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Shoulder Cords


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DutchInfid3l
I think the shorter loops go on top the sleeve.

 

Yeah, that's what I meant... the "outer loops" seem short, compared to others I've seen. Most seem to be the same diameter as the cord under the arm. These are shorter.

When "worn" it seems the cord is about 11 inches and the "loops" are about 7 inches.

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The Berlin Brigade cord is shown below. These were apparently commonly worn and I suspect they were authorized by brigade HQ. The red/white/black are the city's colors, I think.

Here's a similar one on an 1LT's Ike uniform that I got from another forum member. The thread used to sew the patch on is also red, white, and black.

 

post-1107-1310693775.jpg

 

post-1107-1310693780.jpg

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  • 4 months later...

I have one of these shoulder cords that is red cord, braided with blue cord. I have not seen any other mention or description of this color combination anywhere. Any comments or enlightenment here for a shoulder cord neophyte?

 

Bob

post-299-1323646512.jpg

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  • 1 year later...

Next is the Vietnamese fourragere for the cross of gallantry. I believe these were authorized for a time before they were replaced by a framed ribbon. These are yellow/red.

 

The Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry fourragere was authorized in the 1950s/60s/70s by the Republic of Vietnam. Given that a US Army General Order in 1974 awarded it to all units that served in Vietnam, the US Army decided at the same time they did not want every one of their soldiers wearing a fourragere and did not allow it to be worn on the active duty uniform. Though, they continued to reflect the second and subsequent awards on the soldier's official personnel records.

 

The first award (individual) of it was a red/yellow ribbon. The first award (unit) of it was a framed red/yellow ribbon. The second award was the fourragere. The award was granted on three different unit levels, those levels were reflected on the individual ribbon by different colored stars or bronze palm leaf.

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French... what's weird is the loops are kinda small and short... they're half the length of the cord...

 

005-3.jpg

 

This a a photo of the Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions fourragere. The first award was an individual red/green ribbon, the first unit award was a framed red/green ribbon. The second award was this fourragere. This second award was only awarded to a very few service members or units.

 

Myself, I was awarded the same as a unit award, but was never issued the fourragere. I'd sure like to obtain one. Most unit awards were not promulgated by general orders until years later. I was not aware of mine until notified by the Military Board of Corrections after 2000.

 

The two short loops were meant to be worn on the outside of the shoulder and not under the arm.

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  • 4 weeks later...
joshghutch

Lot of useful information here. This is my grandfather's cord and a photo of him wearing it, he's on the left. I'm assuming it is a French Fourragere - Croix de Guerre based on the post I read above. Is that just what it is called since it originated there? I'm still scratching my head at exactly how he received this. He was a Marine in WW2 and I know he served in Guadalcanal, whether or not that makes a difference, I don't know.

 

Trying to piece through the history of these items when the information in the family is minimal.

 

Thanks!

 

post-124039-0-88899200-1373249552.jpg

post-124039-0-34454200-1373249591.jpg

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Lot of useful information here. This is my grandfather's cord and a photo of him wearing it, he's on the left. I'm assuming it is a French Fourragere - Croix de Guerre based on the post I read above. Is that just what it is called since it originated there? I'm still scratching my head at exactly how he received this. He was a Marine in WW2 and I know he served in Guadalcanal, whether or not that makes a difference, I don't know.

 

Trying to piece through the history of these items when the information in the family is minimal.

 

Thanks!

 

The fella on the right has had his Brass Finial fall off, for those that don't know, that's the Brass Metal Tip and the end of the cord.

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  • 1 month later...

Any ideas on this one? Being a black and white photo, I can't tell if the colors are red, white and blue or possibly red, white and black.

 

First Special Service Force?

 

Unofficial Army of Occupation? It looks like the same one identified as the Army of Occupation chord in Post # 35. If so, the fact that it is being worn by a Brigadier General suggests it was tolerated pretty high up the chain of command. He is wearing the Army of Occupation ribbon.

post-1761-0-69179400-1377088655.jpg

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I'd say definitely Red/White/Blue!

Were the First Special Service Force cords worn post-War? This officer is wearing an Army of Occupation ribbon which dates the photos to at least 1946, not to mention that if he served in the FSSF, it would not have been in his rank in the photo of Brigadier General. I can't find any information on him online.

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Re #133: There were/are two different ways to qualify to wear a fourragere:

1. TEMPORARY wear: Worn by the individual while assigned to the UNIT that won it in the first place. For WWI USMC, that would be the 5th and 6th Mar Regiments. So members of those regiments -- in WWII and today -- get the rope -- until they leave the unit(s).

2. Permanent wear: Worn by an individual who was assigned to the unit cited during the cited action and/or time period.

 

BTW a WWII vet of the 6th Marines told me that the smaller, un-braided cord loops were worn "outboard", i.e. over the upper arm, by those who had been in the unit(s) in WWI. He said there were between five and ten such Old Timers with him in Iceland, 1041-1942.This was a local custom that differentiated between Temporary and Permanent wear. He also said that the unbraided loops were worn "inboard" in 1941-1942, but that when he was again in the unit during Korea, they were gone, just the braided part worn.

