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Grandfather’s Ike


MajorBonacelli
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MajorBonacelli

A simple 5th Army Ike from December of 1944 got me interested in this hobby. My father had saved the uniform from the trash as my grandfather had thrown it away. We had feared he had thrown every last trace of his service along with it, but yesterday we found various papers outlining his entry into the Army and the 81st Division in 1953 and discharge in 1955. He never saw combat that we know (he did say that he and his Army buddies considered going to Cuba to aid in the Batista revolution but we never figured out if he did or not. This was in his later years that he told me this and only a very brief mention that he didnt want to talk further about). Only awards he was given was a National Defense Medal and a Good Conduct Award. It may not seem like much, but it is the pride of my collection as it started it all with a personal collection. Though not the exact same uniform as the one in the photo, I hope to restore this Ike similar to the one in the photo and add his awards to it. If anyone can help me find the light blue insignia and some medal ribbon bars for it let me know! A cap and/or shirt and tie would also do nicely!

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Treasure it! I can't tell if he has an issue ascot or just a piece of cloth he is using for the same thing.

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Looks like an ascot, Id actually just buy a plane Ike and make it maybe between the insignia and cord your looking at $25 tops plus maybe $10-20 for the jacket

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That would be the 31st Infantry Division, the 31st Inf Div was a Southern National Guard Division that was Federalized for the Korean War, it gave up it's people as replacements for Japan/Korea and divisions being set to Germany, and was reduced to a cadre strength training division, at Camp Atterbury Indian for the duration (Transferred to Fort Carson February 1954), your Grandfather took his Basic Training with the 31st Div as we see, probably his Infantry AIT too, though in the foto he's wearing the rope on the wrong shoulder, though the training divisions of the period were not full combat TO&E Infantry units, sometime trainee's wore the Blue stuff.

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MajorBonacelli

Do you know the unit or post he was at when his draft obligation ended and was discharged?

Ah yes 31st Division! Accidental typo!

 

He was stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado when his discharge went into effect. His papers indicate his Most Significant Duty Assignment was Det 3 5022d ASU Camp Hale Colorado. Only things we know outside him being at Atterbury in the Dixie Division.

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It's great that you have his Ike. You and your family can connect much more with his service when you have a tangible item to hold in your hands. At least that's what I find.

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Ah yes 31st Division! Accidental typo!

 

He was stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado when his discharge went into effect. His papers indicate his Most Significant Duty Assignment was Det 3 5022d ASU Camp Hale Colorado. Only things we know outside him being at Atterbury in the Dixie Division.

That will explain the 5th Army patch, Carson and Hale fell under 5th Army and a ASU generally fall under an Army. ASU's are very difficult to research in the main, the only ones of note is easy, the AU's of 8th Army Korea, combat units actually, Commando's if one likes .

 

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MajorBonacelli

That will explain the 5th Army patch, Carson and Hale fell under 5th Army and a ASU generally fall under an Army. ASU's are very difficult to research in the main, the only ones of note is easy, the AU's of 8th Army Korea, combat units actually, Commando's if one likes .

 

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Oh wow! That explains him mentioning having to learn to use piano wire to take down an enemy! I didnt think that was just a part of a normal Army training!
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Oh wow! If you dont mind me asking, what does the acronym ASU stand for?

Army Service Unit. Not to be confused with the currently seen ASU, which means Army Service Uniform.

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