imported post
I'm not buying the "photoshop" charge.
This is a copyrighted photo from a German News organization, not just some random photo from a chain e-mail.
While I admit that news organizations can and have been duped with photoshopped pictures, to what purpose would this have been done and by whom? Does some VCDL member have an inside connection in Der Spiegel?
The patch looks brand new. So? Maybe it is new. Maybe he doesn't wear it often so it stays in good condition.
I've looked at the picture very closely (using Gimp on my Mac) and, although I can't say unequivocally that it isn't a photoshop, I don't see anything that stands out to indicate that it is either.
Is the photo even plausible?
Well...yes.
The guy is obviously a US Navy aircrewman carrying the patient to the US Navy SH-60 Seahawk helicopter in the background.
Just so happens that there are several SH-60 squadrons based at Chambers Field in Norfolk Virginia. Is it unreasonable to think that some of them may be VCDL members and activists?
Per US Navy uniform regulations, the only two patches on the Naval Flight Suit that are set in stone are the breast patches which are the nametag patch (left breast) and the unit logo (right breast). The shoulder patches are optional. Most aviators wear the flag on their left shoulder (as you can see depicted on the other aviator) while the right shoulder patch is generally an aircraft type, flight hour accomplishment or other flight related patch, but could be virtually anything as long as the command doesn't object.
Furthermore, per uniform regulations, all the patches are attached by velcro. I know of many aviators (I spent 21 years in US Naval Aviation Maintenance, about half of which was in helicopters) who have multiple patches backed with velcro that they can pop onto their flight suits in a matter of seconds depending on the situation, the event or just what they felt like popping on there at the moment.
They especially have great latitude when deployed because the command leadership is concerned about getting the mission accomplished more than worrying about sticking to the technical letter of the uniform regs.
So, in summary, based upon my personal experience, my inspection of the photo and the source of the image, I believe it to be real.
Absent incontrovertible evidence to the contrary, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.