Image of the Air Force wings with the museum name underneath

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Ranch Hand Insignia and other items

Insignia
The Ranch Hand insignia was designed in 1962 by Capt. Alan Kidd and Lt. John Hodgin, and it contains several elements of the Ranch Hand tradition. The symbol in the middle is the Chinese character for purple. The brown stripe on a green field represents a defoliated strip of jungle. Yellow and red represent the national colors of South Vietnam. 

Patch
This unofficial mosquito-spraying patch and aircraft fuel charge card were donated by Robert Norton, Patches last crew chief in Southeast Asia. MACV (Military Assistance Command - Vietnam) was the joint command headquarters for the U.S. forces in South Vietnam. The fueling card (not from Patches, but from a different C-123) normally stayed with the aircraft, but Norton put it in his pocket and inadvertenly brought it back home. 

Beret and Hat
Berat and "Go to Hell" hat with Ranch Hand purple band worn by Lt. James P. Hamilton. The gold insignia was the South Vietnamese air force rank equivalent to a U.S. Air Force 1st lieutenant. 

Lighter
Lighter with the Ranch Hand insignia. The phrase "Only We Can Prevent Forests" was a pun on the then popular Forest Service campaign "Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires."

Wings
South Vietnamese air force pilot's wings awarded to Lt. Grant Nicolai at the end of his tour.

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