copper252 Posted August 12, 2018 Share #1 Posted August 12, 2018 Hello, I am starting this topic for everyone show show off their early discharge WWII uniforms, preferably early 1945 or earlier. Many soldiers were discharged for being wounded, illness and many other reasons. It is always interesting to see the mid war insignia. -Seth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garandomatic Posted August 12, 2018 Share #2 Posted August 12, 2018 I've got at least one... 3rd AD tanker, was done in 43. Will try to get a pic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jguy1986 Posted August 15, 2018 Share #3 Posted August 15, 2018 Guess I'll kick it off. I haven't been able yet to figure out which unit this vet was in, but he was discharged in early June 1944. As you can tell, for a sergeant he certainly wasn't too concerned with the uniform regs. I had to replace the collar brass, but a stateside company photo in the grouping shows officers wearing armored branch insignia. It also looks like there were ribbons or a CIB on the pocket flap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
copper252 Posted August 16, 2018 Author Share #4 Posted August 16, 2018 Guess I'll kick it off. I haven't been able yet to figure out which unit this vet was in, but he was discharged in early June 1944. As you can tell, for a sergeant he certainly wasn't too concerned with the uniform regs. I had to replace the collar brass, but a stateside company photo in the grouping shows officers wearing armored branch insignia. It also looks like there were ribbons or a CIB on the pocket flap. armored1.jpg armored2.jpg Beautiful uniform, that would be very interesting to research. If you requested his records or used golden arrow, it would be interesting with that early discharge date. -Seth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jguy1986 Posted August 16, 2018 Share #5 Posted August 16, 2018 With the double SSI and misplaced ruptured duck, if I had come across it at a thrift store I would have assumed it was a costume piece. However I trust the dealer I got it from, and think its pretty nifty to see the non-regulation wear of insignia. He was probably told the duck went over his pocket and didnt bother to confirm just which pocket was correct. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
copper252 Posted August 16, 2018 Author Share #6 Posted August 16, 2018 Yeah, I guess the soldiers wanted to get home. -Seth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted August 17, 2018 Share #7 Posted August 17, 2018 Hmm, didn't the cloth RD come out only in late 1944? http://www.angelfire.com/md2/patches/other/otherinshdis.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
copper252 Posted August 17, 2018 Author Share #8 Posted August 17, 2018 Here is my addition to this topic, thanks to a fellow forum member, this uniform was worn by A r v i d H o n s v a l l, he served in C Company, 164th Infantry Regiment during the battle of Guadalcanal and Bougainville. He returned to the U.S. after that and was assigned to the XXXVI Corps and was discharged June 12th, 1945. I am not sure why he was sent stateside. I should be getting his records soon. Name: A r v i d H o n s v a l l Gender: Male Birth Date: 18 Aug 1920 Death Date: 16 Nov 2002 Branch 1: ARMY Enlistment Date 1: 10 Feb 1941 Release Date 1: 12 Jun 1945 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted August 17, 2018 Share #9 Posted August 17, 2018 I remember years and years ago seeing a YANK magazine photo article of an early discharged GIs, why I remember this is one of them was a nerdy looking guy with glasses but seriously, IIRC he, this one with the glasses, was critically wounded in Torch November 42 and was home permanently by the early summer of 43. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jguy1986 Posted August 17, 2018 Share #10 Posted August 17, 2018 I know the Marines early on had the white diamond shoulder discharge emblem, but I had read that the Army used the small RD throughout the war (unless I misunderstood it). I will say that most but not all of other early discharge uniforms Ive seen didnt have one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
copper252 Posted August 17, 2018 Author Share #11 Posted August 17, 2018 He could have bought it at an army surplus store and sewn it on after he was discharged. In case he ever wore it again. That could be the reason for the wrong side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
copper252 Posted January 31, 2019 Author Share #12 Posted January 31, 2019 Here is a new uniform to post in here. This soldier served in Alaska from June 26th 1940 and then returned to the US in Dec 1942. He then went back overseas in Feb 1943, he then returned to the US in Mar 1944. He served as a Warehouse Foreman in the 110th ITB and then was discharged in June 1945. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ant1942 Posted February 9, 2019 Share #13 Posted February 9, 2019 I have one id'd from a laundry number. Named to Frank T. Kopchak from Cuyahoga Ohio, he was a member of the HQ Company 3rd Battalion of the 16th Inf Reg. Kopchak saw action in Tunisia, Sicily, Normandy (where he won a bronze star for heroism on D Day), Northern France, Rhineland and finally into Germany itself. Ended up with more than enough points (123 to be exact) to head home and he was a early returnee on May 14th 1945. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
copper252 Posted February 9, 2019 Author Share #14 Posted February 9, 2019 I have one id'd from a laundry number. Named to Frank T. Kopchak from Cuyahoga Ohio, he was a member of the HQ Company 3rd Battalion of the 16th Inf Reg. Kopchak saw action in Tunisia, Sicily, Normandy (where he won a bronze star for heroism on D Day), Northern France, Rhineland and finally into Germany itself. Ended up with more than enough points (123 to be exact) to head home and he was a early returnee on May 14th 1945. IMG_0241.jpg-1.jpg Interesting, he definitely went all the way through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teamski Posted February 9, 2019 Share #15 Posted February 9, 2019 This is a named uniform I posted before. It belonged to a soldier with the 16th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division. He returned directly from North Africa in 1942 due to an injury. This uniform came straight from the family and I returned the collars back to their correct locations after this shot was taken and are where the stake marks had them originally positioned. He was discharged in November 1943. This is about as authentic as you can get. The 1st ID patch is pre-WWII showing that they were still wearing these well into WWII. Note no ruptured duck. All collars are screwbacks. -Ski Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teamski Posted February 9, 2019 Share #16 Posted February 9, 2019 Here is more information on the uniform. It came with his overcoat, so you can see the differences in materials. -Ski Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
copper252 Posted February 9, 2019 Author Share #17 Posted February 9, 2019 This is a named uniform I posted before. It belonged to a soldier with the 16th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division. He returned directly from North Africa in 1942 due to an injury. This uniform came straight from the family and I returned the collars back to their correct locations after this shot was taken and are where the stake marks had them originally positioned. He was discharged in November 1943. This is about as authentic as you can get. The 1st ID patch is pre-WWII showing that they were still wearing these well into WWII. Note no ruptured duck. All collars are screwbacks. -Ski I love that uniform, were you able to get his records to find our when he was wounded? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ant1942 Posted February 9, 2019 Share #18 Posted February 9, 2019 That 1st ID one is really cool Teamski, I've become an avid 1st ID collector (97th as well) with regards to my other areas of interest. Where did you acquire that? Also to those who saw my picture earlier sorry, limited by picture size and quality here. I can always show close ups of the ribbon set Kopchak earned as well as the documents I have available on his service. As for this 1st ID set, I love the DI's and collar disks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teamski Posted February 10, 2019 Share #19 Posted February 10, 2019 I love that uniform, were you able to get his records to find our when he was wounded? No I haven't. The uniform was brought into an Army Navy store by a family member. -Ski Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ant1942 Posted February 10, 2019 Share #20 Posted February 10, 2019 That’s a very nice find at a army navy store to say the least Ski. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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