Grouping includes a large China-Burma-India "shield" patch (5 inches wide and 7 inches tall), leather American flag patch (9 inches wide, 7 inches tall), a leather patch for the 373rd Bomb Squadron (5 7/8 inch diameter, depicting a dragon winding up to throw a bomb with a white star and green field in the background), and a silk banner bearing the 373rd and CBI "shield" insignias with a "1943" date and Chinese text (52 inches long, 9 inches wide, with red/white/blue tassels at the ends). Established in 1942, the 373rd deployed to Kunming in 1943, and was actively engaged in supporting Chinese ground forces, hitting Japanese ground facilities throughout the region, and performing shipping interdiction. The unit would move to Okinawa in 1945 for action against the Japanese Home Islands. Later, they would be redesignated a strategic missile squadron, operating Titan II ICBMs located in Arkansas. Provenance: The Putnam Green/Sycamore Collection