101st Airborne Jacket- Trying to Idenify?

[ww2airborne]

I have had this jacket for many years in my collection. It is a 101st airborne World War II Jacket cut down to the size of an IKE Jacket. The jacket has a rare Bullion 101st Airborne Patch on the sleeve. Can anyone find any information from this trooper? B. Meiste- 2721. I think he was from Michigan.

[1SG_1st_Cav]

That is an awesome 101st Abn patch. Thanks for sharing. Danny

[Baron3-6]

Try contacting the Don F Pratt museum at Ft Campbell...they have copies of a fairly complete muster role for the divisonn.

[ww2airborne]

Thanks it is one of my prize jackets. I know I should go in the museum. I am currently stationed here at Fort Campbell.

[Bocage]

Hi I am not a uniform collector, neither a patch connaisseur (certainly not of 101st AB patches), but I see some strange things. Ike jackets we fashionable from mid 1944 on, I think (did I read that somewhere??). I see a staff sergeant uniform, with 1 OD service stripe (= one three-year term of enlistment in the army) and no overseas service stripes. These, by regulation, should be worn 4' above the lower end of the sleeve (source: finding your father's war, page 195). The name, Meiste, B. 2721 (last four digits of serial number)? In the NARA - AAD files I find no Meiste, B (dunno if that means anything): look at: http://aad.archives.gov/aad/fielded-search.jsp?dt=893 But hey: archives do tend to miss information, too. Thing that triggers me is that there's no medals (or pin-marks in the uniform that indicate ribbon bars), there's no jump wing, no ruptured duck (or was this uniform from a guy that was still ín the service??), but a very fancy looking 101st AB bullion patch (which somehow lookes aged enough... but even for that there's tricks)... So I am puzzled. Post some close-ups of the jacket (patch, place where pins could be expected, etc.), and give us a clue as to where you aqcuired it. Perhaps some people with more knowledge than I have, can comment on this one... Good luck!

[Rakkasan187]

If I am not mistaken the collar brass looks domed, at least by the angle of the picture. Can you take close ups of the collar brass and tell us if it is in fact domed or flat..

 

Domed collar brass will be an indication of post WW2 era. 1950's..

 

Leigh

[doyler]

Uniform is a cut down 4 pocket.I have a couple 101st and other WW2 uniforms with no duck on them.Seems most of the Marine Corps ones I have dont have them either as well as the Navy.Is the brass scew back or pin back??

 

More pics would get more answers.

[Bob Carter]

I don't mean to rain on your parade , but that's a postwar repro (Paki) 101st bullion patch - you can verify this on Mark Bando's Trigger Time forum.

[ww2airborne]

Here is the history on the jacket. Yes i know it is kind of a strange setup with one service stripe and E6. It is an odd set up but my friend had the jacket for over 30 years but like me I will never alter a uniform and leave it as i found it. The love the jacket because it was the airborne who first started cutting them down. I know the patch is real because of where it came from. I am sorry some people disagree.

[NPerry]

Nothing personal, but if B.Carter says it isn't real, you can bank on it. These were made in Pakistan and were turning up at the shows in the late 80's/early 90's.

[Rakkasan187]

You never answered my question. What type of collar disks? Flat or domed?

 

Leigh

[Torch03]

As Bob and NPerry already said - The 101st Airborne bullion patch is a reproduction that was made in Pakistan

[History Man]

I agree, I am not a patch expert but when I saw that patch I came to the same conclusion. The thing that people have to remember is that there have been fakes/reproductions in circulation since right after the war.

 

Philip

[Bocage]

You never answered my question. What type of collar disks? Flat or domed?

 

Leigh

 

From what I see in the picture it's domed.

[Rakkasan187]

From what I see in the picture it's domed.

 

 

That's what I thought, so it is post WW2. And it has already been determined about the patch.

 

Leigh

[38Driver]

For what it's worth. From Holland, Michigan. Found on Ancestry.com

 

Name: Bernard Meiste

Gender: Male

Birth Date: 21 Jan 1920

Death Date: 11 Sep 2009

Branch 1: ARMY

Enlistment Date 1: 12 Dec 1942

Release Date 1: 13 Feb 1946

 

 

Thinking about it, the best place to ask would be Mark Bando's 'Trigger Time" forum. Bando is from Michigan. I'd imagine if this guy was a 101st Trooper from Michigan, Bando would know.

 

The name doesn't show up in any of Bando's books or in the books done by George Koskimaki.

 

A bit of googling on Bernard Meiste. From Find a Grave. US Army vet but no mention of airborne

 

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=46381579

[Baker502]

I checked my 101st roster books and do not find any such name for the Artillery, Infantry and Support units. They are not 100% complete but i'd say 98%. The patch is in my opinion is no good as others have stated. But if your happy with it thats all that matters.. Paul

[KurtA]

Regarding originality, having owned something for 30 years does not make something real. 30 years ago was the 1980's. Fake patches were all over the place well before then. I should know, I bought enough of them back then!

[Sabrejet]

I'm afraid I have to agree with the previous comments re the origins of the patch. It's more akin to a blazer badge actually. Also, with regard to re-tailored Ikes and the airborne, it was a very widespread practice, in fact initially more associated with USAAF personnel stationed in the UK who emulated the British battledress style they observed around them. Take a look here.

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/106564-the-ike-story/page__hl__re-tailored

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/126317-officers-and-ems-re-tailored-ikes/page__hl__%2Bre-tailored+%2Bikes

[R Michael]

Regarding originality, having owned something for 30 years does not make something real. 30 years ago was the 1980's. Fake patches were all over the place well before then. I should know, I bought enough of them back then!

 

Damn Kurt, you sure no how to make a guy feel old..

[MattS]

So is the general consensus that this is an original cut-down uniform doctored up with a fake 101st patch?

[Sabrejet]

For me...affirmative.

[Sabrejet]

Not identical, but typical of what's available out there.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/101ST-AIRBORNE-BULLION-WIRE-PATCH-ON-FELT-WWII-3-/121046645777?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c2ef13c11

[38Driver]

Since the OP mentioned it being from Michigan, I would bet it belonged to Army vet Bernard Meiste. I'd also bet he donated it to Goodwill or somewhere similar and someone grabbed it and did the 101st bit.

 

I noted that mr. Meiste has an oral history out there, but it's about building a boat. I am thinking in the overall scheme of things his Army service was not Airborne

[Baron3-6]

I'm in contact with the owner of this now, and yes, Bernard is the likely the guy....the VA databse shows him serving from 42-46 ...which may explain the slightly domed collar brass. His obit states "US Army WWII"....which is uncommon for a 101 guy not to annotate, however this was evidently picked at a yard sale from the vet before 1980....might have been a guy who didn't want to remember things.

 

Hopefully we'll get an update after reviewing the division muster roles. Either way, also have some family listed as a point of contact for the story....

 

BTW, I'm not weighing in on the patch, people here know way more than me on those things. Until the truth about this guy's service is found, then things will be confirmed/denied.