rayg Posted December 19, 2013 Share #1 Posted December 19, 2013 This vest came out of a garage in Middle Wisconsin and is in pretty bad condition. Most of the grommets are missing and it looks like the material around them rotted out. There are other areas where the material is missing/rotted. The vest has some white staining and I'm wondering if that is what it would look if the vest was exposed to salt water. Any opinions on that? I don't think the vest was bleached as all the straps, thread and trim remain their natural colors. There is a name, Hansen, lightly visible written on the inside flap cover as well as what looks like a serial number #36454057 and a makers stamp. I'm trying to confirm this, but the story told to me was a guy was helping clean out a garage and found the vest in the garage. He offered to buy it as he had an idea what it was. But the garage owner just told him to take it. The guy then sold it to the guy I got it from. I asked the the guy I got it from to try to get the name and more info about the original owner to find out if there's any known history regarding the vest. Hopefully there is some. Does anyone know if it's possible to look up the serial number written and the name Hansen that's written on the vest? Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayg Posted December 19, 2013 Author Share #2 Posted December 19, 2013 more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strawberry 9 Posted December 19, 2013 Share #3 Posted December 19, 2013 Looks like an assault vest to me. That SN comes back to a Glenn Beach so you might have the numbers wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayg Posted December 19, 2013 Author Share #4 Posted December 19, 2013 more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayg Posted December 19, 2013 Author Share #5 Posted December 19, 2013 more, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayg Posted December 19, 2013 Author Share #6 Posted December 19, 2013 Try #33454057. The numbers are not that clear, Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capa Posted December 19, 2013 Share #7 Posted December 19, 2013 Well that's something you don't find everyday. You may very well have a real vest there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayg Posted December 19, 2013 Author Share #8 Posted December 19, 2013 Serial number, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayg Posted December 19, 2013 Author Share #9 Posted December 19, 2013 more staining Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RustyCanteen Posted December 19, 2013 Share #10 Posted December 19, 2013 I think the number is 38454057. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayg Posted December 19, 2013 Author Share #11 Posted December 19, 2013 You might be right that it's an 8. Here's one of the grommets that fell off. I wonder what would cause the material around the grommet to rot away like that. Some kind of reaction between the cloth and the brass. Would the iodine in the salt do that? Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayg Posted December 19, 2013 Author Share #12 Posted December 19, 2013 Other side Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'Flage Guy Posted December 19, 2013 Share #13 Posted December 19, 2013 That Vest has all the symptoms of having been through the surf, and not been cleaned afterward. If that Vest was used in an amphibious assault, you've made a great find! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayg Posted December 19, 2013 Author Share #14 Posted December 19, 2013 The more I look at the numbers, I think the 2nd number is a "6", 36454057, Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WWII_GI Posted December 19, 2013 Share #15 Posted December 19, 2013 The more I look at the numbers, I think the 2nd number is a "6", 36454057, Ray I agree on that. That's an amazing find! Hopefully you find out something about the soldier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Austin R Posted December 19, 2013 Share #16 Posted December 19, 2013 Found your guy, looks like he enlisted after D-Day. http://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail.jsp?dt=893&mtch=5&cat=all&tf=F&sc=24994,24995,24996,24998,24997,24993,24981,24983&bc=,sl,fd&txt_24995=Jack+D.+Hansen++&op_24995=0&nfo_24995=V,24,1900&rpp=10&pg=1&rid=6880249&rlst=1811581,6880249,6975985,7720326,8199616 EDIT: Never mind, it's the wrong guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayg Posted December 19, 2013 Author Share #17 Posted December 19, 2013 Not the same number. That number is 37714057. I don't see any 7's in the number on the vest, Thanks anyway. See if you find 36454057, Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RustyCanteen Posted December 19, 2013 Share #18 Posted December 19, 2013 The more I look at the numbers, I think the 2nd number is a "6", 36454057, Ray Definitely could be, it is hard to tell from the photo what is painted lettering on the second digit, and what is faded canvas. If it is 36454057 then NARA's WWII enlistment database doesn't have him. As the page explains "Known gaps exist in the records." RC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkash23686 Posted December 19, 2013 Share #19 Posted December 19, 2013 Since this is not my area of collecting this is more of a question for me to learn. With a Date of 1944 would it have been produced in time to be used on D-Day? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
max0073 Posted December 19, 2013 Share #20 Posted December 19, 2013 Hi, I don't like much this vest. The typo of Harian is not the one commonly seen, I don't recognize the buckles. If it's cheap, why not but I would not bet on it Max Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gregory Posted December 19, 2013 Share #21 Posted December 19, 2013 Since this is not my area of collecting this is more of a question for me to learn. With a Date of 1944 would it have been produced in time to be used on D-Day? Of course. The US armed forces fiscal year 1944 started on July 1, 1943 and ended on June 30, 1944. What is stamped it is contract (fiscal) year, not calenadar year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThompsonSavage Posted December 19, 2013 Share #22 Posted December 19, 2013 Assault jackets were only made in the US fiscal year of 1944. You will only find these jackets with a 1944 date on them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkash23686 Posted December 19, 2013 Share #23 Posted December 19, 2013 Thanks for the info! -j Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayg Posted December 19, 2013 Author Share #24 Posted December 19, 2013 Hi, I don't like much this vest. The typo of Harian is not the one commonly seen, I don't recognize the buckles. If it's cheap, why not but I would not bet on it Max Thanks Max, as I was taking photos of it I was starting to get some mixed feelings about it too. I can't find a serial number match to the Hansen name.I tried a lot of different combinations. The condition of some of the straps don't match the condition of the rest of the vest. You mentioned about the buckles, as I don't have an original vest to compare, do you, or any one here have some close-up photos of the buckles on an original Harian vest. Anyway, here's a close up of the Harian stamp. I'm beginning to suspect that it may be a aged repro used by a re-inactor. Probably why he gave it away. Too bad, Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
max0073 Posted December 19, 2013 Share #25 Posted December 19, 2013 Hi Ray, I think your feeling is good. Please find below a couple of pics of details of a legit one : Max Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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