Time to pass along Dad's stuff

[mikie]

After Dad passed on in 1986, my Mom gave me some of his war souvenirs. I found them rusting away in the basement on one of my rare trips home about 20 years ago. He joined the NY National Guard in the spring of 1940 and was issued this M1917A1 helmet and M1917 trench knife. He wore the helmet throughout the war games in the Southern states in 1940 and 1941. He was wearing it still when he was sent to Hawaii on the first ship to arrive there after pearl Harbor. And when he was posted on a lonely beach on the Big Island ready to fight off any Japanese invasion. When he was issued his M1 sometime in 1942, he sent the helmet and knife back home. If I remember correctly, he picked up the bayonet on Saipan. It is one of the very few of the many Japanese pickups he sent home to actually get to my grandparents. My nephew Chris, Dad's oldest grandkid is now old enough to appreciate these bits of family history, and financially secure enough that I don't need to worry them being sold. So I will pass them on to him when he stops by for a visit this spring. I will miss seeing them on my shelf, and the memories of Dad they bring to mind, but I think the time to pass them on is here. It's a strange happy yet sad feeling. Have any of you been in this situation before, either as the giver or receiver?

 

Mikie

 

[mikie]

Oh yeah, that is him wearing the helmet in my avatar photo. I wish I could remember when he said it was taken.

Mikie

[doyler]

Have been in similar situations with military and other types of things.Hard to let some things go but when they go to friends or family at least you can see them later on.

 

One item was an old FORD hub cap.It hung in my garage.Had been one off a 1940 Ford Coupe my dad had when I was a boy and he loved that car and even was working on it to become a mild street rod.Years later he sold it as he never finneished it and was in a terminal health way.There was an auction and the many parts were sold off and didn't bring much.I ended up with a couple of the hub caps and a rim for the spare tire with hub cap.Hung it on the wall in a previous house.

 

Anyway a friend and his wife paid a visit a couple summers ago.They had been antiquing and his wife said she was a FORD fanatic.Collected all things FORD.I was a bit surprised as I didn't know she like old car stuff.I told her I had a couple things.It was already dark here and the back garage doest have lights so I said if she wanted to go look we could.We all went to the garage and I found the hub cap and a script FORD metal plate I think came off a running board.I said they are much but something I had gotten from my dads auction and he was a FORD man.He also had a 40 Ford Pickup.The plate could have come off the hood of the pick up too but I don't recall.

 

I handed her the items and she handed me a $100 bill and said what she would pay but didn't have change and I could just find other Ford stuff for her.I handed her the money back and said these aren't much and they were my dads and no one would really be that interested in them.I said if you can use them take them as it means more to me to see them in someones collection.I know they are appreciated.

 

Dad and his 40 Ford Pickup

 

[BILL THE PATCH]

That was pretty cool of you doyler, nice to know where they went. To a good home

 

Sent from my XT1031 using Tapatalk

 

 

[doyler]

That was pretty cool of you doyler, nice to know where they went. To a good home

 

Sent from my XT1031 using Tapatalk

 

Thanks Bill

 

Good home...Good People

[General Apathy]

Oh yeah, that is him wearing the helmet in my avatar photo. I wish I could remember when he said it was taken.

Mikie

.

Hi Mikie, thanks for sharing your fathers items with us, nice pieces, heartfelt thoughts for you having to consider passing these items along., but we all have to get to this point.

 

I have several memento's of my parents and not even valuable in monetary terms, just childhood memories for me, a small glass salt dispenser that was on the table at every mealtime, we all used and passed along the table to each other. Another piece I don't want to part with is a small plaster of Paris Father Christmas ( wartime economy manufacture and hand painted front-side ) that my parents bought as a young married couple during the war and fixed to the top of the tree each year until their passing in the 1990's.

 

If it's possible to post here I would love to see an enlargement of your father as seen in your avatar, it looks a great pose and wearing the helmet you added in your initial post.

