Existing comment:
Thunderbird shoulder patch
The Thunderbirds got their name from their shoulder patch. Each side of the square represents one of the four states -- Oklahoma, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico -- that originally populated the division. The colors reflect the Hispanic heritage of those states.
Originally a traditional American Indian design similar to the Nazi swastika, the emblem had to change once Hitler rose to power and the symbol took on a different meaning. After holding an art competition, the division adopted in 1939 the thunderbird motif, designed by Kiowa artist Woody Big Bow (1914–1998). |