Force Logistics Command Patch — Embroidered Patch
Copias Sustinimus — Force Logistics Command
Behind every Marine who pulled a trigger in Vietnam, there was a logistics chain that put the ammunition in his hands, the food in his belly, and the fuel in his vehicles. Force Logistics Command was that chain — the massive, indispensable support organization that kept the III Marine Amphibious Force in the fight. This patch carries the identity of the command that sustained an entire Marine expeditionary force at war.
Force Logistics Command (FLC) was established on 15 March 1966 at Da Nang, South Vietnam, as a provisional organization to provide comprehensive logistical support to III Marine Amphibious Force. Headquartered at Red Beach — the same site where the 9th Marines had landed as the first U.S. combat troops in Vietnam on 8 March 1965 — FLC grew into one of the largest logistic organizations in Marine Corps history. The command operated Force Logistic Support Groups (FLSGs) Alpha and Bravo, supply battalions, maintenance battalions, motor transport battalions, and medical facilities, sustaining two Marine divisions, a Marine aircraft wing, and supporting units at the peak of the war in 1968. FLC managed the complex redeployment of men and equipment during Vietnamization, turning over facilities to South Vietnamese forces. The command's motto, "Copias Sustinimus" — "We Sustain the Forces" — defined its mission perfectly.
Perfect For: FLC veterans, Vietnam-era logistics Marines, III MAF personnel, Da Nang-based support Marines, and anyone who knows that wars are won by the supply line as much as by the rifleman.
Copias Sustinimus — We Sustain the Forces.