MARS Task Force, 124th Cav. Coat

[Brian Keith]

I picked this up in an antique mall in southern Indiana a bit over ten years ago and just hung it up. I’ve been going through my hoard lately working on better documentation and identification and grabbed this to look at.

The coat features, four overseas bars and one service stripe on the lower left sleeve, a WW I service chevron on the right sleeve, the Honorable Discharge insignia is above the right breast pocket. The ribbons above the left pocket are for the American Campaign, the Good Conduct Medal, the American Defense and the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with three stars. On the collar are screw back US and Cavalry disks and screw back (unmarked) 124^th Cavalry Regiment DI’s. There is the ghost of some type of SSI on the upper left sleeve, but can really define the shape. I can’t see any indication of rank, odd if the guy was a WW I vet.

The group included wool pants, shirt and tie. The coat and pants both have “Gordon” written in ink on them, the coat also has the laundry number of “N5083”, I believe is from a previous owner. With both the pants and coat named to the same person, I believe Gordon is the last owner.

If anybody has any rosters of the 124^th to help me find Gordon that would be very much appreciated!

The 124^th Cavalry Regiment (Special) was part of the MARS task force; boy do I wish it had a MARS SSI on it!

Thanks for looking and for any information.

BKW

 

 

[124cav]

https://www.facebook.com/groups/761950567256955/

[124cav]

124th Cavalry 4 pocket from Texas back in 2002.

 

No name.

 

The DIs are screw back and unmarked. They had been in the top left pocket,the collar brass was attached as was the 56th Cavalry Brigade patch.

[Brian Keith]

Thanks for the addition uniform photo, very nice SSI! I don't do face book so don't know what the link is about. Do you happen to have any rosters to try to find my guy?

I've added some photos i couldn't get attached earlier.

BKW

[atb]

I think that would be a WW1 Wound Chevron when on that sleeve,

[MattS]

Too bad 'N5083' wasn't the last owner, I could quickly narrow that down to under 10 possibilities!

 

http://wwii-enlistment.com/search/?q=N5083&select=laundryNumber&quick-search=1

[Brian Keith]

Thanks Matt! Yes, I do wish Gorden had written in his ASN!

ATB, I wasn't sure about that, I couldn't find the answer on the difference for Wound and WW I service stripes for a WW II era uniform with WW II service stripes on it, Would the service stripes be the same as worn on the WW I uniform on the left sleeve? If so, my guy didn't put any on and he certainly would have been entitled if combat wounded.Thanks!

BKW

[chis]

WW1 service stripes are often seen on the right hand sleeve in combination with the WW2 bars.

 

On the right hand sleeve, it indicates WW1 wound. Usually thy are red threaded or bullion. This stripe has a silver hue to it (or at least it appears so). Silver WW1 stripes indicate 6 months overseas. So either he was wounded in WW1 and just has a rather unique wound stripe or the overseas stripe on the wrong side.

 

If he as in the entire inter war period, wouldn't he have more reenlistment hashes? Plus no rank? Plus no WW1 victory ribbon?

 

My guess is that he was WW1 wounded, but no WW1 ribbons worn, then re enlisted shortly before Pearl Harbor (American defense ribbon ) and then was in for the duration. A possible explanation, but it doesn't all add up

[atb]

WW1 service stripes are often seen on the right hand sleeve in combination with the WW2 bars.

 

On the right hand sleeve, it indicates WW1 wound. Usually thy are red threaded or bullion. This stripe has a silver hue to it (or at least it appears so). Silver WW1 stripes indicate 6 months overseas. So either he was wounded in WW1 and just has a rather unique wound stripe or the overseas stripe on the wrong side.

 

If he as in the entire inter war period, wouldn't he have more reenlistment hashes? Plus no rank? Plus no WW1 victory ribbon?

 

My guess is that he was WW1 wounded, but no WW1 ribbons worn, then re enlisted shortly before Pearl Harbor (American defense ribbon ) and then was in for the duration. A possible explanation, but it doesn't all add up

Silver WW1 Service Chevrons are for service in the Zone of the Interior, i.e. the U.S. Gold chevrons are for service in the Zone of Operations or for wounds. Red is not for wounds, but a red chevron was worn point up on the left arm to show the honorable discharge of the soldier wearing the uniform. Service and wound chevrons are worn point down on the lower arm. Service chevrons are on the left arm and wound on the right.

[1SG_1st_Cav]

Sharp looking uniform!

[Brian Keith]

Thanks for the great comments guys. I appreciate your explanations of the WW I era insignia. If he was wounded in WW I, there should be a WW I Service Chevron on the right sleeve, and there should be a WW I Victory ribbon. If he was combat wounded in WW I and then joined back up for WW I, would it be normal to convert the WW I wound chevron to a Purple Heart Medal and wear the ribbon? I would have expected a WW I vet that also served in WW II to have at least a bit of rank, by the time he was discharged. Maybe he was just an old crusty cowboy who got along better with animals than people.

