On 13 Apr 2004 23:18:14 GMT, (BUFDRVR) wrote:

I've seen one or two
historical unit patches that had the motto in French
- but these units likely had originated there in WW I.
...NEVER in English.

Even units whose history began in France may display their motto in Latin. The
2nd Bomb Wings origins begin in France, yet both its patches had the motto in
Latin. Morto et Destructo - a very cool yet un-PC Death and Destruction and
Liberatus Defensmus (not sure about spelling there) - Defenders of
Liberty(boring!).



USAF units that have a provenance running back to the Army Air Corps
or the even earlier Air Service had unit crests and heraldry designed
to Army standards by Army historical authorities (The Army Institute
of Heraldry - TIOH - and predeccessor outfits in the QMC), and those
may have French or Latin mottos, or they may be in another language.
Just because a unit served in France doesn't mean it had to have a
French motto, and vice versa. When the USAF was set up as a separate
service many aviation units took their Army-designed heraldry with
them and some of that has passed down to the present day.

There are Army units that have French mottos that have never had
anything in their histories to do with France, and there are Army
units that served in France that have Latin or English mottos. The
specific language of the motto doesn't neccessarily have anything to
do with a unit's history. The devices/symbology on the heraldic
shield is more telling of a unit's history than the motto.

The USAF until recently has been more tolerant of unauthorized patches
or heraldic devices than the Army. The Army has always had rigid
rules for authorized unit insignia and heraldry, and insignia approval
was centralized. The USAF now has a centralized heraldry office which
is applying more rigid rules for approving insignia.

John Hairell