New Band Member Grouping

[sfcmac]

I picked this small grouping up at a flea market recently. The dogtags identified who the grouping belonged to and that was Elvin H. Koger. Elvin was 8 Jan 1922 and died 19 Aug 2008. He joined the Kansas National Guard sometime before Dec 1940, because on 23 Dec 1940 his unit was federalized. He was a member of the 161st FA Bn Band. The collar brass and unit crests on shown for the 161st along with two 35th Division patches which the 161st was part of. The other unit crests are the 181st FA Bn. I really haven't found anything yet to connect him to the 181st. A Oct 1945 newspaper article says that he served on New Caledonia, Bougainville, Leyte, and Cebu. So, he was in the same theater that the 181st was in and that the Americal Division was in. There is probably a connect since I believe this grouping was put together by the veteran since it seems to be fairly old mountings.

 

Everything is either screw back or pin back except the Americal Division pin which I think is fairly new.

 

Comments are welcomed.

 

sfcmac

[BILL THE PATCH]

Sweet group, exactly what i look for also. Thanks for sharing.

 

Sent from my XT1031 using Tapatalk

 

 

[firefighter]

That is a really neat group. Why are two of the DI's smaller?

 

http://wwii-army.mooseroots.com/l/2252388/Elvin-H-Koger

 

This one has a pic of him, http://1270thengineercombatbattalion.com/161.htm

 

 

 

161 Field Artillery Band, 35th Division of the Kansas National Guard

Joe Turner played the trumpet in the National Guard Band in Emporia, Kansas. The Guard was mobilized
in December, 1940 and sent to Camp Joseph T. Robinson near Little Rock, AR. for a years training.
One week before that year was up, the Japanese Army attacked Pearl Harbor.

The 161st along with Company B, 137th Infantry, 35th Division of the Kansas National Guard
were sent to Ford Ord, outside of Monterey, California, to guard the coastline.
Joe left the band for flight training school which was later cancelled.
He was re-appointed to the 1270th Engineer Combat Battalion.

The 161st were sent to the European Theater and toured with Jack Benny before being
reassigned as MPs and serving under General Patton in the Battle of the Bulge.

Click here to View Photo Album of the 161st Field Artillery Band

Joseph Earl Turner

Dale B. Stinson, Clarence M. Burnap, Victor H. Steg, Howard James, Ner A. Stinson, Levi A. Barnes, Ralph R. Dice

Leonard Hollingsworth, Orin V. Page, Joseph Earl Turner, Robert C. Black, Charles Wayman, James C. Sloan

Jack L. Frost, Paul O. Steg, Leland F. Johnson, Edwin R. Wortman, Robert C. Wilson, Elvin H. Koger

Alvin W. Schmutz, Wayne R. Russell, Harry Warren Austin, John E. Hollingsworth, Harry G. McGuire, John A. Bailey

Leonard W. Staley, Paul J. Stovall, Ray D. Barnes, Clifford E. Barrett, Perry J. Dalrymple, Theodore S. Conley

Rudolph G. Jungst, Charles H. Thurber, Harley P. Gover, Jack R. Barker, Robert M. Johnson, Elmer J. Micek

John W. Beil, George E. Underleak, Victor Liflansky, NeVoy A. Gerbracht, Leslie Kimble, Charles Greenhalgh, Ralph Pasola

[sfcmac]

The small DIs are mini versions of the normal sized 181st FA Bn. I have never seen mini DIs. The photo album is cool. Thanks for the link.

 

sfcmac

[wildcat123]

Very cool!!! Where was the gentleman from? I can't make out the dog tags.

[sfcmac]

He was from Emporia, KS, after the war he moved to Springfield, MO and that is where he died in 2008.

 

sfcmac

[wildcat123]

Very nice grouping! I wonder if he split away from the 161st when it went to California at the beginning of the war. It will be interesting research.

[Allan H.]

When the Kansas Guard was sent to Camp Ord California, there was a program for enlisted field artillery soldiers to train as aerial artillery spotters. Some were promissed commissions in the army and others were told that they would become warrant officers. Both programs were promising to double the pay that these soldiers were currently receiving. These soldiers had to volunteer with the understanding that if they washed out of the training, they were subject to immediate assignment to whatever job or location the army deemed necessary. The decision was evidently made to stop the training for some reason or another. At any rate, the soldiers in the training ended up in the replacement pool and thus, ended up leaving their original units. I would assume that this is what happened to Elvin Koger.

 

Great grouping of insignia. I actually have a grouping to another soldier who was in the 161st and ended up in another FA battalion.

 

Allan

[firefighter]

When the Kansas Guard was sent to Camp Ord California, there was a program for enlisted field artillery soldiers to train as aerial artillery spotters. Some were promissed commissions in the army and others were told that they would become warrant officers. Both programs were promising to double the pay that these soldiers were currently receiving. These soldiers had to volunteer with the understanding that if they washed out of the training, they were subject to immediate assignment to whatever job or location the army deemed necessary. The decision was evidently made to stop the training for some reason or another. At any rate, the soldiers in the training ended up in the replacement pool and thus, ended up leaving their original units. I would assume that this is what happened to Elvin Koger.

 

Great grouping of insignia. I actually have a grouping to another soldier who was in the 161st and ended up in another FA battalion.

 

Allan

 

 

Sounds like the military. LoL!!

[sfcmac]

One newspaper report says that he was in the Americal Division Band and that he had been in the 161st FA Band, which makes sense with the insignia that is on the board. I don't know how the 181st FA crests are connected yet.

 

sfcmcm

[nanturner]

Hi - This website shown in this post is about my father, Joseph E. Turner who was in the 161st Field Artillery Band that was part of the National Guard. Sounds like some people in this post have interesting information about the unit. The band traveled up and down the California coast playing in the band for some time - this information is from the wife of the piano player. My father, Joe, transferred to a flight training program that was canceled. He ended up in an Engineering Unit (see the site for much more info) and was in Intelligence. The collection of medals is very interesting. My father did not have his, I think my brother played with them and lost them in the neighborhood. He was a technical sergeant and had the same patches as in the collection. Thanks so much for the interesting post. Nan Turner -- https://1270thengineercombatbattalion.netfirms.com

[nanturner]

One newspaper report says that he was in the Americal Division Band and that he had been in the 161st FA Band, which makes sense with the insignia that is on the board. I don't know how the 181st FA crests are connected yet.

 

sfcmcm

Hi - This is Nan Turner again from http://1270thengineercombatbattalion.com/. I would like to see that article to add information to my web site about the 161st. Thanks, Nan

[sfcmac]

Nan,

 

What I have is a transcription of the article. It was in The Emporia Gazette, Oct 11, 1945 on p. 11. "Sgt Elvin H. Koger, who has been with the Americal Division band in the Pacific more than a year, arrived in San Francisco Wednesday and telephoned his parents, Mr. and Mrs. D.H. Koger, 714 Elm, telling them he expected to get his discharge soon. Koger left Emporia in January, 1941, with the 161st band. He served on New Caledonia, Bougainville, Leyte and Cebu. His wife, Mrs. Zelda Mae Koger, lives in Salinas, Calif."

 

Dan