Description: Snoopy (The Red Baron) sits on top of his dog house on a green hill. His gold scarf and helmet contrast with the red numerals which show from behind the doghouse, and in front of the fluffy white cloud upon a blue sky. The word “BARONS” is in red on a white arc bordered in blue. The sky is encircled in white.
Significance: One’s first impression upon seeing the path of the 26th Squadron is that it is something less than serious. A picture of Snoopy tends to connote something of a comical nature. However, a closer look at the picture of Snoopy on his doghouse in his perennial search for the Red Baron brings a deeper and more important meaning than one of humor.
We are all familiar with Snoopy, the famous “World War I Flying Ace,” and his battles with the Red Baron. Snoopy’s defeats have become more or less inevitable in the eyes of most people. However, despite his many defeats, he has always managed to return to the fray undaunted. In so doing, strange as it may seem, this “comical” creation of Charles Schulz has set an enviable example. Despite a person’s defeats or losses, he can and must continue to fight on to his goal, and eventual victory.
Alternate Significance: Charles Schulz’s familiar comic strip character Snoopy was chosen because of his doggedness in getting the job done. Despite constant setbacks in his pursuit of the Red Baron, Snoopy continually comes back for more, setting a fine example for the cadets of Twenty-Six. The patch also represents the Air Force’s air power heritage and contains the four class colors.
History: This is the squadron’s original patch.
Nickname: "Barons"
1968 –
