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Head Band? Grandad brought back from Philippines


kmrober2
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My grandma wants me to find out what I can about this. All she knows is that my grandad brought it back with him from the Philippines. I assume it is a headband.

 

Thanks!

 

post-169278-0-32127000-1530476774_thumb.jpg

 

 

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You could certainly be right with the headband idea. How long is it? Do you know the division your grandfather was with in the Philippines?

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My granddad, Douglas Monroe Roberson, was a replacement late in the war. He served in the Co I of the 129th Infantry during the Luzon Campaign in World War II. The 129th Infantry was an Illinois National Guard unit that was Inducted into Federal service in 1941. The 129th was part of the 37th “Buckeye” division during granddad's service.

 

​Grandad was inducted at Fort Bragg on July 28 1944. He then spent 5 months as a special training inductee followed by 3.75 months of Infantry Basic Training. He then spent 7 months as a PFC Rifleman. He finished out his time overseas with 3 months as a Tec 5 Utility Repairman with the 4151st Quartermaster Depot Company, Luzon, Philippine Islands. Followed by 6 months as a Tec 5 Military Policeman. He departed the US on May 3rd 1945 and arrived in the Asiatic Pacific Theatre on the 27th of May of the same year. Just in time to take part in the fighting in the Cagayan Valley in Luzon. He departed the Asiatic Theatre on July 17th 1946, and arrived back in the states on August 11th. He left the service on August 21st 1946 at the separation center at Fort Bragg.

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My Dad was with the 32nd Infantry Div also fighting in northwest Luzon at the end of the war. Your Grandfather and my Dad were in the same neighborhood as the war ended. My Dad got home in Feb. '46 after occupation duty in Japan.

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vintageproductions

ask member Eric Queen if he can translate.

 

Also, the photo is upside down.

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USCapturephotos

I have an armband that is similar and was supposedly used by local Philippine militia type units that supported the Japanese. The GI wrote on it before shipping it home.

Paul

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I forgot the measurements, but one of the pictures below has a pen in it that may give some scale. Any chance of you posting a picture of the armband Paul? Id like to see it. Sundance, grandad's DD214 only mentioned the 129th and the 4151st Quartermaster unit by name, but he was put on assignment with several different units at the end of the war according to the morning reports. Not sure exactly how that worked. Thanks for the heads up about Eric Queen, I will ask him, and the pictures below should all be right side up. Doyler, what website did you see the unit history for sale?

 

Thanks Everyone!

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

It looks like a "tengui" or a hand towel. These were a pretty popular item, though this one would've been a private purchase type of item I think

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Looks to me like a Japanese "good luck soldier" souvenir piece. My guess is it's a poem written on it about soldierly virtues or something patriotic.

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