What is this ribbon?

[grrrldoc]

Any ideas? I haven't been able to find it...

(I'm talking about the ribbon at the far right of the top row)

 

Thanks!

[1stDivVet]

it was an unofficial ribbon sold in France at the end of WW1.. I also have one of these in plastic as well as 3 others that are on or with WW1 groupings or uniforms. Here's the link to one of mine.

 

Fins.

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/ind...showtopic=31418

[grrrldoc]

WOW! That was fast...

 

The vet that the jacket is attributed to was a T/Sgt in the 48th Troop Carrier Squadron, 313th Troop Carrier Group. I wonder why he would have had that ribbon on? Anything to do with his being in France, I wonder?

 

Thanks for the quick reply!

[Salvage Sailor]

Thanks for the ID. I have one of these odd fellows on a bar with a Silver Star & Philippine Defense Medal (ribbon)

[Wailuna]

...I wonder why he would have had that ribbon on? Anything to do with his being in France, I wonder?

Probably not (can you post a picture of the entire uniform?)

 

According to one source, this was an unofficial variant of the WWI Victory Medal ribbon (link here and here). Following the war, however, it was widely used in the United States with unofficial commemorative medals, two examples of which are shown here:

 

Following WWII, the ribbon was "drafted" into service again. It has appeared on this Forum in numerous veteran ribbon bars attributed to all theaters and it seems to have performed the same commemorative service as it did after WWI, although I have never seen a post-WWIi medal associated with this ribbon.

[grrrldoc]

Here are more photos of the entire jacket. I have a copy of the vet's discharge papers, and the awards/citations match what's on the ribbon bars. One thing bugs me, and that is the vet's last name did not begin with a "G", as in on the laundry stamping. Maybe he was the second owner and his stamp isn't present? I don't know. I also have his pants and tie (neither of which has a stamping) and the inseam of the pants is 33, which would match with the fact that he was 6'2" (and 145# !)

 

The patches are really nice, I am assuming they were theater-made (but I'd welcome comments from you all!) The right shoulder has a AAF patch of metallic bullion on a black velvet background, and the 9th AF patch is also bullion on blue felt, and even the service stripes are bullion. It all looks really nice!

 

He was awarded the Air Medal with 3 OLC, the distinguished unit badge with one OLC, and of course the EAME with 3 campaign stars.

 

Interestingly, I found a 48-page transcript from him on an oral history website, which I am in the process of getting a copy of. He was a crew chief and engineer with the Air Force in North Africa and Europe. In the transcript, he talks about basic training, the invasion of Sicily, the D-Day invasion of Normandy, and Operation Market Garden. Later his squadron moved to an airfield near Achiet, France, from which he participated in the last and largest airborne operation of WWII, Operation VARSITY (crossing the Rhine River at Wesel, Germany) on March 24, 1945.

I'm not sure why he got the odd "old victory" ribbon bar to add to what he had - any ideas??

JACKET:

[Wailuna]

...I'm not sure why he got the odd "old victory" ribbon bar to add to what he had - any ideas??

Thanks for showing the rest of the uniform, grrrldoc.

 

The conventional wisdom often expressed on this Forum is that this ribbon was presented to returning veterans of WWII in recognition of their service by such organizations as VFW or American Legion and otherwise its exact identity is a mystery. The likelihood of finding some old soldier who remembers where he got this ribbon after being discharged from WWII service is pretty remote but it might happen. Meanwhile, here is a tantalizing factoid to file in your mystery ribbon archives: This ribbon appears as "3610" on a chart of attributed Wolf-Brown properties acquired by Vanguard (link here), which is one explanation why it still pops up as a modern ROTC ribbon from time to time.

 

By the way, your 6'2" 145# Tec. 4 was too tall and skinny to wear a 40S Ike jacket.

[grrrldoc]

Thanks for showing the rest of the uniform, grrrldoc.

 

The conventional wisdom often expressed on this Forum is that this ribbon was presented to returning veterans of WWII in recognition of their service by such organizations as VFW or American Legion and otherwise its exact identity is a mystery. The likelihood of finding some old soldier who remembers where he got this ribbon after being discharged from WWII service is pretty remote but it might happen. Meanwhile, here is a tantalizing factoid to file in your mystery ribbon archives: This ribbon appears as "3610" on a chart of attributed Wolf-Brown properties acquired by Vanguard (link here), which is one explanation why it still pops up as a modern ROTC ribbon from time to time.

 

By the way, your 6'2" 145# Tec. 4 was too tall and skinny to wear a 40S Ike jacket.

 

 

Hmmm. So maybe it's a put-together. Could be, I guess - the overseas hat (I have that, too) has the Air Corps piping, but I suppose all of it could have been put together....oh well.

 

Or...is it possible he just lost weight for whatever reason, prior to his discharge (the weight noted was at separation)?

 

Melanie