"Keep the Ship Afloat" Patch

In many ports of call, shops catering to visiting sailors produced personalized souvenirs. The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum holds a collection of custom patches from the Cold War period. These patches celebrate individual divisions or teams on the aircraft carrier Intrepid and highlight their contributions to the ship.

The R, or Repair, Division was responsible for fixing the wooden flight deck, repairing the ship’s piping systems and maintaining the ship’s damage control equipment. This patch shows a strong R Division sailor holding Intrepid aloft. The three black symbols are the rating insignia for pipefitter, shipfitter and damage controlman.