patch, reportedly saying "all right, go ahead and wear it; and see to it that you live up to it." Bailey's initiative quickly spread among the A.E.F. On 18 October 1918, the commander of the First Field Army distributed an order from General Pershing that directed each division commander to submit a sleeve insignia design for review and approval. On 19 October, the 81st Division requested confirmation of their existing wildcat design, and received approval from the GHQ on the same day - thus confirming the 81st Division Wildcat patch as the first divisional patch of the Army. In 1922 the War Department approved the final version of the Wildcat patch, a black cat on an olive drab disc within a black circle, a design which has remained the same ever since - with one minor variation. When worn on the Desert Combat Uniform, the patch was tan and brown. In contrast to other Army organizations which displayed a colored patch on the old green dress uniform and a "subdued" patch for the field uniform, the 81st Wildcat insignia was the same regardless of uniform type. In 1967, a memo from the Adjutant General of the Army authorized the wearing of the 81st Infantry Division patch by the 81st Army Reserve Command (ARCOM) of the United States Army Reserve. This authorization is extended today to the 81st Readiness Division (RD) currently located at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. See also Action at Anguar Paul W. Baade, served with the 81st Division in World War I and later commanded the 35th Infantry Division in World War II William C. Lee, served with the 81st Division in World War I and later commanded the 101st Airborne Division in World War II William B. Umstead References Further reading 081 Infantry Division, U.S. 081 081 081 081 1917 establishments in South Carolina 1946 disestablishments in Japan Infantry divisions of the United States Army in World War II