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Lot of useful information here. This is my grandfather's cord and a photo of him wearing it, he's on the left. I'm assuming it is a French Fourragere - Croix de Guerre based on the post I read above. Is that just what it is called since it originated there? I'm still scratching my head at exactly how he received this. He was a Marine in WW2 and I know he served in Guadalcanal, whether or not that makes a difference, I don't know.

 

Trying to piece through the history of these items when the information in the family is minimal.

 

Thanks!

 

Both the 5th and 6th Marine Regiments were awarded the French Fourragere for their service in the First World War. As a member of one of these two regiments, he would have been authorized to wear the fourragere while assigned to them even though he wasn't present when the fourragere was actually earned. The Marines of the 5th and 6th still wear the fourragere to this day.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Soldier assigned to the 4th Battalion 63rd Armor 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kansas 1970/1971 wearing the Armor yellow shoulder chord.

 

http://army.togetherweserved.com/army/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=Person&ID=228677

 

So unofficial they even wore it on the wrong side :lol: just like that Armor guy posted in the BOS Scarf topic, around the left shoulder

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  • 4 months later...

Not sure if this is a branch cord or not. His collar insignia looks like Quartermaster Corps to me. If so, the branch color is buff which I believe is a shade of green, so that looks right.

post-1761-0-31848500-1388683319.jpg

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Not sure if this is a branch cord or not. His collar insignia looks like Quartermaster Corps to me. If so, the branch color is buff which I believe is a shade of green, so that looks right.

Interesting, I'd say too it will a a QM Branch colored Rope, even though he's a E-4 it could possibily be a AIT portrait.

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Very informative thread. The area of shoulder cords is pretty much known for official cords but undocumented/ unknown for unofficial locally used cords by USA post WW2 military units. Bill Emerson back in the 1990's really set the record straight on official cords with his publication in the AAMUC journal FOOTLOCKER on shoulder cords. I use to collect cords and heard some weird tales from post War War 2 vets and how they improvised, dyed, and used numerous unofficial shoulder cords. Part of the identification problem is when one has a cord obtained in the USA one assumes it is USA military but it could be from a civilian band or organization , ROTC unit, foreign country, etc. As mentioned on this thread local military commanders sometimes did what they wanted with cords and color backings on insignia. As Ron D. mentioned some of these cords are indeed perplexing but 100 percent vet worn. I have a neat unknown cord on an 82nd WW2 uniform that was vet worn- perhaps an honor guard of some sorts that I will post soon. Very interesting field- shoulder cord collecting-I wish I would have kept my cord collection- but that is history now.

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Here's an enlisted man wearing the orange bib and shoulder cord of the Signal Corps. No orange backing for his collar discs though.

post-1761-0-80703600-1388934068.jpg

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Here's an enlisted man wearing the orange bib and shoulder cord of the Signal Corps. No orange backing for his collar discs though.

Nice photo, the French Rope and the PUC, plus the DIs show he's in some TO&E unit, can't make out the DIs, too bad he's not wearing one on his cap, strange huh not wearing a DI on his cap?

 

Sean would you know this GIs unit, was it given on the site you might of found on?

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Nice photo, the French Rope and the PUC, plus the DIs show he's in some TO&E unit, can't make out the DIs, too bad he's not wearing one on his cap, strange huh not wearing a DI on his cap?

 

Sean would you know this GIs unit, was it given on the site you might of found on?

 

No, the only info I saw was that he was an honor graduate of his Signal Corps training and retained as an instructor at Fort Gordon. It is doubtful he was assined to a TOE unit there. He later volunteered for duty in Vietnam, but I don't know what unit he served with.

 

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No, the only info I saw was that he was an honor graduate of his Signal Corps training and retained as an instructor at Fort Gordon. It is doubtful he was assined to a TOE unit there. He later volunteered for duty in Vietnam, but I don't know what unit he served with.

 

Ah ha, your mention of him being retained as as Cadre at Fort Gordon's Signal Corps Center and School lead me to this, the DIs are the Sig Corps C&S DIs, again odd that he doesn't wear one on his cap, but we all seen this kind of inconsistencies before, but then there's the French Fourregere, I can't imagine where that comes in, what was his rank, he may have been in awhile, and was in a different MOS in a unit that had the Rope, but he would of have to remove it once he left the unit as we know, unless he was mirly on TDY being retrained and would return to his parent unit, Ach who knows :D

 

$(KGrHqJ,!iwE-llhveGUBPy+lPQjmQ~~60_3.JP
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Here's a soldier wearing the Army Security Agency SSI with what looks like Military Intelligence branch insignia and a branch shoulder cord. The Institute of Heraldry lists MI branch colors as oriental blue piped with silver gray. I'm not sure what shade oriental blue is, but the cord could be a very light blue or a gray.

 

Here's a link to where I found the picture: http://army.togetherweserved.com/army/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=AssignmentExt&ID=465752

 

It says his MOS was 04B Linguist.

post-1761-0-81563900-1389623981.jpg

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