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Patches? We don’t need no stinkin’ patches

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Cruise patches are a cultural thing with the Navy. Sailors love ‘em and collectors salivate over them. Squadrons look at them as a way to raise a little money for their coffers.

Many produce patches that honor their squadrons and commemorate cruises, especially a last ride or turnover cruise such as this one. On board the Kitty Hawk, there’s quite a selection for sailors to purchase for collections, display or to put on their flight jackets.

There’s a skull and crossbones that commemorates Kitty Hawk’s career with the dates 1961 to 2008, produced by the ship’s Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department known as AIMD.

Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron 14 took a distinctively Japanese take on the idea in a round patch with part of the Japanese rising sun flag as the background with a plate of sushi and chopsticks. Out of one of the pieces of sushi is a kitty’s head similar to the popular “Hello Kitty” line developed in Japan and famous all over the world. The words simply say “Goodbye Kitty” with some Kanji characters and the ’08 date.

There’s even a patch honoring an event yet to come – the last trap on the Battle Kat. Though it also commemorates the ship’s final WestPac cruise this year, it contains small versions of each of the squadron’s logos over that of the ship.

But my favorite one was produced by Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light 51. The “Warlords” as they are called have produced a wonderful patch depicting a Pacific sunset, the Kitty Hawk and a Polynesian girl, the names of both carriers, and both a Japanese and American flag. With all the uncertainty, some folks are purchasing it simply because it could become even more of a collector’s item if Kitty Hawk never makes it to Hawaii on the way home – an option that could happen under multiple scenarios.

Some folks are buying them all; I chose to pick just one.