Nearly 30 years after retiring from the Army, Mobile veteran Col. Patrick H. Downing has received a new honor recognizing qualifications he earned decades ago during a career that included Special Forces service, combat leadership in Vietnam and years of work on behalf of fellow veterans.
Downing recently received the Master Combat Infantryman Badge during a ceremony in Mobile attended by fellow veterans and supporters. The designation was established by the Army in 2025 for soldiers who earned both the Combat Infantryman Badge and Expert Infantryman Badge. The award can be presented retroactively, allowing veterans whose service predates the badge’s creation to receive the recognition.
For Downing, the honor reflects a military career that began when he enlisted in the Army at age 17. The son of a World War II Marine, he joined the Special Forces in 1961 and went on to serve two tours in Vietnam during a 36-year Army career.
His first tour took place in 1966 as an enlisted Special Forces medic. After returning to the United States, he completed Officer Candidate School and later returned to Vietnam in 1969 as a lieutenant, serving first as a rifle platoon leader and later commanding a company in the 82nd Airborne Division.
According to a published biography of Downing’s military service, his decorations include the Combat Infantryman Badge, Combat Medical Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Ranger Tab, Pathfinder Badge, Special Forces Tab, Bronze Star, Air Medal, Legion of Merit and Defense Superior Service Medal.
Because he previously earned both the Combat Infantryman Badge and Expert Infantryman Badge, he met the requirements for the Army’s newly established Master Combat Infantryman Badge.
Despite the passage of time, Downing said his experiences in Vietnam remain with him.
“There’s hardly a day in my life that I don’t think about Vietnam,” Downing told local outlets. “About some incident that occurred in Vietnam, some operation I was on.”
During his military career, Downing completed his high school diploma, bachelor’s degree and master’s degree. His final assignment was serving as an advisor to the Army Reserve in Birmingham before retiring in 1996.
After returning home to Alabama, he began a second career at the University of South Alabama, where he worked for more than 20 years. He directed one of the university’s satellite campuses for 15 years before later overseeing transportation operations for the main campus and Spring Hill campus.
He also remained active in veterans’ organizations across the Gulf Coast, serving with American Legion Post 88, Veterans of Foreign Wars, the South Alabama Veterans Council, the USS Alabama Battleship Commission and the Alabama State Board of Veterans Affairs.
Among the accomplishments he considers most meaningful are helping Honor Flight South Alabama bring more than 1,000 World War II veterans to Washington, D.C. and helping establish the Alabama State Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Spanish Fort.
The Master Combat Infantryman Badge recognizes qualifications Downing earned decades ago, but he said his commitment to serving veterans continues today.
“We call it still serving,” Downing said. “I’ll continue serving Mobile and its veterans as long as I am able to.”
Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].
