Official emblem of the 1371st Mapping and Charting Squadron (Courtesy of the Air Force Historical Research Agency)

A couple years ago, I was fortunate enough to be stationed at Maxwell AFB, Alabama to attend school. While there, I spent a lot of time at the Air Force Historical Research Agency (AFHRA) researching Air Force emblems. I was able to scan many of the documents I researched while there and will be sharing some of the more interesting tidbits of information I obtained in the blog; this post is the first of many.

As many of you know, the Air Force has a long history of using cartoon/comic characters on its unit emblems dating back to World War I.  Disney emblems are perhaps the best known, but many other characters from other cartoons/comics have been used over the years.

In 1967, the 1371st Mapping and Charting Squadron, part of the 1370th Photo Mapping Wing at Turner AFB, Georgia, requested that a new emblem replace their existing approved one. The design submitted consisted of the cartoon characters “Snoopy” and “Charlie Brown” from the Peanuts comic strip. As part of their emblem submission, the 1371st included a letter from Peanuts creator Charles Schulz approving the use of the two characters.

Release letter from Charles Schulz authorizing the use of Charlie Brown and Snoopy on the 1371st’s emblem. (Courtesy of the Air Force Historical Research Agency)

The Air Force subsequently approved the emblem as depicted at the top of this article.  You can see the embroidered version of the emblem here: https://usafpatches.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=190&pid=26241#top_display_media

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