Marine Detachment 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.

Large U.S. Navy warships traditionally carried a detachment of U.S. marines. Intrepid’s Marine Detachment (MarDet), about 50 men, served as shipboard security and as anti-aircraft gunners, among other roles. The insignia of the Marine Detachment Afloat is the anchor and seahorse.