If it didn't have that pesky WW I wound chevron, it wouldn't be such an oddball. As we have seen many times, some really strange uniforms that were actually worn by the vet in service. Maybe one day I can find a roster, ID Gorden, get his file and sort it out. Probably a lot of people would have parted this out. I don't mind having uniforms like this, I have the room to store it and I expect that one day I can get the information to explain it a bit. If not it still has some good DI's on it!

BKW

[milbuf]

I Have the unit rosters for the 124th Will get to you this afternoon tried to call your earlier.

[lindell23]

Gentlemen - I just found your post researching a jacket I bought at an estate sale recently. The blouse does have a MARS Task Force patch on the right shoulder and a CBI on the left. Absolute wonderful find and grateful to have in our collection. Can anyone help ID the owner? Has a laundry number of C9222 as well as a Pacific Campaign ribbon with 5 campaigns as well as a CIB. Could this be one of the old Marauders that seeded this task force?

 

Thank you,

Scott

[copper252]

I would assume this soldier to have not been in WWI. For a while, I have seen soldiers in early WWII wearing WWI bars. There is photos in LIFE magazine on May 17th, 1943 of a soldier that was wounded on Guadalcanal wearing two WWI overseas bars on his left arm, even though it makes no mention of him being a WWI vet and is obviously not old enough. Some photos in the 164th Regiment association news show a soldier who was also wounded on the canal wearing 2 WWI overseas bars prior to his discharge in 1943. A fellow forum member has a similar uniform that has evidence of a Wound Chevron, the soldier was not in WWI. This soldier could have been wounded and not had a purple heart ribbon so he decided to use the WWI variant.

[Ant1942]

lindell do you mind showing us the uniform, my grandfather was in Mars so I find anything related to the marauders very cool and desirable (as do many people). 5 overseas bars can possibly mean he was with the original unit Galahad but considering 80 percent of the original marauders were effectively wounded or taken off the line for various illnesses its not too likely an original member (but who knows). I have a link that can possibly help you with the laundry number (don't know how helpful it will be though)

 

http://wwii-enlistment.com/

[lindell23]

Thank you for your interest. I'm sorry if I confused the issue. This soldier has 1.5 years overseas but 4 campaign stars on the Pacific Theater ribbon. Also interesting the lower ribbon bar is sewn on with Burma Star and unknown ribbon in the middle. Love to hear thoughts...

 

 

[lindell23]

Here's a better view of the MARS patch.

[Ant1942]

Thank you for your interest. I'm sorry if I confused the issue. This soldier has 1.5 years overseas but 4 campaign stars on the Pacific Theater ribbon. Also interesting the lower ribbon bar is sewn on with Burma Star and unknown ribbon in the middle. Love to hear thoughts...

 

 

its a really cool and beautiful uniform lindell. I know that my grandfather had 4 campaign stars on his PTO ribbon and I believe if my memory is correct, was at Myitkyina to the end. The Mars Task Force patch is really really cool by the way. I too have a Infantry CBI 4 pocket btw, but idk if its marauders/mars related (has 3 stars on the PTO ribbon and a simple CBI patch)

[lindell23]

The funny thing about this uniform - I found it in a garage during an estate sale and paid $30. Feel incredibly fortunate to have found it and add to our collection. My son and I have always focused on collecting ETO items, but I knew enough to understand the significance of this uniform's history. I'm learning more about this group of men and the accomplishments they made in relative obscurity. Had no idea the 75th Ranger Reg has it's roots in the group. I hope you had a chance to hear your grandfather's experiences... truly tough guys! Please share anything you can of your grandfather's experience or uniform.

[Ant1942]

The funny thing about this uniform - I found it in a garage during an estate sale and paid $30. Feel incredibly fortunate to have found it and add to our collection. My son and I have always focused on collecting ETO items, but I knew enough to understand the significance of this uniform's history. I'm learning more about this group of men and the accomplishments they made in relative obscurity. Had no idea the 75th Ranger Reg has it's roots in the group. I hope you had a chance to hear your grandfather's experiences... truly tough guys! Please share anything you can of your grandfather's experience or uniform.

Man you're one of the luckiest men I know lol. For 30 bucks, that's a home run then some. Also regarding the 75th ranger regiment, yes its really interesting and in a weird/ funny way, heartwarming to know that my grandfathers infantry regiment lives on in the form of the rangers now. They did activities that is considered ranger like nowadays, but is interesting to note that they were only considered a infantry regiment at the time. My grandfather was a BAR man and he told me some stories when I was a kid, but unfortunately he had a stroke after a surgery complication and died in 2008 when I was 12. I was lucky enough to have at least known him and talked to him somewhat about his experiences, but I wish he was still around today so I could have at least asked more questions and know more about his whole wartime experience (I know a fair deal about it, but it was mainly after I had help from a friend who's also a collector as well as asking my dad and uncles about what they knew)

[P-59A]

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