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My 2nd Great Grandpa and Great Grandpa's uniforms. (26th ID & 33rd ID)


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Great stuff, was your Great Great Grandfather originally from Massachusetts? EM's in National Guard Divisions tended to be from the local vicinity of these when they were first formed, not nesseraly being national guardsmen themselves, or more correctly, Pre War National Guardsmen, here they just joined these because the war started.

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I'm sure some of us would have liked it if they had ended up in an antique store...but this is a much better resolution. I hope they end up in your hands as your love of their history and your appreciation for the actions of your relatives clearly shines through.

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Great stuff, was your Great Great Grandfather originally from Massachusetts? EM's in National Guard Divisions tended to be from the local vicinity of these when they were first formed, not nesseraly being national guardsmen themselves, or more correctly, Pre War National Guardsmen, here they just joined these because the war started.

He was born and drafted in Michigan.

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I'm sure some of us would have liked it if they had ended up in an antique store...but this is a much better resolution. I hope they end up in your hands as your love of their history and your appreciation for the actions of your relatives clearly shines through.

Thank you, if I get them I'll post an update with some more pictures of the uniforms and photo album.

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I got a relative who was in the 26th ID during WW1 as well. They were some of the first soldiers in France! Really great to see you hopefully get some items of family history! At least to know they exist is great! When my Great-Grandfather died my Grandfather through all of my Great-Grandfathers stuff right into the dumpster which not only included my Great-Grandfathers military stuff but probably my Great-Great-Grandfather and my grandfather's too! Well too bad, but maybe they'll turn up one day on the forum. My Great-Grandfathers photo album from the war was found but im still working on getting those pictures!

Hunt

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I got a relative who was in the 26th ID during WW1 as well. They were some of the first soldiers in France! Really great to see you hopefully get some items of family history! At least to know they exist is great! When my Great-Grandfather died my Grandfather through all of my Great-Grandfathers stuff right into the dumpster which not only included my Great-Grandfathers military stuff but probably my Great-Great-Grandfather and my grandfather's too! Well too bad, but maybe they'll turn up one day on the forum. My Great-Grandfathers photo album from the war was found but im still working on getting those pictures!

 

Hunt

That's sucks they were thrown away. I hope you find them!

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Congrats on the discovery Jacob! So your family is from the Gwinn area? I guess that explains how you ended up at NMU. Hope you get them someday, and don't give up. Just a couple of years ago I received some items from my Great Uncle, a WWII vet. I have been actively collecting since I was 9 and I am 51 now. They were in the family all that time, they knew I was collecting, but it just never came up in conversation until I opened the museum and my Cousins saw it in the paper... Scott

 

You should go volunteer at the museum at K.I. Sawyer, I was there earlier in the year and they really could use help, it made me sad....

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Congrats on the discovery Jacob! So your family is from the Gwinn area? I guess that explains how you ended up at NMU. Hope you get them someday, and don't give up. Just a couple of years ago I received some items from my Great Uncle, a WWII vet. I have been actively collecting since I was 9 and I am 51 now. They were in the family all that time, they knew I was collecting, but it just never came up in conversation until I opened the museum and my Cousins saw it in the paper... Scott

 

You should go volunteer at the museum at K.I. Sawyer, I was there earlier in the year and they really could use help, it made me sad....

My relatives have been in Gwinn and Ishpeming since the early 1900s so we have a long family history in the UP. I'm planning on going to KI either this weekend or the next. I'll be sure to talk to them about volunteering!

 

Jacob

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He was born and drafted in Michigan.

Was he always in the 26th Div? Might he of been in the 85th Div first and was sent to as a replacement to the 26th Div in France? the 85th Div was where most draftee's from Michigan went into, the 85th Div was sent to France and would up as a Depot Division providing replacements to the combat depleted division at the front, and the 26th Div was certainly one of those divisions.

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Was he always in the 26th Div? Might he of been in the 85th Div first and was sent to as a replacement to the 26th Div in France? the 85th Div was where most draftee's from Michigan went into, the 85th Div was sent to France and would up as a Depot Division providing replacements to the combat depleted division at the front, and the 26th Div was certainly one of those divisions.

The only knowledge I only have is his service in the 26th. It is entirely possible. On Ancestry there is no evidence of another division on his records. I'll have to look into it some more to see if it is possible!

 

Jacob

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The only knowledge I only have is his service in the 26th. It is entirely possible. On Ancestry there is no evidence of another division on his records. I'll have to look into it some more to see if it is possible!

 

Jacob

Roger

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  • 2 weeks later...

I made another cool family history disovery a few days ago. I finally found out my great grandftaher's name on my Dad's side of the family. He didnt serve in the American military but fought for the British in WWI. My Grandma gave me her cousin's contact info and it turns out he has his medals!

 

Private William Thomas Clark

-C CO. 7th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment

-Wounded in April, 1917, recovered in England and returned to the front.

-Killed in action near Gentelles on the Somme April 5,1918

-Buried at Cayeux Military Cemetary in France

 

post-162535-0-31434800-1539098715_thumb.jpg

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  • 1 month later...

Great news! My uncle gave me the two uniforms plus his from when he served in the Army! I posted some more pictures and have a few questions about them. Thanks for looking!

 

Jacob

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I was checking the pockets of the WWI 26th ID uniform and found this in the upper left chest pocket. General Orders from the headquarters of the 31st Division. His signature is on the back so I wonder what the deal with that is?

post-162535-0-36055900-1542692595_thumb.jpg

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I believe the soldier on the left is my Great Grandfather, but not many clear photos of his face exist so it's kind of hard to tell who is who sometimes. Anyway, is that a M1903 Springfield on his shoulder?

post-162535-0-17244800-1542692771_thumb.jpg

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The uniform of my uncle who was a cook in the Army and was stationed in Germany for a good part of his career.

post-162535-0-63359800-1542693031_thumb.jpg

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DI on shoulder

That would be the 76th Artillery, with the 3rd Infantry Division to be specific, the 3rd Battalion 76th Artillery (1957-1968). Interesting he wears Crossed Cannons, must of served post 1968, now known as the 3rd Battalion 76th Field Artillery Battalion and that he was a Cook, Cooks are of the Quartermaster Branch. Perhaps he was an artilleryman not working in his MOS.

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And to add this, an official MEMO from a late 1968 25th Inf Div's newspaper I just now found, that explains the change in 1957 when the big super branch was created, and now in 1968 when the two specific weaponry battalions where to be spit into separate and distinct branches.

 

Arty Fields Get Distinct Insignias

Separate insignia have been approved for the U.S. Army's two artillery branches.
Officers in the Field Artillery Branch and enlisted personnel assigned to field artillery organizations will be authorized to wear an insignia consisting of two crossed field guns.
This insignia was used by the Field Artillery Branch before January 2, 1957.
Officers in the Air Defense Artillery Branch and enlisted personnel assigned to air defense artillery organizations will continue to wear the present Artillery Branch insignia, which consists of two crossed field guns and a missile.
The names of artillery officers transferred to the new Air Defense Artillery Branch will appear on a special order scheduled for publication in November with an effective date of December 1, 1968.
New insignia will be authorized for wear on effective date of the order.

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