Longhorn92 Posted February 21, 2019 Share #26 Posted February 21, 2019 By the time my grandfather gave me his Ike, it was toast. But its still cool looking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BILL THE PATCH Posted February 21, 2019 Share #27 Posted February 21, 2019 Maybe you can get it patches up. To preserve it better. Nice silver Star to!! Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ww2guymandude Posted February 21, 2019 Author Share #28 Posted February 21, 2019 My most recent 36th acquisition! Unfortunately the jacket is unnamed, however the vet definitely saw his fair share of combat according to the ribbons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westernfed Posted February 21, 2019 Share #29 Posted February 21, 2019 Here is my one 36th Division piece. I love the invasion arrow and the fact that this soldier earned all six campaign stars that the division earned in WWII. and of course the nice DUI’s. Does anyone have a roster for the 142nd? Thanks Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ww2guymandude Posted February 21, 2019 Author Share #30 Posted February 21, 2019 Here is my one 36th Division piece. I love the invasion arrow and the fact that this soldier earned all six campaign stars that the division earned in WWII. and of course the nice DUI’s. Does anyone have a roster for the 142nd? Thanks Ryan Great Ike jacket! There is a (almost) complete roster of the 142nd on the Texas Military Forces Museum webpage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ww2guymandude Posted February 21, 2019 Author Share #31 Posted February 21, 2019 Great Ike jacket! There is a (almost) complete roster of the 142nd on the Texas Military Forces Museum webpage. Just found a PFC Albert Balli, H Co 142nd IR from Putnam, Connecticut. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BILL THE PATCH Posted February 21, 2019 Share #32 Posted February 21, 2019 Is the Arrowhead for Salerno? Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westernfed Posted February 21, 2019 Share #33 Posted February 21, 2019 Since he has all the campaign stars for the division and the fact that the wearer can only wear one invasion star regardless of how many separate invasions they participated in he could have been in Salerno and Southern France. Not sure if they earned a arrow for when they landed in North Africa. I think they landed as replacements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
36thIDAlex Posted February 21, 2019 Share #34 Posted February 21, 2019 That’s a great 142nd Ike! For how many stars he has I would imagine the arrowhead was for Salerno. You can ask on the Military Forces Museum forum for his unofficial record card which should say when he joined with the 36th. Those DIs are killer! I have one that my grandfather wore on his side cap. I believe they are German made variants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BILL THE PATCH Posted February 21, 2019 Share #35 Posted February 21, 2019 Well I guess it's Salerno, he has all campaign stars, Salerno was before southern France. Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jguy1986 Posted February 21, 2019 Share #36 Posted February 21, 2019 Its entirely possible he arrived after the Salerno landings and still received campaign credit for Naples-Foggia, just not invasion credit. No way of knowing without seeing his overseas dates. Southern France would be a safe bet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westernfed Posted February 22, 2019 Share #37 Posted February 22, 2019 Agreed but again you are only officially allowed to wear one invasion arrow regardless of how many invasions a soldier took part in I am goi g to guess he was involved in both. Now that I have a confirmed name I will see what I can find out on him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jguy1986 Posted February 22, 2019 Share #38 Posted February 22, 2019 I agree that its likely / probable he did both amphibious landings, but its possible it might be one or the other. I have a 142nd uniform from a guy who arrived in theater in November 1943, so he was a post-Salerno replacement, but earned credit for both Naples-Foggia and Rome-Arno. He doesnt wear an arrowhead, though, as I believe he was still recovering from being WIA in Italy when the division landed in Operation Dragoon, but soon rejoined and earned credit for Southern France and Rhineland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RVR Posted February 22, 2019 Share #39 Posted February 22, 2019 Very nice uniforms you all show here, but not only the uniforms are great, the stories behind the uniforms are even more interesting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ww2guymandude Posted February 25, 2019 Author Share #40 Posted February 25, 2019 Another addition for the topic. 36th ID Ike jacket IDd to “Raymond Vogel”. Checked the roster for the 736th Ordnance Co. and could not find him there though. Any chance he could have been attached to a FA unit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Posted February 28, 2019 Share #41 Posted February 28, 2019 I posted this a few years ago http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/259498-ww2-pow-jacket-and-medals-group/ but it deserves to be added to this 36th ID thread. One of the most unusual 36th Division groups you will find. Private William A. Bowman of Wichita Falls, TX, served with HQ Co., 131st Field Artillery, 2nd Battalion, 36th Division (Texas National Guard) prior to the beginning of WW2. In the big Army national maneuvers in 1941 the 36th Division's field artillery battalion made quite a positive impression on the Army, and in the fall of 1941 when tensions with the Japanese rose, the 131st was nationalized and selected to go to the Philippines to reinforce the Army garrison there. The unit sailed from Pearl Harbor a week before the Japanese attack on the transport ship USS Republic in company with the heavy cruiser USS Pensacola. They were past Guam when news of the Japanese attacks on Pearl and the Philippines came. The convoy was diverted first to Fiji, and then to Australia, where it arrived in Brisbane on Dec 22, 1941. After discussions with our Allies the 131st was sent to Java Island, Dutch East Indies, where it joined Dutch and Australian forces in an attempt to defend that island group from the Japanese. The 131st arrived on Java Island on January 8, 1942. The Japanese landed on Java on February 28, and the 131st conducted a fighting retreat, taking up rifles after having to abandon its artillery guns. They surrendered with the other Allied forces on March 8, 1942. William Bowman went into captivity of the Japanese and became one of the longest-held American POWs in WW2. Nothing was known of the fate of the 131st Field Artillery for many months, leading to the nickname "the lost battalion of WW2". Many of Bowman's fellow 131st artillerymen wound up working on the infamous railroad of death in Thailand ("Bridge Over the River Kwai" fame). However, Bowman was too sick to work so he remained in captivity on Java in the Bicycle POW camp outside Jakarta. He was liberated in August 1945 and sent to India for medical treatment before returning home to Texas. The group I have includes the jacket he was issued after his release from captivity, his named Purple Heart medal originally issued to his parents while he was an MIA/POW, his unnamed Army Good Conduct medal, and some paperwork concerning his WW2 service. The group was sold by his daughter to another forum member, who passed it on to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Posted February 28, 2019 Share #42 Posted February 28, 2019 Here is a good photo of Bowman's post-release jacket with the 36th Division patch on the right shoulder. Also note his unusual award of the Combat Infantry Badge, even though he was an artilleryman. Evidently his time in combat with a rifle against the Japanese after the 131st abandoned its artillery qualified him and other members of the 131st for the CIB, at least in the minds of the Army personnel who processed his return and determined what awards he qualified for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BILL THE PATCH Posted March 1, 2019 Share #43 Posted March 1, 2019 That's an outstanding Ike! Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ant1942 Posted March 1, 2019 Share #44 Posted March 1, 2019 This is one of the neatest groups ive seen. Ive never seen a CBI, 36th ID uniform before and the story is really cool as well. Awesome find. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tarheel1 Posted March 1, 2019 Share #45 Posted March 1, 2019 Wow! This thread keeps getting better & better! TH1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now