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Fake: M2 of Lt. Joseph Shelton 505th PIR - jkash


jkash23686
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  • 7 months later...

I realize that this thread is almost 8 months old, but I wanted to add some information to the conversation. My father, Joseph Richards Shelton, Jr. graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., on June 6, 1944. (The D-Day invasion was announced at the graduation ceremony.) By December 1944, he was a lieutenant in the 505 Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, leading paratroopers in Belgium during the Ardennes Counteroffensive (Battle of the Bulge). In this offensive, he was aide to Brig. General James Gavin, commanding officer of the 82nd. He survived that adventure. Many of his friends and troops did not. He went on to jump and fight in the Korean War (187th Infantry Regiment) and in Vietnam (10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), a.k.a., Green Berets). He survived those, too, retired as a Lt. Colonel in the mid-1960's, and is living in Cornelius, N.C. at age 96.

 

​He thinks that he misplaced his helmet during the chaos of the Battle of the Bulge. I understand that it was recovered by 1st Sergeant Reuben R. Summerfold (ASN#20204431) of BTRY-B 186FA 1st Infantry Division and eventually sold by his nephew. I was told that it has had many owners of the years, was in Europe for a time until it was purchased from someone in Holland more than a decade ago and came back to the USA. The last that I knew of it was that the Gettysburg Museum of History (Erik Dorr) purchased it in 2015 and offered it for sale in 2016. (Mr. Kibler most likely knows more about all of this than I.) My father is pleased that his old lid is still around and somewhat surprised by the attention that it has received. He said that it has weathered the years better than he has, but then, it has been resting on a shelf for all that time. I'll let him know that it is in respectful hands.

​ - Stuart Shelton

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Wait, the vets son has showed up???? This is amazing.

 

Stuart, thanks for posting. Do you have any photos of your Dad when he was in WWII?

 

Would you ever want the helmet back for your family to own?

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As with big dollar helmets, they seem to not sit in one collection very long. The investment usually demands a turnaround within a year or two...

 

I know OP here on the forum recently sold some stuff, believe the Shelton M2 was sold then.

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I think that the OP (jkash23686) obtained it from the Gettysburg Museum of History (Eric Dorr) as they were offering it for sale in February 2016 and he says that he picked it up a couple of months prior to December 2016. I don't know where it is now. At the price point that the Museum had it (and they kindly offered us a fair price if we wanted to purchase it), I think that it's residing in a finer home than we could provide. Ronny67, most of the few photos that we had of my dad in uniform were lost in our numerous moves to new duty stations. I'll see what I can find. He wasn't the picture-taking kind of guy and was pretty busy during WWII.

- Stuart

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I think that the OP (jkash23686) obtained it from the Gettysburg Museum of History (Eric Dorr) as they were offering it for sale in February 2016 and he says that he picked it up a couple of months prior to December 2016. I don't know where it is now. At the price point that the Museum had it (and they kindly offered us a fair price if we wanted to purchase it), I think that it's residing in a finer home than we could provide. Ronny67, most of the few photos that we had of my dad in uniform were lost in our numerous moves to new duty stations. I'll see what I can find. He wasn't the picture-taking kind of guy and was pretty busy during WWII.

- Stuart

 

Steuart,

I did get it from Erik, check your PMs. The helmet was sold being that I'm getting out of collecting and liquidating the collection. I wish you hit the forum up a few weeks ago or I would have sent you the helmet.

-j

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Thank you, Jamie, for your kind gesture and your nice PM. I'll let my dad know that, although his traveling is substantially less today than he used to do, his helmet is still making new friends. I am glad that I found and joined this site, as I have an interest in military history and militaria, as well as having several items that I can use the resources here to further research (e.g., a Patton M1913 saber hilt knife, several paratrooper automatic knives).

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stealthytyler

Thank you, Jamie, for your kind gesture and your nice PM. I'll let my dad know that, although his traveling is substantially less today than he used to do, his helmet is still making new friends. I am glad that I found and joined this site, as I have an interest in military history and militaria, as well as having several items that I can use the resources here to further research (e.g., a Patton M1913 saber hilt knife, several paratrooper automatic knives).

 

Welcome to the forum. I hope you are able to find the owner of the helmet. If you really want it back in the family then best of luck to you!

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Thanks, stealthytyler, I'm pleased to be here. I'm not so much interested in having the helmet "in the family" as I am having my father remembered for more than his steel pot. There seems to be a reverence here in the provenance and history of the items discussed. I appreciate that respect, as well as understand the investment value that provenance provides. I just wanted to add a personal aspect to one of the pieces being discussed. (I have posted in the Edged Weapons forum a Patton M1913 Saber Hilt knife that I own and all the information that I have been able to find on its original owner. I feel that tie with awesome respect and responsibility.)

 

Again, thanks for the welcome.

- Stuart

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stealthytyler

If that was my father's helmet, I would be all over it! But to each their own! :) These steel pots are much more that just steel pots. They are evidence of the great men and women that wore them and who endured so much. We can't place a veteran on display (would be interesting haha) but we sure can place a helmet like this one on display to cherish and tell a story for all to learn.

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Burning Hazard

Stuart,

 

Very interesting to hear about your dad and the tale of his helmet, I'm also super happy that he's still alive and well since our WWII are leaving us so quickly.

 

I hope it wouldn't be too much of a burden for you, but would it be possible to post a recent picture of your dad? If not then that's totally ok.

 

Pat

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stealthytyler

Yeah, would love to see a photo to go along with that lid. Would you by chance have a photo of your dad wearing this helmet?

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It is so special when a family member responds to a piece of gear posted on the forum. This one is especially nice as it involves a D Bail from an 05 Trooper and one that was on Gavin's staff no less.

Stuart welcome to the forum and give your father my regards. My cousin was Executive Officer of D Co. 2nd Batt. 505th under Lt. Col Benjamin Vandervoort.

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Ronnie,

 

I totally agree. Really cool to see this, as collectors it is something that we think about but rarely encounter. I have thought about what I would do if a vet's family came forward with a desire for an item currently in my collection. -(ALSO I did not know you have sky soldier blood in the family!)

 

This thread really made me think about the "value" of these items. Really cool that J would have sent the helmet to Stuart, J is a stand up guy.

 

Stuart, these helmets surface every now and then. If you really want it back, I would stick around the community and keep my ears open. Meanwhile I am sure it is safe.

 

Thank you for your family's sacrifices.

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Thanks Ronny67. Yes my family has two that served in the 82nd. One in WWII and one in Desert Storm, Iran and Afghanistan. The later was also a Green Beret and Rotor and Fixed Wing Pilot. I'm obviously very proud of both of them. Also I am an Honorary Member of the 505th PIR. Having been given that honor back in the early 90's when the Headquarters of the 505th at Fort Bragg was named after my cousin 1st Lt. Waverly W. Wray.

Ronnie

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I'm curious about just when the cammo paint was applied? I see that it's now for sale but with an enhanced paint job. Notice the dents in the rim and paint chips around the D loops. These pics are from the WW2 Drop Zone web site where the helmet has been listed for sale.

 

m2 1.jpg

m2 2.jpg

m2 3.jpg

m2 4.jpg

m2 5.jpg

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