Para Wings Badge - Ground

[Edelweisse]

Hi: Why are the wings "clipped/ground" on these para wings? Is there a reason/purpose? Who wore these?

[riflegreen297]

Done to make it easier for them to be polished to a high shine. See these alot on wings from the 1950s.

[Tonomachi]

This has been discussed before on another thread (see link below). No one knows for sure as there hasn't been a veteran who has stepped forward yet to explain these modifications. Within the collecting community these are described as clipped wings with a number of guesses as to why they were done. I did speak with an 11th Airborne Division veteran once who served during the occupation in Japan. This was in regards to the buffed paratrooper wings where all details had been removed. I thought this happened over a period of time where a single paratrooper wing would be polished to death. He told me that for a single cigarette there were Japanese who would take your paratrooper wing and use files and emery boards to purposely remove all detail and polish it to a mirror finish. This was unauthorized but worn on their uniforms as it brought your attention directly to the paratrooper wing which stood out over anything else worn.

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/76031-copper-clipped-wings-jump-wings/

[Edelweisse]

Thank you...so the jury is still out on these.....interesting.