US Army 571st Dust Off Patch

This is a 3" wide x 3.5" tall patch with no hook and loop.  When the 571st arrived in Vietnam, the other Dustoff units painted red crosses on a white square on the noses and doors of their helicopters. The 571st, in order to be distinctive and make the red crosses less of an aiming point, did not use a white square, but left only white borders around the red crosses.  The unit was almost immediately swept up in the Tet Offensive beginning in late January. The 571st crews participated valiantly during the first Tet Offensive, flying untold hours and rescuing hundreds of victims of this new war. Based on this baptism by fire, Vince coined the unit's motto, "TO SAVE A LIFE" and designed the unit's first patch. The unit was reassigned to the Hue/PhuBai and 67th Medical Group, and became the only DUSTOFF unit operating under pure field conditions. Prior to the move north, the 571st provided temporary support to several areas. At one time it had aircraft and crews at Soc Trang with the 82nd