Jump to content

Treasure Chest, the memorabilia of Gen. F.J. Chesarek


Ches-Gen-4
 Share

Recommended Posts

Also is this medal with ribbon that I believe is from West Point.

I think the USCC is the United States Corps of Cadets.

Is this for the hockey team?

It is inscribed "38 D Co."

 

013-1_zpsc6b582ae.jpg

 

The only marking on the back is D.&C. over Plated

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Next we have a medal presented to my Uncle while in France by the Diocese of Verdun.

I have a photo of him receiving this gift but will have to find it again.

 

001-4_zps33c34c4d.jpg

 

017-1_zps218f3bdd.jpg

 

:)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Shown below are a couple of documents hand signed by General Westmoreland.

 

CertofApprec_zps8bbe93cd.jpg

 

CertofRetirement_zpsaa6a3810.jpg

 

 

Currently I am working on a mannequin display of the Generals Dress White Uniform which should be ready in a week or so. Bob

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the compliments.

I was doing a little research on the medal with the tank and it is Italian. The lettering on the front says "Lightning fast and mighty". And the reverse

is something about the 132 regiment artillery and "aries" for the Rams head.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Salvage Sailor

Need a little help identifying a couple of medals I found in the box of insignia.

 

First is a medal showing a tank and a Rams head logo. Any ideas what this might be?

 

008-3_zps164970ef.jpg

 

007-1_zps0c592527.jpg

 

This is probably from his post-WWII duty in Italy. The Italian 132nd Ariete Division was destroyed at El Alamein but was reformed in post-war Italy. The Rams head shield is their divisional heraldry. The medalion is for the Artillery regiment which makes sense as this was the Generals branch of service and he may have had a hand in it's reformation. The self propelled artillery vehicle depicted is an American M7 which was provided to the Italian army after the war.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sailor,

Thanks for the interesting information about this medallion and its history. I appreciate the reply. I also found this on Wikipedia "Saint Barbara is often portrayed with miniature chains and a tower. As one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, Barbara continues to be a popular saint in modern times, perhaps best known as the patron saint of artillerymen, military engineers, miners and others who work with explosives because of her old legend's association with lightning, and also of mathematicians." Bob

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was able to locate the photo that I had remembered seeing where my Uncle was receiving the Diocese of Verdun medal.

 

The info on the back stated that the photo was taken on 10 Aug. 1962 during ceremonies held in Verdun France

at the Hotel De Ville.

 

Verdunmedal_zps9f08d09e.jpg

 

Another photo that was taken at the Hotel De Ville on the same night shows Ches with his first wife Jayne.

 

ChesampJayneVerdun_zps8c5967e0.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One of the many letters I found congratulating General Chesarek for a job well done while in Europe as

Chief of Staff of the US Army Communications zone.

 

scan0015_zpsd04b5f27.jpg

 

scan0018_zps2de07f93.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

While searching through the albums of photos I came across a photo of Ches wearing his Dress Mess Blues.

This is the only photo I have of him wearing the first uniform I put on display. He was a Brig. General at the time.

 

Dinnerspeech-DMB_zpsb96ca381.jpg

 

DMB-4_zpsf5681f39.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Shown below are a few additional photos that I thought would be of interest.

 

GenClarkevisit_zps428dd0fe.jpg

 

I believe this photo shows a different meeting of President LBJ that the previous one I had posted earlier. There is no info on the date.

On a side note, notice the look on the guys face that just shook the Presidents hand. :) YEAH!

 

GenChesarekampPresidentJohnson_zpse640878e.jpg

 

In this photo we see the General wearing the Secretary of Defense badge.

scan0014_zps7af258ed.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

firefighter

Great pic of your uncle with LBJ.I forget the general stripes on their dress green's are two thin stripes versus the wider one for all other officers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

General Chesareks Dress White Uniform!

 

Shown below is another custom made uniform for my Uncle by James S. Lee of Hong Kong back in the early 60's.

I have not been able to locate many photos of him wearing it but I have included a couple in the next post.

 

DW-1_zpsa1114090.jpg

 

Sterling silver stars!

 

DW-5_zpsda99f58a.jpg

 

He obviously took very good care of this uniform as it looks almost new. I did have it professionally cleaned

by a cleaners that does a lot of military uniforms and hats.

 

DW-4_zps00719955.jpg

 

DW-2_zpse312a9f4.jpg

 

DW-3_zps1759d114.jpg

 

This uniform also has its own custom made heavy duty nylon storage bag.

 

DW-6_zpsa07a7b8f.jpg

 

Enjoy...it's a beauty :)

 

Here are a couple of photos showing the then Brig. General wearing his dress whites.

 

ComzDresswhites_zps0775fd2b.jpg

 

Sorry, no info for the above photo, but I see he is wearing the Secretary of Defense ID badge in both photos.

