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Group belonging to 8th AF 612 BS Vet


Ray42
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I hope that this is appropriate to post in this section because despite the fact that I believe the patches and jacket are from after he was a POW in WW2 there are some pictures and documents from that period. The information from the veteran's son is that his name was Sgt Thomas Brennan (the name does appear in the jacket as well). He was shot down over Germany in January 1944 and was captured by the Germans and was a POW for 18 months. According to his son he was only 17 at the time. He was finally liberated by the Italian allied forces . He then went on to serve in Korea and then Vietnam in 1965. He was present in Vietnam for the TET offensive. This history is corroborated by the patches in the grouping and documentation. The M41 Artic Jacket is intriguing because if the two civilian patches are ignored it appears to have been patched to mimic a flight jacket. I hope you appreciate viewing it because I believe that sharing it is a fitting way to honor the Vet.

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Here is his name found on a database of Allied POWs listing the unit he was assigned to as a ball turret gunner for the 612nd BS. Also listed are the POW camps in which he was held.

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The two attached military patches which I beleive date to the Mid-late 1950's. I am not sure if they were added after the Jacket was used making it a patch jacket, however the age of the patches supports the sons beleif that the jacket was used in Korea. I also doubt that the jacket was his from WW2 because I cannot think of any way that he would have been able to hang onto and keep an issued jacket, that wasn't the flight jacket he wore when shot down, after becoming a POW.

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Here are two very nice Vietnam era patches along with a strange pair of pilot wings that were in the pocket of the jacket. It appears that he was involved with Helicopter units during Vietnam. I am now remembering that the 421 Med Co patch is from the son's service and I forgot to ask what era it was from, however I have not seen one that has the top "dust off" portion. I do not know anything about the wings, they were wrapped in a hankerchief at the bottom of his pocket. The wings are made from some soft metal and look like they may have been removed from a plaque or something which must have some significance to him but it doesnt make sense for a tail gunner to have pilot wings.

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The Son was also nice enough to include a copy of a map of German POW camps from WW2 which is marked up. Some of the ones circled with X next to them seem to be where he was held. Some others are circled and seem to have names next to them which makes me wonder it that was where other members of his plane were held but I don't know if that is true and it is hard to read what is written.

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Finally the M41 patches that I beleive are civilian. I do not know why they were added, but I am considering removing them so that it resembles a flight jacket which is how I beleive it was worn.

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