American soldiers began wearing unit patches on the left shoulders of their uniforms in World War I. These emblems not only identified the units but also helped to instill camaraderie among unit members. The men of the Thirtieth Infantry Division, who came from North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia, adopted the nickname "Old Hickory" in honor of President Andrew Jackson (1829-1837), a native Tar Heel. Their unit patch consisted of the letters O and H, for Old Hickory, and the Roman numerals XXX. During the war the patch was worn in a horizontal position by mistake, and it appears that way on uniforms, helmets, gas mask bags, and other objects from the period. After the war it was worn correctly in a vertical position.
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In the 1960s the United States Army authorized "subdued" insignia. During the Vietnam War, shoulder patches were green and collar insignia black. Members of the Thirtieth Heavy Separate Brigade in Iraq wore sand-colored patches on their desert camouflage uniforms.
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