The origins of cloth chits (also known as “escape” or “identification flags”) dates back to the late 18th century. Arguably, they became best known during WWII when they were used by the pilots of the American Volunteer Group (the famed Flying Tigers, who defended China against Japan prior to America’s official involvement in WWII). In the event their plane went down, these “blood chits” (which were often sewn into the lining of the pilot’s flight jacket) contained a flag & a message written in Chinese that identified the pilot as an American airman and promised a reward to anyone who could help him safely return to an Allied base. Current issue blood chits feature a rescue message written in several different languages, reflecting the global deployment of our US Military pilots & aviators.

Our Freedom US Flag Patch is inspired by these historic military chits, updated for the sensibilities of modern-day civilian use: the US Flag proudly identifies the wearer as an American, but we’ve omitted the wording since most civilians will (hopefully) have no use for a rescue message written in a foreign language! Our Freedom US Flag Chit can be purchased separately or you can opt to have us professionally sew it into the lining of a new jacket or your own existing jacket for an additional fee.

We now offer a slightly smaller Horizontal Flag which looks great on either the outside or the inside of your jacket. The size is 8″x13″.