There has probably never been a United States Army Infantry Division that has undergone as many inactivations and reactivations as the “Old Reliables,” the 9th Infantry Division. Over the course of its 73-year existence, the Division was inactivated a total of five times, the last coming in 1991.
The 9th Infantry Division Shoulder Sleeve Insignia, or unit patch, is colored red and blue and features a double quatrefoil, a heraldic mark indicative of the ninth son; red and blue are the colors used for an Infantry Division’s distinguishing flag. In the center is a white circle—the color that was used for the Division’s numbers on its World War II flag. According to U.S. Army Patches, Flashes, and Ovals: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Cloth Unit Insignia nicknames such as “Flower Power” and “Psychedelic Cookie” were used to describe the insignia during the 1960s.
Related Items9th Infantry Division Distinctive Unit Insignia (Unit Crest)9th Infantry Division Combat Service ID Badge (CSIB)