 

DW-7_zps42994938.jpg

 

Thanks for following along. Bob :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

From the Generals collection is the Department of Defense Identification badge (as it was called then) that he is wearing in the above two photos.

 

This is a heavy Sterling Silver badge made by Meyer.

 

He was issued this badge when he was assigned the Executive Officer to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs in the late 50's.

 

SecretaryofDefenseBadge_zps2fd192ff.jpg

 

SecretaryofDefenseBadge-back_zpsd10c9f4a.jpg

 

.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

firefighter

Great pics and the SECDEF badge is beautiful.I hope you never reach the bottom of the pile.Does anybody know what the tab is on the soldier's sleeve in post #203?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Firefighter. I enlarged that photo as big as I could get it and still was not able to make out the lettering on the tab. Bob

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great pics and the SECDEF badge is beautiful.I hope you never reach the bottom of the pile.Does anybody know what the tab is on the soldier's sleeve in post #203?

 

 

Hi,

By how they are dressed I would say the men are part of a Honor/ Color guard. That is most likely what the tab reads.

Terry

Link to comment
Share on other sites

WOW! 7000 views in 3 1/2 months. :)

Thank you all for your continued interest in my Uncles life, I certainly appreciate all the positive comments.

 

 

GENERAL FERDINAND JOSEPH CHESAREK - CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF ASSIGNMENTS

 

Assignments - From To

 

9th Field Artillery Regiment, Ft. Lewis, WA - Jun 1938

 

9th Field Artillery Regiment, Ft. Ord, CA - Jun 1940

 

81st Field Artillery Battalion, Ft. Richardson, AK - Jun 1940 - Jan 1941

 

Alaska Defense Command, Ft. Richardson, AK - Jan 1941 - Jun 1942

 

S-3, 177th Field Artillery Regiment, Ft. Leonard Wood, MO - Dec 1942 - Feb 1943

 

Student, Field Artillery School, Ft. Sill, OK - Dec 1942 - Feb 1943

 

Executive Officer, 177th Field Artillery Group, Camp McCoy, WI - Feb 1943 - Nov 1943

 

 

Assignments-continued - From To

 

Commanding Officer, 28th Field Artillery Battalion, - Nov 1943 - Nov 1945

8th Infantry Division, European Theater of Operations

 

Staff Student, Graduate School of Business, Stanford Univ., - Jun 1948 - Apr 1950

Stanford, CA

 

Officer, G-4 Division, War Department, General Staff, Wash. D.C. - Nov 1945 - Jun 1948

 

Assistant to the Chairman, Munitions Board, Wash. D.C. - Apr 1950 - Feb 1953

 

Student, Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, VA - Feb 1953 - Jul 1953

 

Chief, Management Division, G-4 Section, HQ 8th US Army, Korea - Aug 1953 - May 1954

 

Commanding Officer, 5th Artillery Group, Korea - May 1954 - Jan 1955

 

Chief, Military Personnel & Manpower Division, - Jan 1955 - Jul 1955

Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Wash. D.C.

 

Student, National War College, Ft. McNair, Wash. D.C. - Aug 1955 - Jul 1956

 

Military Assistant & Executive Officer to the Assistant Jul 1956 - Sep 1958

Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, Wash. D.C. -

 

Student, Advanced Management Program, Harvard University, - Sep 1958 - Dec 1958

Cambridge, MA

 

Executive Officer to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for - Dec 1958 - Aug 1959

International Security Affairs, Wash. D.C.

 

Chief of Staff, US Army Communications Zone, Europe, - Aug 1959 - Jul 1960

Orleans, France

 

Chief of Staff, US Army Southern European Task Force, - Jul 1960 - Mar 1961

Verona, Italy

 

Commanding General, 4th Logistical Command, Verdun, France - Mar 1961- Aug 1962

 

Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics (Materiel Readiness), - Sep 1962 - Aug 1964

Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Wash. D.C.

 

Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics (Programs), Office of - Aug 1964 - Aug 1966

the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Wash. D.C.

 

 

Assignments - continued From To

 

Comptroller of the Army - Aug 1966 - Aug 1967

 

Assistant Vice Chief of Staff - Feb 1967 - Mar 1969

 

Senior US Army Representative to the United Nations - Jul 1968 - Mar 1969

Military Staff Committee

 

Commanding General, US Army Materiel Command, - Mar 1969 - Nov 1970

Pentagon, Wash. D.C.

 

:)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Shown below is a photo taken during the swearing in of Lt. Gen. Chesarek as Comptroller of the Army.

 

Aug11966_zps2f6bc81a.jpg

 

 

This is the information stamped on the back of the photo - greatly enlarged for clairity.

 

Aug11966back_zpse0b2f63a.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...