The Cloak and Dagger patch and sticker are faithful recreations of a little-known design created in 1945 by a member of the Office of Strategic Services. Dr. John Brunner, who would later go on to write many authoritative books on the OSS, designed this patch and commissioned just two examples while he was serving in China with the famed OSS Detachment 101. The patch was never adopted as an official unit insignia but remained an informal nod to the unit's clandestine nature. The term "cloak and dagger" have long been associated with spies, espionage, and assassins. The phrase seems to have originated from a popular trend in French and Spanish theatre in the 18th century. It included main characters who typically wore cloaks and carried daggers called 'de cape et d'épée' (French), and 'de capa y espada' (Spanish). Both translations literally means 'of cloak and sword'. The cloak was wrapped around one arm as a form of shield or worn to hide one's identity. The dagger, or sword, was a concealable and silent weapon used for fighting. Cloaks and daggers are so deeply associated with espionage that on January 24th, 1946, President Harry Truman presented a pair of black cloaks and wooden daggers to Sidney Souers and William Leahy in the Oval Office, in a somewhat whimsical ceremony to commission the new Central Intelligence Group, which would be replaced just the following year by the Central Intelligence Agency. This patch and sticker combo is a nostalgic throwback to the heyday of clandestine operations during World War II, and a perfect recreation of a little known icon of American history. Patch: 3.5" wide x 3.5" tall Velcro backing Sticker: 3.5" wide x 3.5" tall Matte finish
