ateam69 Posted January 9, 2017 Share #1 Posted January 9, 2017 I bought this uniform when I was 10 years old from an elderly man in Grass Lake MI. He had found the uniform in the attic of one of his neighbors house during an estate sale. I ended up loaning the uniform to the Grass Lake military museum last year, and it turns out they found the Marines name from a newspaper article in 1918, talking about how Earl T. Durbin was severely wounded overseas. I had to share, since there are not many WWI Marine tunics out there- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ateam69 Posted January 9, 2017 Author Share #2 Posted January 9, 2017 1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ateam69 Posted January 9, 2017 Author Share #3 Posted January 9, 2017 2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ateam69 Posted January 9, 2017 Author Share #4 Posted January 9, 2017 3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devildog34 Posted January 9, 2017 Share #5 Posted January 9, 2017 Earl Thomas Durbin was born Oct. 17, 1894 in North Dakota. He enlisted May 18, 1917 and was assigned to the 82nd Company 3rd Battalion 6th Marines. He was wounded by rifle fire in both feet during the attack on the southern portion of Belleau Wood June 6, 1918. If you want some further details, I have a lot of information on this assault. Great tunic. Semper Fi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warguy Posted January 9, 2017 Share #6 Posted January 9, 2017 Great tunic and thanks for sharing. That style of liberty loan patch was probably placed on the tunic well after the war stateside by the Marine. I find it fascinating where the Marines wounded early in the AEF campaign came home and their helmets and tunics reflect the differences in the more traditional Fourth brigade markings by those who returned after the occupation. I have a camouflage pattern helmet from a man wounded in August 1918 who came stateside before the armistice with no trace of course of the colored square or diamond Indianhead logo. Again nice tunic and it is great it is on public display. Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zsmith Posted January 9, 2017 Share #7 Posted January 9, 2017 His next entry on the muster rolls is arriving in the US aboard the USS America. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ateam69 Posted January 9, 2017 Author Share #8 Posted January 9, 2017 Thank you all for the information. It's amazing how much knowledge is on one page! I am very glad the uniform can be displayed for the public to appreciate. I will pass on the information you all provided to the Grass Lake museum. Now I just need to find the correct os cap to complete the uniform- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ateam69 Posted January 9, 2017 Author Share #9 Posted January 9, 2017 When I first picked up the uniform, I found a Pullman ticket in the pocket of the tunic dated 1919. I will try to get a picture. It's pretty cool that the ticket survived for almost 100 years Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katieony Posted January 11, 2017 Share #10 Posted January 11, 2017 Really nice uniform! I've seen the Liberty Loan patches on other WW1 Marine Uniforms that were worn by Marine's severely wounded in action and sent State-side to recover before Nov. 11. I would imagine they used these patches as they had no access to those produced in Germany during the occupation period. Thanks for sharing the images! Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
everforward Posted January 11, 2017 Share #11 Posted January 11, 2017 Very nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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