{"product_id":"top-secret-collection-patches","title":"Patches from the Pentagons Black World","description":"\u003ch3\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"I'd say don't tell anyone what you just saw, but no one would believe you anyway.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI have always been a huge fan of both conspiracies and classified operations\/missions from yester-year. \u003cbr\u003eA few weeks ago I stumbled upon a book that documented real patches given to US military personnel involved in secret operations and classified test flight programs (such as the SR-71 Blackbird, for example). \u003cbr\u003eSome were very cool, others were still totally shrouded in mystery on what they represented and did on those missions. We still don't know to this day what some of them mean.\u003cbr\u003eI was obsessed, and found it to be such an interesting part of history. I spoke to the Waldo Dynamics designer, Henry, and asked him to redesign some of our favorites!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhat you're looking at are authentic recreations of the original designs using modern patch making technology. The only real difference is that they are generally speaking more detailed. \u003cbr\u003eThey are all roughly between 7-6cm in diameter with Velcro sewn onto the back for easy application. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBelow I will write a short description of the origin of each patch so you can see which history\/story might align with you. All exerts are taken directly from the book \"I COULD TELL YOU YOU BUT THEN YOU WOULD HAVE TO BE DESTROYED BY ME - Emblems from the Pentagon's Black World\" by Trevor Paglen;\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Green Door;\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe origins and purpose of this patch remain obscure. The green figure holding\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003ethe sword (or dagger) wears the cloak-and dagger garb often associated with\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eblack projects. There is a star in the northern hemisphere under the letter \"S\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eand another red star in the American Southwest. The red star might refer to an\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eoperating location, but the patch provides no real clue as to where it might be.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Southwest is home to numerous classified units. Air Force Space Command\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003ein Colorado; Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico; White Sands, New\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eMexico; Groom Lake, Nevada; and the Tonopah Test Range are all possibilities,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eand there are many more.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe words \"A Lifetime of Silence\" no doubt refer to the fact that members of\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003ethis unit or project cannot speak about what they do. The image of a \"Green\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eDoor\" is also obscure. Military intelligence officers have a tradition of working\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003ebehind locked green vault doors, but the symbol is widely used in popular\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eculture to designate an inaccessible place.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eG.H.O.S.T.;\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eOne of the more recent patches from the \"Ghost Squadron\" based at Groom\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eLake. The design of the skull's helmet indicates that \"Ghost\" is a helicopter\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eunit. The footprints on the helmet mark the trace of the \"Jolly Green Giant,\" a\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003esymbol that represents helicopter search and rescue missions. This patch also\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eseems to indicate that \"G.H.O.S.T.\" is an acronym for the unit. The meaning of\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003ethe acronym is unclear.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProwler;\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eThis is one of two patches known to be associated with a black Lockheed\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eMartin Skunk Works project named \"Prowler\" or \"Desert Prowler.\" The\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eproject was active as of late 2005.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProject Zipper;\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eThis patch represents an unknown project undertaken by the 413th Flight Test\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eSquadron. The zipper seems to refer to the fact that the project cannot be\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003ediscussed. The first part of the phrase \"We make threats\" might refer to\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003emaking simulated (or real) electronic \"threats\" against aircraft.\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNever Before. Never Again;\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eA National Reconnaissance Office program patch, whose referent remains\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eentirely obscure. The Latin inscription translates as \"Never Before, Never\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eAgain.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eI Could Tell You But...;\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe phrase \"I could tell you but then you would have to be destroyed by me\" is a fun jab at a mistranslation of a grammatically incorrect Latin motto on early versions of the VFA-41 unit patch (the United States Navy's Strike Fighter Squadron 41, globally known as the \"Black Aces\"). While that squadron publicly flew F\/A-18F Super Hornets, select detachments within the unit historically worked alongside the Air Force, Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works, and teams at Area 51 to test and integrate stealth technology into naval aviation. \u003cbr\u003eThe three black bars in the center of the patch represent stealth aircraft signatures or classified geometric shapes being evaluated for radar.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Waldo Dynamics","offers":[{"title":"The Green Door","offer_id":58568413479293,"sku":"GREENDOORPATCH","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"G.H.O.S.T.","offer_id":58568413512061,"sku":"GHOSTPATCH","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Prowler","offer_id":58568413544829,"sku":"PROWLERPATCH","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Project Zipper","offer_id":58568413577597,"sku":"ZIPPERPATCH","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Never Before. Never Again","offer_id":58568413610365,"sku":"NEVERBEFOREPATCH","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"I Could Tell You But...","offer_id":58568413643133,"sku":"TELLYOUPATCH","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0811\/2196\/8439\/files\/8_922f6333-beaa-4862-bc5d-b19ba1779609.png?v=1787312292","url":"https:\/\/waldodynamics.com\/products\/top-secret-collection-patches","provider":"Waldo Dynamics","version":"1.0","type":"link"}