This leather jacket patch, called a blood chit, was worn by U.S. Army Air Forces officer Robert B. Frank, who served in the China-Burma-India theater during World War II. The patch features the U.S. and Chinese national flags, along with a message in Chinese that identifies the bearer as an American and asks for help and protection. Also known as “escape flags,” blood chits served as survival tools for downed U.S. fliers who needed to communicate with foreign allies in order to return to safety.