During the Normandy Invasion, members of the 101st Airborne Division developed the idea of a helmet emblem to help them quickly identify members of their own unit.  The designs were based on a deck of cards.  The 501st Airborne Regiment wore a diamond, the 502nd wore a heart, the 327th wore a club and the 506th wore a spade.  They were often stenciled or painted on the helmets.

 

With the onset of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, units of the 101st Airborne Division reinstated the use of helmet emblems.  Rather than being stenciled or painted on the helmets, they are embroidered patches.  The 327th, 502nd and 506th are still active units in the 101st Airborne Division and their helmet patches reflect the original designs.  The 187th Infantry uses a Torii as it's symbol and other 101st Airborne Division units have adopted different helmet patches.

 

Helmet patches have become quite collectable over the last few years.  With the ACU (Army Combat Uniform) becoming the standard uniform of Army soldiers, most helmet patches are embroidered on ACU material.  There are a few that fully embroidered patches like the 502nd's Heart and the 101st Aviation's Diamond.

 

Most helmet patches worn by members are the 101st Airborne Division are locally made in the shops around Fort Campbell, Kentucky.  Some units have had some commercially produced.