Civil Defense Brotherhood of Badges

[Smithsonia]

I've written about the WW2 Civil Defense history and DNA in our badges. Here's the Tri-prop in its original form with the Civil Defense brother badges laid out in order. http://forum.teamcap.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=2932&cat=2055

There was once a pantheon of similar associations. This board contains samples of Civil Defense duties identified by different badging that could be ordered from the Robbins Company which was the Vanguard back in the day.

You'll notice we are the last brother standing. Time has consumed the rest of our childhood family. You can trace our linage of the white triangle, trip prop, blue circle, and iconic style. My grandfather was an air raid warden in WW2. I remember his arm band, white helmet and tin can flashlight. He wore these items into the 50s and was often taken out to respond to tornadoes as he lived in Kansas.

thanks to the TeamCap site for posting the Robbin Company Samples.

[Major Carrales]

I've written about the WW2 Civil Defense history and DNA in our badges. Here's the Tri-prop in its original form with the Civil Defense brother badges laid out in order. http://forum.teamcap.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=2932&cat=2055

There was once a pantheon of similar associations. This board contains samples of Civil Defense duties identified by different badging that could be ordered from the Robbins Company which was the Vanguard back in the day.

You'll notice we are the last brother standing. Time has consumed the rest of our childhood family. You can trace our linage of the white triangle, trip prop, blue circle, and iconic style. My grandfather was an air raid warden in WW2. I remember his arm band, white helmet and tin can flashlight. He wore these items into the 50s and was often taken out to respond to tornadoes as he lived in Kansas.

thanks to the TeamCap site for posting the Robbin Company Samples.

Excellent job...like like the " the last brother standing" idea.

[professorfalken]

Have you found anything in your research explaining where the triangle came about as a symbol of civilians/civil defense/civil air patrol?  Even today, DoD uses a triangle on their civilian service awards, and the triangle is used by the Geneva Convention to identify civilians.  I'm wondering if the use of the triangle to represent civilians originated with WWII civil defense, or if there was something beforehand which caused it to be adopted for WWII CD use?

Thanks,

1LT Harold Damron, CAP

[Smithsonia]

professorfalken;

There have been a couple of threads over the past few years on this topic. There are shields, stars, ovals, triangles, rectangles, crests, dics/circles, and bars representing units which all have precedence in American Military and Civilian Heraldry. The Circle with the triangle (in white and blue primary colors accented by red) is basically the uniformed civilian services with military responsibility. CAP would fit into this category.

This heraldry was organized between the two World Wars and mostly during the Douglas MacArthur era as Army Chief of Staff. In '31 MacArthur helped start the Civilian Conservation Corps. He also designed their badges. http://www.militarytrader.com/article/Roosevelts_Pine_Tree_Army/

Here's an Army Quarter Master order regarding heraldry elements and history circa 1928. http://www.qmfound.com/heraldry1928.htm

The trouble is during WW2 there were so many exceptions to these rules required because there were so many various units all requiring badges that the system fell into disorganization.

Right now there is an exception to every original rule. You couldn't keep track of the exceptions and reasons that are now exhibited without a heavy research project of the WW2, post WW2, and modern era of American Heraldry.

Here's an obviously incomplete but still generous historical review: http://www.afhra.af.mil/organizationalrecords/guide.asp

[wuzafuzz]

Thanks for posting this information Ed.  As always, your work is informative and fascinating.

I hope the traditional insignia remain a part of our CAP brand.

Professorfalken: cool screen name.  "Shall we play a game?"

[Parsifal]

Have you found anything in your research explaining where the triangle came about as a symbol of civilians/civil defense/civil air patrol?  Even today, DoD uses a triangle on their civilian service awards, and the triangle is used by the Geneva Convention to identify civilians.  I'm wondering if the use of the triangle to represent civilians originated with WWII civil defense, or if there was something beforehand which caused it to be adopted for WWII CD use?

