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Green Combat Leader stripe


GIl Sanow
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...Hard to see photo- But there are combat leader stripes under each Sgt cheveron...

Are the green stripes visible in the photos of the soldier? Or on the hanging uniforms pictured? Or both?

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...Just on the uniform itself. The picture window does not show that far down his sleeves, unfortunately....

Thanks, Kyle.

 

Does anyone have a period photo showing this stripe being worn that he would care to post here?

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hmmmm - that's the first I have ever seen on the shoulder loop of a WW2 EM.

 

G

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In ref to the earlier posting above about the dress blues for the army, I'll be curious to see how that plays out as well. But, yeah, it's also weird to me to see medical and other NCO's/Officers who aren't in the 'tradtional' combat branches wearing those green tabs....it just doesn't look "right" to me.

 

Jason,

 

Given enough time in our current "politically correct" army you will probably see everyone regardless of branch issued with a CIB so no one's feelings are hurt.

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Hmmmm - that's the first I have ever seen on the shoulder loop of a WW2 EM.

 

G

 

 

Gil,

 

What do you think? The rest of the Ike looks OK. The loop is solid, and by that I mean it's a continuous loop. I can't see where the ends are stitched together. Then it's just slipped over the epaulet.

 

Thanks.

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Recently acquired Ike. One loop on left epaulet.

 

post-78-1211724842.jpg

 

 

So what do you think guys, should the loop be on there, or not??

 

Thanks!!

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  • 1 month later...
...Does anyone have a period photo showing this stripe being worn that he would care to post here?

Here is the first period photo I have seen that shows a green combat leaders' stripe actually being worn, c. late 1945 or 1946 (cropped from another post by Mr-X: Link here to see the entire picture).

 

post-1963-1215766515.jpg

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So what do you think guys, should the loop be on there, or not??

 

Thanks!!

 

Sorry, I missed this earlier. I would leave it as is, at least until it is proven wrong. I am intereted in the narrowness of the loop -- one would expect to see this only on earlier officers'. Maybe that unit did it differently.

 

G

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  • 9 months later...
Johan Willaert

During (at the end of) WW2, were NCO of all branches eligible for the Leadership Tab or only Infantry?

 

Thanks,

 

JOhan

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...During (at the end of) WW2, were NCO of all branches eligible for the Leadership Tab or only Infantry?

This citation from U.S. Army Military History Institute (ca. 1981) implies that the ETO green bars were intended for "combat leaders" not exclusively Infantrymen.

 

ORIGINS OF COMBAT COMMANDER'S TAB

Distinctive identification for Army combat leaders originated in the European Theater of Operations, 1944. Dept of Army authorized the familiar green identification bands for qualified warrant officers and enlisted personnel at least as early as 1948, and 2 years later included qualified officers. ( U.S. Dept of Army Circular No 202 (7 Jul 1948), Sec I, Para 9-11; No 315 (8 Oct 1948), Para 2; No 58 (16 Oct 1950), Sec IV; No 26 (2 Apr 1951), Sec IV.

Still waiting to see contemporaneous photo evidence of these insignia being worn other than Post #35 (above)....

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Jumpin Jack

I have a portrait photo of Sfc (then a TSgt.) William Dragon, 502nd PIR, 101st Abn, showing him wearing the combat leader's stripe on each sleeve under his rank stripes. He was a squad leader. Additionally, I have his WWII uniform, same as he wore in the photo but now a Sfc, with the green combat leader stripes still in position. I am photo posting illiterate, so can't post. Sorry. Each green wool stripe measures 2.5" long by 3/8" wide. Jack

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Hi Jack,

 

Here is one of the few ID'd Ike's I own.

 

I measured the stripes on this one and they are approximately 2.5" long X .5" wide. They are made of wool.

 

post-78-1240073396.jpg

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...I have a portrait photo of Sfc (then a TSgt.) William Dragon, 502nd PIR, 101st Abn, showing him wearing the combat leader's stripe on each sleeve under his rank stripes....I am photo posting illiterate, so can't post...

Now, that would be a picture worth seeing in the Forum, Jack.

 

Do you know any teenagers (grandkids, neighborhood kids)? Kids do amazing things with computers and one of them armed with an iPod could have your picture of TSgt. Dragon scanned and uploaded here in under a minute. I am sure we would all appreciate the good deed.

