Incredible 1st Infantry Division Portrait!

[siege1863]

Some time ago I announced that I had acquired a huge collection of letters written by a man who served in the 79th Infantry Division and later the 1st Infantry Division. These letters were from an estate sale. Yesterday, I received a large envelope from a person I did not know. Inside was a cover letter and several photographs. They were sent to me by the niece of the soldier, who is helping settle the estate. She knew I had purchased the letters and thought I might like to have the photos to go with them. She pointed out the man and his wife had no children and so all was going.

 

Among the photos is this fantastic portrait the soldier had made when with the 26th Infantry Regiment ("Blue Spaders") of the 1st Infantry Division. It was sent to the wife Christmas of 1945, when he was stationed at Nuremberg. She had it "colorized" and framed.

 

[BEAR]

Great portrait.

Here's a similiar colorized portrait of my father as a Blue Spader in Bamberg, West Germany, circa 1952.

BEAR

 

[Jeeper704]

Very nice portraits wow!

 

Are they easy to find?

I am looking for portraits like these of Armored and TD crewmembers.

 

Erwin

[General Apathy]

Hello Siege 1863, Thanks for showing that photo it is really great, have you noticed that he is wearing an enlistedman's Ike, with an officers material ( colored ) cap.

 

When you look at both of the color photos posted ( Bear's father ) you see that these were once living breathing young men ready to do their bit for their country and families, pity that life and times move on, what stories they could tell.

 

Cheers ( Lewis )

[siege1863]

I will try to read back through the letters and see if I can find his several references to the Ike jacket, which he had custom made. I recall in two letters where he speaks of visiting the quartermaster (a friend) and getting a sleeping bag cover. This cover he gave to the tailor to use as the lining of the jacket. This, he said, helped to make it wind-proof!

[SteveR]

His custom Ike jacket seems to have the occupation German hand made DI's.

Here is a pair I picked from a !st Div. Vets estate with a screw back version also.

The hand made ones are white felt on OD backgroung cloth with a black backing. The spade is colored embroidery thread with a silver twist wire outline. The white felt shield has a silver twistwire outline also.

 

Some time ago I announced that I had acquired a huge collection of letters written by a man who served in the 79th Infantry Division and later the 1st Infantry Division. These letters were from an estate sale. Yesterday, I received a large envelope from a person I did not know. Inside was a cover letter and several photographs. They were sent to me by the niece of the soldier, who is helping settle the estate. She knew I had purchased the letters and thought I might like to have the photos to go with them. She pointed out the man and his wife had no children and so all was going.

 

Among the photos is this fantastic portrait the soldier had made when with the 26th Infantry Regiment ("Blue Spaders") of the 1st Infantry Division. It was sent to the wife Christmas of 1945, when he was stationed at Nuremberg. She had it "colorized" and framed.

 

[BEAR]

I notice that the colorization in the 1945 portrait is of a much better quality than the 1952 portrait. The top edge of my father's jump wings can be seen on the left pocket but his CIB has been blotted out except for the extreme lower edge of the wreath peeking out below his lapel. His fourragere is totally out of color and his lapel brass is unreadable and his leadership tabs are the wrong color green.

BEAR

[GIl Sanow]

I notice that the colorization in the 1945 portrait is of a much better quality than the 1952 portrait. The top edge of my father's jump wings can be seen on the left pocket but his CIB has been blotted out except for the extreme lower edge of the wreath peeking out below his lapel. His fourragere is totally out of color and his lapel brass is unreadable and his leadership tabs are the wrong color green.

BEAR

 

Are you sure that yellow/green fouragiere isn't correct? It could be fore the Medal Militaire -- when the unit was cited 4x in orders? (The Cr. de G Fourragiere was for being cited 2x.)

 

Can someone look up to see what the 27th was authorized>

[siege1863]

I just came across the letter in which Mr. Samuelson describes the portrait. It was written December, 14, 1945, and in it he mentions the photo was taken some two weeks previous. The photographer would not color it and so he asks the wife to do so. Mr. Samuelson also discloses the reason he is wearing an officers cap, as was pointed out by General Apathy!

 

"Notice the two fourrageres, one on my left shoulder is from the French in the last war, one on right is Belgian for this war. Presidential citation above right pocket. Above my left pocket, good conduct & E.T.O. ribbon with combat infantry badge above them. Two stars on the E.T.O. ribbon (Rhineland, Central Europe)...My cap shrunk something terrible. I sent it to the dry cleaners and it came back way too small. I gave it to one of the boys going home as it fit him fine."

[GIl Sanow]

I just came across the letter in which Mr. Samuelson describes the portrait. It was written December, 14, 1945, and in it he mentions the photo was taken some two weeks previous. The photographer would not color it and so he asks the wife to do so. Mr. Samuelson also discloses the reason he is wearing an officers cap, as was pointed out by General Apathy!

 

"Notice the two fourrageres, one on my left shoulder is from the French in the last war, one on right is Belgian for this war. Presidential citation above right pocket. Above my left pocket, good conduct & E.T.O. ribbon with combat infantry badge above them. Two stars on the E.T.O. ribbon (Rhineland, Central Europe)...My cap shrunk something terrible. I sent it to the dry cleaners and it came back way too small. I gave it to one of the boys going home as it fit him fine."

 

It is not too uncommon to find EM's wearing Shade 55 officer caps with branch colored piping immediately after the war -- invariably they wear Shade 55 neckties too. I have never seen any regulation permitting this nor any order banning the practice, though it seems to have disappeared about the time of the Korean War,

[APO472]

It is not too uncommon to find EM's wearing Shade 55 officer caps with branch colored piping immediately after the war -- invariably they wear Shade 55 neckties too. I have never seen any regulation permitting this nor any order banning the practice, though it seems to have disappeared about the time of the Korean War,

It was also common in a certain unit in 1942 but I will not go into details right now.