 

thanks Ken

 

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[WAHOOMAN]

As a receiver, a son of a veteran entrusted me with his fathers military items. There is a monetary value to the items he gave me, but he was more concern that his fathers memory live on for another generation. The plan is share the stories of some of the groupings I have with local high school ROTC programs. The idea is to incorporate the Grouping presentations with the ROTC lesson plan.

[WAHOOMAN]

I found this photo in the 27th Infantry Division Year book. I believe the photo was taken when the Division was at FT. McClellan, AL in 1940. Your father is on the third row.

 

 

[mikie]

Yep, that's him right in front of the open doorway. I have a copy of the yearbook, but not his copy. He was around 18 when that picture was taken. He joined at 17. He was only 22 or 23 when discharged after the war. Part of the reason I have such reverence for combat veterans is that most were so darned young to have seen and been a part of so much horror.

Mikie

[mikie]

Have been in similar situations with military and other types of things.Hard to let some things go but when they go to friends or family at least you can see them later on.

 

One item was an old FORD hub cap.It hung in my garage.Had been one off a 1940 Ford Coupe my dad had when I was a boy and he loved that car and even was working on it to become a mild street rod.Years later he sold it as he never finneished it and was in a terminal health way.There was an auction and the many parts were sold off and didn't bring much.I ended up with a couple of the hub caps and a rim for the spare tire with hub cap.Hung it on the wall in a previous house.

 

Anyway a friend and his wife paid a visit a couple summers ago.They had been antiquing and his wife said she was a FORD fanatic.Collected all things FORD.I was a bit surprised as I didn't know she like old car stuff.I told her I had a couple things.It was already dark here and the back garage doest have lights so I said if she wanted to go look we could.We all went to the garage and I found the hub cap and a script FORD metal plate I think came off a running board.I said they are much but something I had gotten from my dads auction and he was a FORD man.He also had a 40 Ford Pickup.The plate could have come off the hood of the pick up too but I don't recall.

 

I handed her the items and she handed me a $100 bill and said what she would pay but didn't have change and I could just find other Ford stuff for her.I handed her the money back and said these aren't much and they were my dads and no one would really be that interested in them.I said if you can use them take them as it means more to me to see them in someones collection.I know they are appreciated.

 

Dad and his 40 Ford Pickup

 

2017_1106RAIDERUSMC0003.JPG

Thanks for that story. Knowing the stuff will go to a good home and will be appreciated makes the handing off a lot easier. Hopefully they will be passed on through the family for generations. In the mean time, I can relate to Bilbo Baggins when it came time to give the Ring to Frodo.

Mikie

[Ealbert]

This hits home for me as well. We must be from the same part of the state because I have a lot of items from the 27th Division from WWII. My uncle and many of the men in my neighborhood past items on to me. I spent 30 years in the Army and acquired a lot over the years. I’m struggling with my father passing away this past October. He was a rifleman with 2ID during the Korean war and I have his things and I realized that I need to share some of things with my brother so his grandchildren can remember him. That will be on my next trip back to Albany.

[katieony]

It's nice to see these in still the family and appreciated!

[mikie]

.

Hi Mikie, thanks for sharing your fathers items with us, nice pieces, heartfelt thoughts for you having to consider passing these items along., but we all have to get to this point.

 

I have several memento's of my parents and not even valuable in monetary terms, just childhood memories for me, a small glass salt dispenser that was on the table at every mealtime, we all used and passed along the table to each other. Another piece I don't want to part with is a small plaster of Paris Father Christmas ( wartime economy manufacture and hand painted front-side ) that my parents bought as a young married couple during the war and fixed to the top of the tree each year until their passing in the 1990's.

 

If it's possible to post here I would love to see an enlargement of your father as seen in your avatar, it looks a great pose and wearing the helmet you added in your initial post.

 

thanks Ken

 

Hi Ken, thanks for your interest in Dad's photo. It is one of two taken around the same time. I'll post both below. They are small, 2x2.5 inches. The backs are stamped "Arrow Photo Service Box 184 Minneapolis Minn". This is a bit strange since I don't think he was anywhere near Minneapolis. I once found that gas mask rotting away in a dark corner of the basement. It literally fell apart when I picked it up. That was the fate I hoped to avoid when I asked Mom for the stuff above.

