mvmhm Posted October 20, 2014 #1 Posted October 20, 2014 About 6 weeks ago, I got an email from a man in northern Ohio asking if I knew anyone who would want his uncles uniform - the box came today with his uniform and some "extras! First is the nephew's own uniform...jacket, hat and pants.... Mark sends
mvmhm Posted October 20, 2014 Author #2 Posted October 20, 2014 Don was a Toccoa Man.....here's his 8 X 10 portrait...and his grave marker - he's buried in the Dayton National Cemetery, which is about 200 yards from me.
mvmhm Posted October 20, 2014 Author #3 Posted October 20, 2014 There's a bunch of paperwork and pictures, so I'm only going to show a sampling...and Kent said he has more to send! Here's some of the snapshots: The picture of him in a doorway wearing a helmet was taken at his barracks in Taccoa (written on the back). I love the one of him in the snow...you'll see why later on.
mvmhm Posted October 20, 2014 Author #4 Posted October 20, 2014 There's a half dozen of these souvenir training pictures....each is about 5 X 8 inches....
mvmhm Posted October 20, 2014 Author #5 Posted October 20, 2014 He was in the Coast Guard before the war...here's his ID card (I forgot to change the scanner settings on a couple of these)....also his draft notices....
mvmhm Posted October 20, 2014 Author #6 Posted October 20, 2014 Christmas menu from 1942....note everyone's favorite, Captain Sobel!
mvmhm Posted October 20, 2014 Author #7 Posted October 20, 2014 There's a couple of unit magazines and news clippings too...
mvmhm Posted October 20, 2014 Author #9 Posted October 20, 2014 ...and his Bronze Star medal...note the award period if from D-Day through the end of the Battle of the Bulge. And, his jump certificate.
mvmhm Posted October 20, 2014 Author #10 Posted October 20, 2014 101st association roster....this would have been a treasure trove back in the day...hundreds of names and addresses....also a souvenir cap patch he mailed home to mom.
mvmhm Posted October 20, 2014 Author #11 Posted October 20, 2014 His bible, which he carried with him, and some communion items in a box...his war souvenirs will be posted in that section shortly....
mvmhm Posted October 20, 2014 Author #13 Posted October 20, 2014 ...and the all important doco....Don made both jumps the jump in Normandy on D-Day and in Holland...fought in the Battle of Bulge in Bastogne, and was also at the capture of the slave labor camp at Landsberg. Note that he was wounded on June 7th 1944.
mvmhm Posted October 20, 2014 Author #15 Posted October 20, 2014 one well worn envelope held a piece of parachute silk, roughly 1 X 2 feet....with some ribbons and a nice set of English-made jump wings wrapped up in it.
mvmhm Posted October 20, 2014 Author #17 Posted October 20, 2014 ...and his Ike....there are no signs at all of any DI's having been worn, nor are there any holes (inside or out) for his Combat Infantryman Badger (I have a copy of the 506th orders for mid-June 1944 awarding it to him)....also shown is his forragere for teh Croix de Guerre...
mvmhm Posted October 20, 2014 Author #18 Posted October 20, 2014 The wing is an American made one, and each of the ribbons is pin backed..
mvmhm Posted October 20, 2014 Author #19 Posted October 20, 2014 ...and a close-up of "Old Abe".....I'm hoping there might be some extras of these in the next package...
mvmhm Posted October 20, 2014 Author #20 Posted October 20, 2014 There was also a 1st Allied Airborne patch in the pocket....but no signs it was ever sewn on....the back side has a rusty orange color to it.
mvmhm Posted October 20, 2014 Author #21 Posted October 20, 2014 ..now for some of the loose items....which includes this 10k gold ring....around the 101st emblem is "Normandy-Holland-Bastogne-Berchtesgaden"...not sure if this is something he got at the end of the war or later.....
USdog Posted October 20, 2014 #22 Posted October 20, 2014 Awesome group. Congrats! Will make a killer display...
mvmhm Posted October 20, 2014 Author #23 Posted October 20, 2014 Some loose GHQ Replacement patches and an extra oval...and his dog tags attached to a German Winter Sports ULLR fob....
mvmhm Posted October 20, 2014 Author #24 Posted October 20, 2014 There's also a baggie with a bunch of coins, which read like a road map of where he went...here's coins from France, Holland and Belgium....
mvmhm Posted October 20, 2014 Author #25 Posted October 20, 2014 When I saw the picture of him wearing the M41 with the 506th patch, I thought to my self, "Self, it would sure be nice if there's one in here"...but I tried not to get my hopes up...but, going through the paper items, one fell into my lap. So, in my head, I shouted "Huzzah!".....then a SECOND one fell out..I actually exclaimed "Holy...S...Schnauzer!" (or words to the effect). They're slightly different in size, both embroidered on twill.....because Greed is one of the 7 Deadly Dwarves and I like to pass along my good luck, one of these will be offered here later..... Check the Spoils of War section to see what else came in the box. Mark sends
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