Pat,
If you don't know his unit, then are you sure he was in the 88th Division. After the end of the war, the soldiers were selected to return home based on their Points. Some replacement soldiers didn't have enough points, so they had to stay and serve as occupation forces or possibly be sent to the Pacific. Whereas, soldiers who had been in service a long time and had earned points thru awards and children, were selected to return home.
The 88th Division was kept in Italy as an occupation force, which became the TRUST Force. Soldiers with high point score, were transferred out and into another division that was selected to return to the States; such as the 85th Division and the 34th Division. Those in 34th Division with low score were transfered into the 88th Division to remain.
That is one explanation for two patches or serving in those 2 divisions.
If you have your Dad's uniform or a photo of it, look to see which patch is on the Left shoulder and which is on the Right. The LEFT shoulder would be the current unit and the Right would be a previous unit.
Here is a quote from "CUSTERMEN", a post-war news-letter of the 85th Divison:
"The 85th Division has been given a new and final mission. Put in Category IV in the War Department's Re-deployment Program, the 85th has been assigned the job of taking back to the States men who have more that 85 points. When the final mission is accomplished, the renowned 85th Custer Division will be in-activated. In record-breaking time, 5000 men with less than 85 points had to say farewell to old friends as orders came thru transferring them. The bulk of our men went to the 34th Division, while others went to the 91st Division, 10th Mountain and 423? Field Artillery Group, and other units. . . . Simultaneously, men with more that 85 points came into the Division from other units, principally from the 34th Division. According to present plans, by the middle of August {1945}, the re-organized Custer Division will be on the high seas headed to Hampton Roads."
I'll see if I have anything or any links that might have a roster for your Dad. The unit history of the 88th Division has a Roster for everyone who earned an award---and one for everyone Killed In Action. Maybe your Dad's name is in the former list.
Steve
Patch of the TRUST Forces -
inspired by the 88th Divison clover leaf.
Note the fancy stitching around the patches.
