Alan Schaefer

Looking forward to this show! Driving down from Iowa with 2-friends. Will be there for dealer set up on Friday. Best Regards, Alan

Here's the updated flyer for the upcoming Saturday, October 31st, 2020 Iowa Military Collector Show, being held once again in Johnston, Iowa. Free Admission. Best Regards, Alan

Hello, What exactly is the first tunic that Dan has posted here in this thread? The skirt looks to be a WW1 style female long, ankle height skirt. I spent time looking through my Jill Halcomb Smith books on Female Uniforms, studying her American Red Cross section, and didn't see anything like this tunic in the WW1 area of the American Red Cross chapter in volume 1. I also looked at the Morphy Auctions past auctions archive they have which show a couple different WW1 American Red Cross female uniform groupings they sold this past year of 2019, and they look nothing like this fine tunic posted here. The blouse or tunic does not look like a standard WW1 Red Cross Female tunic for the following reasons. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong: 1.) This is a "sack coat" type of construction with No Chest Pockets, and No Waist Pockets as would normally expect to see on a WW1 era Red Cross Female tunic/blouse. 2.) The buttons are shiny white metal with that appear to only have a Red Cross symbol on them with no wording. The buttons we would normally see on a WW1 era Female Red Cross tunic/blouse would be of a black bakelite material,and have the words: "American Red Cross" encircling the Red Cross emblem. 3.) The tunic seems to have no appearance of ever having a cloth waist belt as would be normal on a WW1 era Red Cross female tunic/blouse. Again, this seems to be a "sack coat" type of construction tunic/blouse. 4.) There doesn't seem to be any colored tabs on the right or left side lapels of the tunic/blouse as we would expect to see. 5.) If there originally were enamel Red Cross emblems on the shoulder straps, they are now absent. Yes, this tunic/blouse has a bullion District of Paris SSI on the upper sleeve, and there are bronze "U.S." insignia on the shoulder straps. But is this tunic/blouse really a WW1 era Red Cross female tunic/blouse, or what is it? Thanks in advance for any insight on this tunic/blouse and skirt, I appreciate it. Best Regards, Alan

Hello, The spring Des Moines, Iowa show is fast approaching. To be held on Saturday, March 14th, 2020. Free Admission. Show Hours are from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. Location: 6501 Merle Hay Road, in Johnston, Iowa. Nice venue, held in the "Lions Den", Johnston Lion's Club building. Easy access, just a few blocks north of Interstate 80/35, on Merle Hay Road. Hope to see you there! Thanks, Alan

Thank Kurt! I should have tried to calm down about it happening, and not sold the collection in 1992, about a year after it happened. Yes, it sucked, and still sucks to this very day to have been burglarized. It's an awful feeling of total violation, and not knowing if the person or persons were going to come back for more, or if they saw my parents address sitting on my desk in plain view, and if they would strike there next, where I still had part of my collection. The only way I saw to not worry any longer at that time was to get rid of it, unfortunately. Best Wishes, Alan

Thanks Simon! Here's a better view of the penciled name. I believe it is Schmid, or possibly Schmidt. I cannot tell if there is a "t" at the end of the name or not, because there is a small rust spot in that area. Combining that with the larger painted black letters: "G. Sch.", I would guess his name might be Georg or Gerhard Schmid or Georg or Gerhard Schmidt. Best Regards, Alan

Here's a Photo of Brig. Gen. H.A. Allen outside his tent. Best Regards, Alan

Many thanks for all your nice comments gentlemen, I appreciate it! Hi Kurt, I had another mail home label helmet that I sold unfortunately, after I was burglarized back in the early '90's in Mankato, as you might recall. It was a real beauty that came out of a motel room buy I did with Kim in the late '80's in Willmar, MN. I still remember doing a "house call" and driving over to the elderly woman's home to buy it, as she was the brother of the WW1 soldier who mailed it home. It had a very nice camo pattern, and a glued on paper address label, mailed to her parents in Wilmar, MN. I still have photos of it somewhere which I'll have to dig out. Within a year's time of being burglarized I had sold almost all of my WW1 U.S. ID'd uniform collection, and WW1 German collection. Best Regards, Alan

I have seen and photographed 3-other helmets that were mailed home by Brigadier General H.A. Allen, besides this one example that I own. 1-Helmet is a cool "splotch" pattern camo with mail home label to a different person in Iowa. 2nd Helmet is a plain M16 or M17 with ship home label to someone else in Iowa. 3rd Helmet is another camo pattern helmet with mail home label to another person in Iowa. These other 3-helmets reside in a museum with no chance of them being deaccessioned. Here's a photo of the splotch pattern camo he mailed home to another person in Iowa. Best Regards, Alan

Last photo of helmet. Alan

photo 7 of Brig. Gen. H.A. Allen ship home helmet.

photo 6 of helmet.

additional photo of camo pattern.

another image of camo pattern on helmet.

another pic of helmet.