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Patch, Military

Object number2015.42.31

Date1942-1945

MediumFabric; Thread

Credit LineGift of Susan Muir

DescriptionShoulder sleeve insignia military patch. Round embroidered fabric patch. Front is blue with gold perimeter circle with "Z" at center over a U-shaped arch.Dimensions2.688 x 2.625 in., 0.125 in. (6.8 x 6.7 cm, 0.3 cm)
InscriptionsFront has embroidered gold "Z" at center over a U-shaped arch.
Historical Notes102nd Infantry Division insignia patch. The 102nd Infantry Division, also known as the "Ozark Division," was a unit of the United States Army in World War II. Part of a collection of WWII-related artifacts from the military service of Gabe Torisky of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who served with the 99th “Checkerboard” Infantry Division during the Ardennes campaign in Belgium. Martin Gabriel "Gabe" Torisky was of Slovak ancestry and was born on November 11, 1911, in Uniontown, PA. He moved to Pittsburgh in the 1920s and was drafted and sent to 99th Division during World War II. The 99th Division is especially important in relation to Pittsburgh, as the Division was originally headquartered in the city in 1942, and the unit insignia, a black shield with a checkerboard band of nine alternating white and blue squares (for “99”) was derived from the coat of arms for William Pitt and thus, also the city seal of Pittsburgh, on which the checkerboard also appears. Donor Susan Muir is Gabe Torisky's daughter.

Previous owner Martin Gabriel Torisky (born 1911)

Related institution 102nd Infantry Division

Related institution 99th Infantry Division

Related institution United States Army

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