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1st ID 18 Infantry Ike help


Wlundy
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My grandfather was in the 1st ID 18th Infantry during WWII as a heavy machine gunner through Africa and Europe (as stated on his form 100). His last name starts with an M so his records were lost in the archive fire and he had a house fire (two of them) after the war so everything has been lost except for a couple pieces of paperwork. I've been working on putting together an Ike to resemble what his would have looked like but need some help finishing up whatever I may be missing. I'd appreciate any input on what I need to complete the uniform or if you have any missing items to help me add to the uniform.

 

post-161963-0-93754200-1527907359_thumb.jpg

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The Service Command on the shoulder has to go. this was a very much of stateside unit and would not be worn as a combat patch by a 1st Div man.

What do you feel is the relation to him this unit?

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The Service Command on the shoulder has to go. this was a very much of stateside unit and would not be worn as a combat patch by a 1st Div man.

What do you feel is the relation to him this unit?

 

Some of this has been guess work, he was wounded November 26th 1944 then was sent stateside for 5 months and 10 days and that patch was found with one of his dog tags and Sgt. stripe so my guess is that is where he got put when he came back state side to finish out his enlistment after being WIA.

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BILL THE PATCH

Did you put the patch on?, The 1st should be there instead.just reverse them. Unless that's your grandfathers original then I would leave as he had it.

 

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

 

 

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BILL THE PATCH

Did you put the patch on?, The 1st should be there instead.just reverse them. Unless that's your grandfathers original then I would leave as he had it.

 

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

Also on the eto ribbon should be 4 bronze stars one for each campaign and a arrowhead for the Normandy landing

 

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

 

 

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Did you put the patch on?, The 1st should be there instead.just reverse them. Unless that's your grandfathers original then I would leave as he had it.

 

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

That's right Billy, since member states he was stateside awhile before being discharged, and this patch was with the other stuff, good chance he was in a unit under this service command while he pulled duty after recovering from his wounds before separation, something very common as we know.

 

Then we should think, Big Red One on right combat side, 6th Service Command on left current organizational side. The 6th Service Command covered the states of Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin, so he may have served at one of the posts covered by the command, and since he's a Missouri native was sent to the Jefferson Barracks in his home state for final separation.

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On what do you base the individual award of the French Croix de Guerre?

I may be wrong with the Croix de Guerre but the 18th infantry was awarded the fourragere so I assumed they were all tied together but the Ike should just have the cords?

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I may be wrong with the Croix de Guerre but the 18th infantry was awarded the fourragere so I assumed they were all tied together but the Ike should just have the cords?

Yes, only the cord is worn for a unit award. The medal would be worn if he was awarded it as an individual personal award.

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I'm not a uniform expert so I may be stating the obvious here but I think you'll need the infantry collar disc and maybe a pair of 18th infantry DUI's.

 

post-169612-0-86917200-1527964926_thumb.jpg

 

Rene

 

 

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I'm not a uniform expert so I may be stating the obvious here but I think you'll need the infantry collar disc and maybe a pair of 18th infantry DUI's.

 

attachicon.gifSAM_3453.jpg

 

Rene

 

 

If as suspected, he probably didn't wear the 18th Inf DIs anymore since he was no longer in the unit, there's a good chance he was in a unit of the 6th Service Command shortly before being discharged, and would be wearing that unit's stuff, that is if he was in a unit that was color bearing and had a DI of there own. He could however wear the rope and the PUC though, perhaps even the crossed rifle. His is final MOS is Duty NCO 566, not sure just what branch that MOS falls under, maybe it was a general MOS found in a few different branches, in any event, the crossed rifle disc would be OK for now.

 

Now this above is the OFFICIAL way a GI stationed stateside after returning from overseas while the war was still going on would be, heck he wouldn't even be wearing a combat patch depending on the time.

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In WWii it was a former unit patch. After the war it became a combat patch. I have a uniform that he wore his stateside trading division on the right shoulder of his Ike leaving it long before it went overseas. But in this case the 1st ID would be on the right

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Seems like he was a replacement to the 1st Division either prior to the Sicilian Campaign or during it, not seeing North Africa as a credit.

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MPoorthuis

The Fourragère would be okay, because 18th Infantrymen were allowed to wear it as the unit was awarded the Croix de Guerre. I have the General Orders for this Combat Infantry Badge, so that one is okay too. I also have a General Order awarding him a Bronze Star Medal for actions on D-Day, June 6, 1944. Last but not least, I also have a copy of the GO awarding him the Good Conduct Medal. That said, I do not have any paperwork for the other Bronze Star awards, so those were most likely awarded by another Headquarters (not the 1st ID).

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Aren't "the other Bronze Star awards" the bronze service bstars for the EAME Campaign Medal as it says on the paperwork?

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Aren't "the other Bronze Star awards" the bronze service bstars for the EAME Campaign Medal as it says on the paperwork?

 

If you look at the paperwork 2 award code 9 says the bronze star medal then to the right on that it quotes the bronze star medal is based on the award of the combat infantryman badge. So I assumed he was awarded the bronze star medal as well.

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MPoorthuis

Aren't "the other Bronze Star awards" the bronze service bstars for the EAME Campaign Medal as it says on the paperwork?

 

That is correct, sir!

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MPoorthuis

If you look at the paperwork 2 award code 9 says the bronze star medal then to the right on that it quotes the bronze star medal is based on the award of the combat infantryman badge. So I assumed he was awarded the bronze star medal as well.

 

In 1947, the U.S. Government implemented a policy authorizing the retroactive awarding of the Bronze Star Medal to World War II veteran soldiers who had been awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge, because the CIB was awarded only to soldiers who had borne combat duties befitting the recognition conferred by a Bronze Star Medal.

 

I have the original General Order for this award, and it is a big list of names, so I am 100% sure this is a Bronze Star based on the CIB. I have seen this very often.

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