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Shoulder Cords


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The only branch colored shoulder cord authorized for wear by the Army is the infantry blue cord as part of the distinctive items for infantry soldi

 

The only authorized branch-specific shoulder cord is the Infantry blue cord. No other branch wears a colored cord. As shown in some of the previous posts, some branches have unofficially worn cords at various times. This seems to have been most common in the 1960's and 1970's.

 

Ah okay. I wasn't aware that they weren't even official at any point. Thanks for clearing that up.

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Came across a picture while surfing the web of 2 Soldiers that were noted as "Tankers" wearing what appears to be a Green Shoulder Cord. Any idea what this is?

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Often, commanders of installations and units will authorize local wear of items of insignia or uniform that are normally not DA "legal." If those soldiers are an honor guard of some type, that could be the explanation.

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16th IR was authorized the wear of the French Medal Militaire fourragiere (sic) after WW2. They had been previously aithorized the cord for the Croix de Guerre in WWi. The colors have nothing to do with armor.

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Often, commanders of installations and units will authorize local wear of items of insignia or uniform that are normally not DA "legal." If those soldiers are an honor guard of some type, that could be the explanation.

 

Makes sense. Thanks

16th IR was authorized the wear of the French Medal Militaire fourragiere (sic) after WW2. They had been previously aithorized the cord for the Croix de Guerre in WWi. The colors have nothing to do with armor.

Ah okay. I wasn't aware of that. Thanks for the information

D

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  • 1 month later...

Here's a First SDergeant wearing an infantry shoulder cord and branch of service insignia without the blue disc with a USA Armor Center SSI in the late 70's. Note he's also wearing green leadership tabs with what looks like a Trainer Personnel DUI rather than the Armor Center DUI.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have a few cords that were sold by Wolf-Brown. I bought a collection of insignia from a man who, if I remember correctly, knew the owner of WB and when it closed he ended up with a lot of insignia. The red artillery cord is still WB packaged.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong; the cords are from left to right:

  • Engineers
  • Military Police
  • Artillery
  • Military Intelligence (blue and silver/grey)
  • Medical
  • Quartermaster
  • Signal Corps

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No, no date. I looks to be a piece of WB store tape like you would use to close a box or package. The cords don't glow under a black light if that gives any clue to their age.

 

The things I bought from the WB man ranged from WWII khaki base patches and DI's to early 70s merrowed subdued patches to the ribbon display board from one of the stores. I don't think anything would have been 80s or later but it's tough to tell on patches once they started using merrowed edges.

 

Herb

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Jamecharles

here other few example of Blue dress with fourragere, but i can't recognize the Major general in full dress what kind of fourragere he's wearing.

 

Meanwhile the Drill officer is wearing a french fourragere.

 

GS

 

 

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Jamecharles

and here the general aide to Mr. Roosevelt with a particular version of ''aide aiguilette'' with thin cords exposed over sleeve more similiar to the USMC aiguilette than on classic army aide aiguilette set.

 

GS

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i've found on internet this Amazing example of Gen officer Blue dress 1938 , used post war, with belgian cord

 

Netherlands Orange Lanyard, not Belgian.

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  • 1 month later...

Seems the recently passed Einar Ingman MOH wears that UN Rope, this photo I think would of been taken on the day he received the MOH July 5 1951. So why the rope, is it not some thing that came out late in the war? It wouldn't be anything else right, as Ingman was medicaly discharged and wore the insignia of his previous unit, the 17th Inf, 7th Inf Div, two units that had no French or Belgian ropes awarded it. (Photos of UN Rope originally posted by member ItemCo16527) Another intersting point is Ingman wears the ROK PUC on the right side along side the PUC, these foreign PUCs like the ROK and Philippine PUC were generally worn on the left pocket flap in those days, up till the early-sh 60s.

 

 

 

 

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Could just be the photo itself but it looks like he is wearing a Khaki/tan EM 4 pocket blouse. The EM did not wear that until the late 1950's so I don't think the photo is from 1951. Maybe he got into uniform for the official presentation later in the 1960's? Again, could just be the photo.

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Could just be the photo itself but it looks like he is wearing a Khaki/tan EM 4 pocket blouse. The EM did not wear that until the late 1950's so I don't think the photo is from 1951. Maybe he got into uniform for the official presentation later in the 1960's? Again, could just be the photo.

That would be a negative cavcon, this uniform was worn as a private purchase item by EMs in them days. While Ingman wears the 1948 Regs Sgt stripes (note the right of the foto), which would be correct for the summer of 1951,he didn't doesn't wear the second pair of discs on the lower lapels, the U.S. which was the standard as well in at this time.

 

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Captainofthe7th

Notice the wear of the UN service ribbon to help date these photos - in the portrait, Ingman wears the UN svc (out of order, but it's on there nonetheless). This wasn't authorized by the DoD until November, 1951. Prior to late 1951 you only see the Korean service ribbon as seen in the photo directly above with the three MoH recipients. I haven't quite proven this yet but it is a running theory.

 

Rob

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Seems the recently passed Einar Ingman MOH wears that UN Rope, this photo I think would of been taken on the day he received the MOH July 5 1951. So why the rope, is it not some thing that came out late in the war? It wouldn't be anything else right, as Ingman was medicaly discharged and wore the insignia of his previous unit, the 17th Inf, 7th Inf Div, two units that had no French or Belgian ropes awarded it. (Photos of UN Rope originally posted by member ItemCo16527) Another intersting point is Ingman wears the ROK PUC on the right side along side the PUC, these foreign PUCs like the ROK and Philippine PUC were generally worn on the left pocket flap in those days, up till the early-sh 60s.

 

 

 

 

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Found some additional photos online. The colorized photo indicates different colors than the UN cord. Also, his uniform was different when the MOH was awarded.

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I also noted that the sergeant on the right in that photo has an offices cuff stripe on his uniform but the private in the middle does not. VERY INTERESTING....

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I also noted that the sergeant on the right in that photo has an offices cuff stripe on his uniform but the private in the middle does not. VERY INTERESTING....

Ernest Richard Kouma, not sure, was he an officer in WWII, when ones sees cuff rings on an EM coat this indicates previous commissioned service.

 

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A 5th Div 30 year man saying good by to his unit in the fall of 1944, he's being sent home. He was in WWI an officer and was reduced to EM rank after the war ended in 1919 or 1920 .

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