Mikie

 

[mikie]

This hits home for me as well. We must be from the same part of the state because I have a lot of items from the 27th Division from WWII. My uncle and many of the men in my neighborhood past items on to me. I spent 30 years in the Army and acquired a lot over the years. I’m struggling with my father passing away this past October. He was a rifleman with 2ID during the Korean war and I have his things and I realized that I need to share some of things with my brother so his grandchildren can remember him. That will be on my next trip back to Albany.

 

Hey, we coulda been neighbors! Dad (and I) were Utica born and raised. I left there in 1982. The only time Dad lived away was during his service, 1940-1946.

 

Mikie

[Dogsbody]

Hello Mikie, thanks for posting these great photos of your Dad. They are wonderful!

 

Rene

[General Apathy]

Hi Ken, thanks for your interest in Dad's photo. It is one of two taken around the same time. I'll post both below. They are small, 2x2.5 inches. The backs are stamped "Arrow Photo Service Box 184 Minneapolis Minn". This is a bit strange since I don't think he was anywhere near Minneapolis. I once found that gas mask rotting away in a dark corner of the basement. It literally fell apart when I picked it up. That was the fate I hoped to avoid when I asked Mom for the stuff above.

Mikie

 

 

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Hi Mikie, many thanks for posting the shots of your father, a particular passion of mine the early war uniform and equipment when America was just firing up again after the interwar downgrading of the military.

 

I've downloaded your fathers photos and will try to enlarge and study them. Straight off he is wearing blue denim jeans with a wool shirt ( I love photos of this ), early training mask, notice he has fixed bayonet as well, but it's a difficult angle to view. Now regarding the moccasins back in the 1990s If I can recall I had some reference work to these being either a PX or barracks issue item, but the minds not retained the details, I was very interested to see them, it's very rare to see in a photo of the period.

 

Thanks again, I am very happy to have the images in my files folder.

 

Ken.

 

.

[doyler]

Agree with Ken

 

Those look like the denim work fatiques/jeans

[General Apathy]

Hi Ken, thanks for your interest in Dad's photo. It is one of two taken around the same time. I'll post both below. They are small, 2x2.5 inches. The backs are stamped "Arrow Photo Service Box 184 Minneapolis Minn". This is a bit strange since I don't think he was anywhere near Minneapolis. I once found that gas mask rotting away in a dark corner of the basement. It literally fell apart when I picked it up. That was the fate I hoped to avoid when I asked Mom for the stuff above.

Mikie

 

 

. Hi Mikie, there is one more thing I would like to say or add about your fathers photos, and this is aimed at other members reading your thread, and that is the importance of taking photos, kids grow, parents die, both of these facts are irrefutable, without photos the memories are lost.

 

About five years ago I continually told my friends to take many photos of themselves and their children as each day people grow, faces change and each day once gone never returns, well the three children have grown and all moved onto University and those photos were never taken. I took more photos of this family group than they ever did theirselves, I have passed these on to them.

 

I have few photos of my parents and myself as a child and nothing at all of my grandparents, so there's little to pass on to my daughter.

 

There's no excuse now almost everyone has a cell phone capable of taking photos.

 

Ken.

 

.

[mikie]

.

Hi Mikie, many thanks for posting the shots of your father, a particular passion of mine the early war uniform and equipment when America was just firing up again after the interwar downgrading of the military.

 

I've downloaded your fathers photos and will try to enlarge and study them. Straight off he is wearing blue denim jeans with a wool shirt ( I love photos of this ), early training mask, notice he has fixed bayonet as well, but it's a difficult angle to view. Now regarding the moccasins back in the 1990s If I can recall I had some reference work to these being either a PX or barracks issue item, but the minds not retained the details, I was very interested to see them, it's very rare to see in a photo of the period.

 

Thanks again, I am very happy to have the images in my files folder.

 

Ken.

 

.

I have often wondered about those things on his feet. They certainly don't look very combat worthy. I appreciate the comments. Since there are such expert eyes on the photo, any idea what the bag is that is on his back left hip? It looks strange to me.

Mikie