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Green Combat Leader stripe


GIl Sanow
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My contribution. A stone mint named Ike to a 778th Tank Battalion S/Sgt. He was then assigned to the 406th Infantry Regiment, 102nd Infantry Division at war's end. Laundry mark is a spot-on match.

 

Highlights:

 

- Woolie Armored Force patch with neat, bold-stitched 778 (in patch's upper gold area) on right shoulder.

- Cut edge 102nd Infantry Division patch.

- What appear to be felt hand-sewn green combat leader stripes.

- Type V U.S. discs with clutch backs that are all flat flaced without face markings of any kind.

- Theater-made 406th Infantry Regiment screwback metal DUIs from a firm in Nuernberg. I've never seen screws that small - engineering as only the Germans can do!

- Pin back PUC; single pin back AGCM with second award clasp (don't see these all too often); triple pin back ribbon bar with EAME (three bronze service stars), WW II Victory and American Theater Campaign ribbons affixed. All four ribbons are plastic covered.

- Silk screened Ruptured Duck on cloth.

- Insignia of rank, OSBs and service stripe are all very nice.

 

It's as if this uniform was taken off when the named vet returned CONUS, placed in a sealed container and not removed until decades later. Included were a period wool shirt with S/Sgt rank insignia and woolie Armored Force patch on right shoulder (no 778 stitching on this one) and a pair of Trousers, Field Wool Serge.

 

As we know, the combat leader stripes are not seen all too often on period uniforms. This is the first time I've come across them as worn by a separate tank battalion veteran.

 

My only question is why the uniform displays two U.S. discs and not a branch of service disc. Could it have been because of the armor guy suddenly cast into an infantryman's world stigma?

 

Shade

 

 

Saw this sell on ebay last week.Nice looking jacket.Looks like picture from the auction as the one DI is upside down

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....A nice period in-wear image of an unidentified U.S.A.A.F. 1SG...

Thanks for finding and posting this very interesting green stripe sighting. This is one picture that is worth at least a thousand words.

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