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Marine LTC uniform - thrift store find


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Picked this up today; pretty proud of myself for finding it. It's straight out of the woodwork and still has the cleaners' tag on the inside. Unfortunately the bottom ribbon row (Korea) fell off but the shop owner thinks she has it somewhere.

 

Coat is named - "Wilson" and below that is either "A F" or "A P". Any Marine air experts out there who may have insight as to whom this belonged to?

 

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Note bronze stars instead of gold, on the AM.

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I see lots of Marine greens every week but pretty much they are always stripped of all insignia or ribbons, but once in a while there may be an EGA. Don't suppose there's a name in the inside label?

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Don't suppose there's a name in the inside label?

 

Yes--it's "Wilson" and below that is either "A P" or "A F". I'd imagine Marine Air aficionados would have some idea who he may be.

 

Label indicates Camp Lejeune's uniform shop.

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OMG!!!

 

THIFT STORE !!?? :o

 

Congratulations on a great find. This guy had some nice decorations.

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Great find!

 

The only Wilson that I can find that matches that name is in the 1955 Register.

 

There is a Captain Arthur Franklin Wilson, Jr., file # 022298, Date of Present Rank 11-1-1947, Date of Birth 7-19-1917, Pay Entry Base Date 3-7-36. I am assuming that he is active duty, not a member of the Reserves.

 

Is there a date in the coat?

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Great find! If those ribbons are legit to the coat and the missing ribbon bar (which should have some more campaign ribbons from Korea at least) is found , he was quite a distinguished pilot.

 

CB

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Great find!

 

The only Wilson that I can find that matches that name is in the 1955 Register.

 

There is a Captain Arthur Franklin Wilson, Jr., file # 022298, Date of Present Rank 11-1-1947, Date of Birth 7-19-1917, Pay Entry Base Date 3-7-36. I am assuming that he is active duty, not a member of the Reserves.

 

Is there a date in the coat?

 

No date in the coat. The NDSM means it was from at least 1953.

 

Is you register indicating that that Wilson was a Captain in 1955?

 

This guy has a BSM with "V" so I'm wondering if he was with a Tac Air party...

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No date in the coat. The NDSM means it was from at least 1953.

 

Is you register indicating that that Wilson was a Captain in 1955?

 

This guy has a BSM with "V" so I'm wondering if he was with a Tac Air party...

 

The officer register is from 1955 and shows his current rank as Captain. However he was promoted to Captian in 1947 so he may have been promoted shortly after 1955.

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  • 4 months later...

Well, I found a seller who had a vintage Kwik-Set trio of Korean War ribbons, the same maker of the rest of the rack. They obviously correspond to the missing bottom row. I believe the bar was un-issued, but no matter. They've even faded the same! I'd imagine the campaign stars are more or less correct, judging from his PUC's and AM's.

 

dscn2225kq2.jpg

 

Much better!

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jeremiahcable

Very nice find and here is a possible hit on your man. Alexander Wilson 033093. He is the only "A" Wilson that got a DFC in Korea. NARA should be able to find him with that service number. Good luck!!

 

Jeremiah

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Very nice find and here is a possible hit on your man. Alexander Wilson 033093. He is the only "A" Wilson that got a DFC in Korea. NARA should be able to find him with that service number. Good luck!!

 

Jeremiah

 

Thanks! I had been barking up the wrong tree with the other Wilson. Is that from a Navy/Marine DFC recipients list?

 

In regards NARA, do they send a DD-214?

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There apparently was a LTC Alexander Wilson who commanded VMA-223 early in Vietnam; so this is a new wrinkle. I'm stll assuming that the bottom row would have been Korea, and that the uniform is from before Vietnam (I believe it was left at the cleaner's).

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There apparently was a LTC Alexander Wilson who commanded VMA-223 early in Vietnam; so this is a new wrinkle. I'm stll assuming that the bottom row would have been Korea, and that the uniform is from before Vietnam (I believe it was left at the cleaner's).

 

I find a lot of uniforms that still have cleaners tags inside but I don't think it necessarily means it was left at the cleaners: I especially doubt this one was because the insignia and ribbons would have been removed before the uniform was sent to the cleaners.

 

The EGA on the collar of the uniform is the style introduced in 1962, so this could well be a uniform worn during the Vietnam era.

 

wilsonega.jpg

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jeremiahcable

I would also assume the bottom row to be Korean service ribbons based on the placement of the others and the WW2 ribbons. Could be he did his 20 and got out in the early 60s. I'd try for a record on the KW DFC winner and see if it's him. I've never requested files on anyone later than the 50s so I can't comment on a DD214. Mostly it depends on the individual clerk that draws your request and how good of a mood they are in.

 

Jeremiah

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  • 2 weeks later...

All the ribbons on the uniform are Kwik-Set; does anyone know if Kwik-Set made ribbons past the early 60's, i.e, has anyone seen Vietnam ribbons made by that company? If not, then I'd imagine the bottom row is indeed Korea.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Not to put too fine of a point on it, but I just thought of something: I noticed there is no "V" on either the AM or DFC; since in the Navy it is called the "combat distinguishing device', I figure that since the V was not authorized for those two medals until 1964, that this coat is from pre-1964. In other words, I would think that a Marine pilot in the Korean War would surely qualify for V's on his DFC and/or AM.

 

Thoughts?

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  • 6 years later...

OK, this is a new development - this man just died last June; this Alexander W I L S O N is the one mentioned in the thread above. At first I was certain it was him, but, comparing ribbons...I guess not. The obit photo shows an Asiatic-Pacific with two stars, and no stars on his Navy PUC. Remember, my uniform's rack is from before that photo of him.

 

The label has "Wilson" surmounting "A" and another initial. The only A. Wilson who received a DFC in Korea was this man...

 

The thing is, the store in which I found the uniform, is from a town which borders the one in which he grew up. What are the chances?

 

 

http://www.porterloring.com/memsol.cgi?user_id=1351229

 

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post-257-0-31646100-1414311743.jpg

 

 

 

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