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  • 2 weeks later...
VolunteerArmoury
BTW, in a somewhat related bit here, the army recently decided that ALL NCO's and officers will now wear the Leadership tabs, as all MOS's are considered 'combat leaders' in the current war.

 

I understand the regs state that all leaders are to wear the tabs in all combat & non combat leadership positions but I know I as a NCO have never been told to wear them since I don't hold a leadership position. It wasn't till a couple years ago before I wore them as a Drill Sgt.

 

FYI, last I heard (always changing though) the tabs are not to be included on the new ASU (Blues)

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ItemCo16527
I have a portrait photo of Sfc (then a TSgt.) William Dragon, 502nd PIR, 101st Abn, showing him wearing the combat leader's stripe on each sleeve under his rank stripes. He was a squad leader. Additionally, I have his WWII uniform, same as he wore in the photo but now a Sfc, with the green combat leader stripes still in position. I am photo posting illiterate, so can't post. Sorry. Each green wool stripe measures 2.5" long by 3/8" wide. Jack

Save the picture to your "Pictures" folder (or a folder of your choosing) on your computer. Go to tinypic.com and click the "Browse" button. Go to the folder in which you saved the photo and select it. Once it is selected, its file name will appear next to the "Browse" button on tinypic.com. Now click the green "Upload Now!" button. After it uploads you will be given several links to choose from. Use the one that is labeled "for message boards", or "bulletin boards". Simply copy the link and paste it into your post, then post your reply. Your photo will automatically appear.

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Johan Willaert

I just added this one to my collection. I had always wanted a 29th jacket with leadership stripes and when Scott Kraska put this one up for sale, I couldn't resist.
Now all non-sewn insignia were absent from the jacket, but there were clear traces of a screwback BOS and a clutchback US, so I added a pair for display purposes. The 1 year overseas bars leads me to believe this GI was a post-Normandy replacement, so I only added a GC and ETO ribbon for the time being. There is a laundry code, so maybe further research will tell me more about this GI and the ribbons he earned.

Anyway, enjoy this uniform..

post-92-0-29367000-1399538780.jpg

post-92-0-15483100-1399538786.jpg

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...a 29th jacket with leadership stripes...

Here's another nice uniform bearing the ETO combat leaders identification stripe (thanks, Johan). By my count, that makes twelve of these uniforms shown on this thread since March 1, 2007 (47 posts, including this one; 2,202+ views).

 

By implication, thousands of NCOs would have been entitled to wear this stripe in ETO from 1945 to 1946. Is no one able (or willing) to post a contemporaneous picture of an NCO wearing this stripe in ETO ca. 1945 (like the one shown in Post #35)?

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post-189-1241548440.jpgpost-189-1241548448.jpg

 

Here is one that I have. It is ID'ed to First Sergeant James V. Flanagan. I am guessing that he was wounded while with the 26th and reassigned to the 83rd after recovering? That is just a guess. NARA did have a little bit of information on him, but nothing about his Purple Heart. Sadly, I missed out on all of his paperwork by about 1 min. The guy who purchased it was a few ahead of me in line and snached it up, but left everything else.

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Here is one that I have. It is ID'ed to First Sergeant James V. Flanagan. I am guessing that he was wounded while with the 26th and reassigned to the 83rd after recovering? That is just a guess. NARA did have a little bit of information on him, but nothing about his Purple Heart. Sadly, I missed out on all of his paperwork by about 1 min. The guy who purchased it was a few ahead of me in line and snached it up, but left everything else.

 

Absolutely tragic. I would of camped on the guy's lawn. Did you talk to him about it? Nice uniform!

 

-Ski

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Yea I did. He told me that when he decided to sell it he would let me know. I stopped holding my breath 2 years ago!! The same guy at a different estate sale also picked up about 15 blood chits for around $7.00 each. He was kind enough to offer me one at $25.00 in the front yard, because that is what he was going to start them at on Ebay. Great guy!

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Cobrahistorian

Always nice to see another 83rd uniform on here! I can tell you that 83rd division officers did wear combat leader loops. My grandfather's are currently on my class As. He transferred to the 99th division in the fall of 45 and went home with them. I am 99% sure I have a photo of him wearing them in May 45, but nothing earlier than that since he was either at company HQ or on the line until cessation of hostilities.

He was a civilian again by January of 46.

 

Jon

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