Service members wear ‘Make Aircrew Great Again’ patches at Trump rally

President Donald Trump visited service members abroad the USS Wasp docked in Japan on Tuesday at the end of his 4-day trip to the country.

He wished “Happy Memorial Day” to 1,000 sailors and Marines and service members from other branches at the address.

“I have to wish you all a very happy Memorial Day,” Trump said. “On this Memorial Day evening in the United States, Americans are concluding a sacred day of remembrance, reflection and prayer.”

The service members aboard the assault ship, docked at the mouth of Tokyo Bay, welcomed Trump with loud cheers and applause, according to the Associated Press.

Several service members wore round patches emblazoned with a likeness of Trump and the words: “Make Aircrew Great Again” — a play on his campaign slogan.

Vivian Salama, White House reporter for the Wall Street Journal, tweeted a photo of the serviceman and the patches.

Airmen onboard the USS WASP wearing patches on their jumpsuits that read “Make Aircrew Great Again.” The patches include an image in the center in the likeness of President Trump. pic.twitter.com/rQKAyrcDte

— Vivian Salama (@vmsalama) May 28, 2019

The patch has apparently been available for some time. Photos of service men with the patch have been seen since 2017, according to Caroline Orr, a reporter for the National Observer.

I had to check to make sure this was real. Verdict: Yes, these airmen really are wearing patches that say "Make Aircrew Great Again" with an image depicting Trump in the center.

(DoD tweeted a pic of the same patch in Sept 2017; Stars & Stripes posted a pic of it in July 2018). pic.twitter.com/vxDJmi6Ijp

— Caroline Orr (@RVAwonk) May 28, 2019

The Associated Press contributed to this report.