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Unusual 1st Sergeant's Rank Pin


Allan H.
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here is one that has me scratching my head. The piece is made of brass with raised stripes, rockers and lozenge. There is a brass clip on the back that makes me think it goes on a pocket or cap?

Has anyone ever seen one of these before? Any idea of the era that it was used?

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here is one that has me scratching my head. The piece is made of brass with raised stripes, rockers and lozenge. There is a brass clip on the back that makes me think it goes on a pocket or cap?

Has anyone ever seen one of these before? Any idea of the era that it was used?

 

Allan,

 

It looks like the sort of thing worn by foreign military when they are garrisoned on US bases.

 

Just my thoughts.

 

Chris

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Allan,

 

I had a local Marine that served in Korea in 1951-52 give me a set of his t/m EGA's and S/Sgt. rank pin. He told me the Koreans would pound and stamp these pieces out of cannon shells and then sell them to the Marines for pocket change or Juicey Fruit. I don't imagine there was much consistency from emblem to emblem or even the attachment devices, but I would think your 1st Sgt. rank is along the same line and most likely t/m made in Korea during that war. I would guess these were sold to both Marines and soldiers, so no idea as to which branch yours was from. I don't know if the S/Sgt. pin had a second screwpost added at the top or something else like the clip yours has, but the top attachment was long gone when I acquired it and Melvin couldn't remember. I haven't seen any of these in this size come out of WWII CBI theater or Vietnam, so my best guess is Korean War vintage. Nice pin!

 

I had to slip in shots of the t/m EGA's. Because they are crude, obviously pounded from cannon shells and I know the history behind them, they are some of my favorite emblems. The Korean had talent!

 

Gary

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interesting pieces...

 

when did the Army start using metal chevrons? I think I read somewhere that the Corps was using them for about a decade before the Army adopted them

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Unofficial use of metal insignia statered in 1945 when helmet liners started being worn extentisively with class A, B and F uniforms.

 

In Viet Nam it was common practice for all ranks to roll the sleeves of field uniforms and the use of metal rank usually worn were visible (shirt pocket or collar). The 1st Cavalry Division, in 1965 ordered that a metal chevron be displayed on the pocket flap. In 1967 the Army authorized metal insignia to be worn on both collars of fatigue uniforms, but the wear of subdued embroiderd chevrons persisted in some units until 1969. When I was inducted in 1970 there was no sign of anything but metal rank insignia on fatigue uniforms.

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I would like to thank everyone for your responses.

Gary, those EG&A devices are really something!

Canteen Guru- thanks for the insight on when these items might have been worn. I have another rank pin with the "T" below corporal's chevrons, but with a plain wire pin on the back that came from a Persian Gulf Command veteran's estate. he told me that he used to wear it on his HBT cap. I am sure it was a "one off" sort of thing.

 

Allan

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craig_pickrall

This is a sampling of various types used from WW2 to the present. In the first pic, 2nd column about half way down is a T4 dating from WW2. The larger versions are mostly from Korea.

 

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