Thanks,

1LT Harold Damron, CAP

I haven't been able to determine the origins of the triangle as an international emblem of Civil Defense. The earliest date (that I can find) for its use as a CD emblem is 1939. The US developed its unique and once ubiquitous CD symbol, incorporating the triangle, in 1939, according to an article in the New York Times:

"The (Civil Defense) insignia was born in 1939, said Michael Bierut, a partner in the Pentagram design firm. Its father was Charles T. Coiner, the art director of the N. W. Ayer advertising agency, who also designed the National Recovery Administration's blue eagle."

In 1996, the non-governmental National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) developed a new logo for branding Emergency Management (the successor to CD) as an organizational function and profession. The new symbol "was endorsed by R. David Paulison, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency..."

Read more at:

Civil Defense Logo Dies at 67, and Some Mourn Its Passing (David W. Dunlap, New York Times, December 1, 2006)
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/01/washington/01civil.html

Since presenting the new logo at a press conference in 2006, NEMA has actively promoted public recognition and adoption and use of the emblem by agencies and organizations. NEMA describes the new logo as "One Symbol Uniting Federal, State, and Local Emergency Management."

(The CD triangle, of course, is still incorporated into many official seals, emblems, patches, etc. used by US government agencies from the local level to FEMA itself.)

You can see the new EM logo developed by NEMA and read more at:
National Symbol for Emergency Management (NEMA website, n.d.)
http://www.nemaweb.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=217&Itemid=406

Here is an interesting perspective on the demise of the old CD symbol from fine arts & commercial graphics professionals:

"(American Institute of Graphic Arts) executive director Ric Grefe bemoans the logo's passing, while Tom Geismar is especially skeptical about its replacement, which he claims is 'more appropriate to an upstart airline.'"

Read more at:
Design Community Mourns Loss of Civil Defense Logo (Alissa Walker, Media Bistro, December 1, 2006)
http://www.mediabistro.com/unbeige/design-community-mourns-loss-of-civil-defense-logo_b2455

[Luis R. Ramos]

Hmm.

Three stars in the new insignia. Representing local, federal, and state.

Old insignia a triangle. Three points. I was taught the points represented Federal, State, and local governments.

It seems to me the old insignia was still viable. Anachronistic? No, it represented an era. An historical era. The new insignia represents and means... NOTHING!

If the issue of retiring it is because people were not aware of the agency or the public did not trust the agency it is because the agency did not promote itself. If the new logo is not promoted as well, it will be worse than the old one.

To me, it is the same as replacing the CAP triangle with the propeller with the new tri-bladed design.

[Smithsonia]

Might I suggest that the Civil Defense (Defence if you are British) Triangle CD badge comes from the Geneva Treaty of
1864. Non-combatants, prisoners of war, belligerents, etc. were all defined at this time. 
SEE HERE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Geneva_Convention

The definitions were at the behest of International Groups who were trying to work in areas of conflict without becoming engaged in the conflict.
So originally this 1863/64 effort was limited to:
        The foundation of national relief societies for wounded soldiers;
        Neutrality and protection for wounded soldiers;
        The utilization of volunteer forces for relief assistance on the battlefield;
        The organization of additional conferences to enact these concepts in legally binding international treaties;
        The introduction of a common distinctive protection symbol for medical personnel in the field, namely a white armlet bearing a red cross.

Through time there have been 4 different Geneva Conventions. These have been tied to the Work of the Red Cross. Obviously every one knows there
iconic symbol of a RED CROSS: http://www.redcrossofnci.org/faqs.php

This symbol was used by non-combatants only in service to neither side providing emergency relief and medical services and to be trusted as a neutral
third party without exception.

However, over time there came another layer of non-combatants/civilians. These people were not neutral. They were firefighters,
wardens, and the like. So the basic field of the Red Cross was retained - Red and White - But a blue triangle and circle was added.
This set of symbols came along in WW1 in European Countries and later the US. These symbols were added to the Iconicity of various countries as the need arose. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_defense

Eventually the colors changed - sometimes reflecting national colors of the country's flag or other localizing factors.

However the Civil Defense Triangle in a Circle became Civilian Defense and is universally recognized in many countries. Meaning
that the triangle no longer has the original iconic representational purpose of "pointing to state, federal, local."

[Persona non grata]

Neat suff.....thanks for sharing.