a2jacketpatches
Active Member
For many years I've been reproducing the 75th and 76th fighter Squadron patches but never the 74th because I just wasn't sure exactly what it was, until recently. The second photo posted clearly shows several 74th FS members wearing the front part of the CATF emblem with the other half of the tiger body omitted. All other reference I've seen, and every other opinion seems to be that the 74th FS emblem was the tiger, lightning bolt, and shield, same as the official 23rd Fighter Group. My common sense tells me that any 74th member wearing the 23rd was because the 74th FS was in the 23rd FG. The photographic evidence of these 74th members wearing a modified version of the CATF is good enough for me so that's my story and I'm sticking to it. On top of this, the USAF 74th bounced back and fourth with both emblems right up to present day without any rhyme or reason.