1st Cavalry Division (First Team)
3rd Infantry Division (Rock of the Marne)
8th Infantry Division (Pathfinders)
9th Infantry Division (Old Reliable)
25th Infantry Division (Tropic Lightning)
69th Infantry Division (The Fighting 69th)
92nd Infantry Division (Buffalo Soldiers)

Shoulder sleeve insignia apparently originated during World War I. Many were cut-out patches of felt, applied on a background. The more modern patches are of embroidery. Some of the early patches of World War II were hand embroidered. The patches manufactured today are machine embroidered. The brightly colored insignia, worn on the left shoulder, denotes the command unit under which a solider serves, and serves the purpose of the enameled badges of the Civil War and Spanish-American War.

The first shoulder sleeve insignia is credited to members of the 81st Division. On their way to France in 1918, the unit adopted the figure of a wild cat, and was granted permission to wear it in October of 1918. Because General Headquarters recognized the value of a patch as a means of building moral and helping troops assemble under their own officers, all organizations of the American Expeditionary Force were directed to adopt similar insignia.

Most of the insignia used by the U.S. Army are based on historic facts or on some attribute of the organization concerned. Certain specific rules apply to the design of insignia. The United States armed forces follow the laws of heraldry. Thus, no part of the coat of arms of the United States or any complete arms, seal, or flag of any State orother country may be used. All symbols, whether animals, birds, or inanimate objects, must face the honorable (right or dexter) side, or appear in full face. This is a carry over from the Middle Ages, when a knight defended with the sword in his right hand. After World War II, the wear of a unit patch on the right shoulder was approved to denote service in combat with that unit. A new design must not conflict with an existing one, nor may it resemble too closely a symbol employed by the enemy. The insignia for the 45th Division was changed in 1939 from an Indian Swastika on a red square to the Thunderbird for this reason. Instant recognition of the insignia is essential. Many of the patches originally approved have had minor modifications made over the years and later been re-approved.

Source: Timberon Trading