm w x 82mm h
Description: This fabric insignia patch takes the shape of a downward-pointing, curved spade stitched out of heavy dark blue twill cloth. The central motif showcases a highly detailed, golden-yellow embroidered American eagle with its wings fully spread, clutching an olive branch in its right claw and a bundle of arrows in its left claw. Positioned directly above the central eagle, a single, thick, upwardly arched golden-yellow chevron bar curves smoothly along the upper border of the patch. The outer boundary of the entire spade shape is enclosed by a clean, raised black embroidered merrowed edge border to prevent fraying.
Circa: 1958-1985
Notes:
The Specialist 5 (SP5) rank equated to a pay grade of E-5, granting the soldier the same salary and grade as a Sergeant but without the corresponding tactical squad leadership responsibilities. This allowed highly skilled technical experts, clerks, and medical professionals to advance in pay grade based purely on their trade proficiency. In popular culture, this exact rank patch is famously associated with Elvis Presley, who served as an SP5 tank crewman in West Germany with the 3rd Armored Division from 1958 to 1960.