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Uniform Restoration help needed - GHQ Ike jacket


JasonT
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Hello,

 

Hopefully this post is in the right section. With the extra time on my hands these days, I've nearly wrapped up cataloging my collection and have moved on to wanting to restore a couple Ike jackets. One of them being a Ike jacket named to a local vet who served in GHQ, HQ & Service Group, Staff Battalion HQ, Company C in Japan during occupation right after the war. He went overseas in Oct '46 and was discharged in April '47.

 

Here is a link to a previous discussion on the jacket;

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/328167-ike-jacket-w-ghq-pacific-command-bullion-patches/

 

I have his records and know that he got a Sharpshooter-Carbine qualification badge (even though he was a clerk/typist) and was eligible and received the Victory Medal and Occupation Medal. Those are easy enough for me to acquire and add to the jacket.

 

The questions I have are;

 

1) confirming his collar disks insignia - I know it would be (1) 'US' but not sure on the 2nd one - regular enlisted infantry? Or one with crossed rifles with 'HQ' designated?

 

2) what DUI's would he have worn? I saw some online but they were for the GHQ Honor Guard only.

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated, thank you!

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  • 3 months later...

I agree, I believe it is 4 collar discs. I have seen that a few times before where an enlisted man mimics how an officer would wear their collar insignia and have two US on top and 2 crossed rifles on bottom. Given how well dressed up the rest of the uniform is that is my bet of how he wore it. Also great uniform, my grandpa was under GHQ in Japan during the occupation.

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59 minutes ago, Ray42 said:

Also great uniform, my grandpa was under GHQ in Japan during the occupation.

 

Thanks! I was lucky to get it. The guy at the antique mall seemed like he just wanted to get rid of it and when he saw me looking at it he knocked another 35% or so off the already ridiculously low price before I said a word.

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The uniform has gone back to being a mystery to me as to who the owner was. I noticed a little while back that when I got Faltin's file that he was discharged as a Pfc. However, the jacket has Sgt ranks on it. But everything else seems to match Faltin - unit, laundry number, and location the jacket was found. So I may never know for sure..

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9 minutes ago, FriarChuck said:

He could have been demoted and this was a jacket he never updated. Lack of s ruptured duck could speak to that being the case as well. My Grandfather told my Dad he was a sergeant in the field but a corporal in garrison since he got into trouble a few times. When I finally got his records I saw just how true it was. He went between Sgt and Private a good there times during his time in the Corps. His final discharge was as a Corporal. Just a possibility. His full records if they are  extant might illuminate the truth. Very neat jacket.

 

Sincerely,

 

Friar

 

If he enlisted in April 1946 but was discharged in '47 would he have been eligible for the ruptured duck to begin with? He was indeed Honorably Discharged per the file I have on him. I'll dig through it again to see if I can find any reference to him being a Sgt at some point during his service. 

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Well I went back through the 28 pages of his record that I have and found that he indeed did originally serve for 6 months from Oct '45 to April '46, when he re-enlisted. His records also show he was eligible for the Ruptured Duck. However, there is no sign the patch was ever applied to his Ike. His records also show that the highest rank held before he re-enlisted was Private. I even double checked the inside sleeves of the jacket and couldn't find any sign of a previous rank having been sewn on and then replaced.

 

I've also realized the jacket has 2 overseas bars, when Faltin was only overseas for barely 6 months of his one year re-enlistment. So there's also that as well.

 

 I guess I may have to revisit whether this is even Faltin's jacket after all, despite all the coincidences.

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22 minutes ago, JasonT said:

His records also show he was eligible for the Ruptured Duck.

 

I meant to say his records showed he RECEIVED the ruptured duck lapel, not just that he was eligible.

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35 minutes ago, FriarChuck said:

He was certainly eligible for it. My Grandfather in-law was in the Marines from 46-48. He earned the Victory Medal and his records specifically mention him receiving both the Ruptured Duck lapel button and the Honorable Discharge lapel button. Whether wear of the cloth patch was that common after the big demobilization in 45-46, that i’m not sure of. I missed that he was post war enlisted only, so my theory might not be as plausible. Maybe he continued in the reserves and promoted there? Hopefully that helps a little. 

 

Friar

 

I suppose it is possible that he re-enlisted again after spring 1947. However, his transcript, which is dated 1952, doesn't mention any service after his '47 discharge.

Transcript.jpg.eb6afb3aaa144ff916eaea206f230b12.jpg

 

 

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Good observation on the MUC.

 

Faltin's records only show the Victory medal, Occupation medal and lapel button (ruptured duck). 

 

A search of the laundry number gives me 20 matches, so I'll have to go back and see if anyone else comes close

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  • 3 months later...
eaglerunner88

My grandpa also served in GHQ in occupied Japan immediate postwar and he wore two adjutant general disks on the lower collar of his IKE with two US disks on top. 

adjutant general.jpg

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If you look in Block 6 of the document that you posted, you will see his arm of service as INF. He should be wearing Infantry brass.

 

Allan

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The 4 collar discs was a short lived occupation period regulation. Lasted roughly from 1946/1947-1950ish. It is correct for him to have worn during this time period. 


Could we get a picture of the Ike? If he received the Ruptured Duck before he reenlisted he probably didn't wear it as he re-entered. And if he was discharged in 1947, that was right at the very tail end of the ruptured duck being worn, so he might have just never put it on as it was much less necessary to wear it. 

 

I don't think he would have worn any DUI's either. How do you know it was Faitlin's?

 

Hunt

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Here's a photo of the Ike jacket. It does show outlines of 4 collar discs. No ruptured duck but he probably just didn't sew it on. 

 

I believed it was Faltin's for the following main reasons;

 

1) The laundry number matched

2) His obituary mentioned serving under MacArthur

3) The jacket was bought one or two towns over from where he lived

 

However, I am still stumped on the rank and overseas bars because they don't match his records and his 1952 transcript record doesn't mention any service after his 1947 discharge.

 

923509129_GHQike.jpg.d2c2fa4490f935266df484bd4fe39829.jpg 

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I guess it's possible his home town and where you bought it could be a coincidence. 


Another thing I question is the fact of just elaborate the insignia was. Getting custom made insignia for your uniform after only being in the service for one 6 month period and one one year period. Not to mention his overseas service time not matching up, as the overseas service stripes stopped being awarded for service after september 2 1946, and going over in October means he wouldn't even be authorized for one day of service counting towards a bar. I would say it is more likely the jacket isn't his. In fact I would say i'm 95% confident it isn't his. The good news though, is that this jacket probably belonged to a veteran with much more notable service and thus has more stuff to be restored if that is what you are into (although I would argue it is better as is and doesn't need any restoration). Without a last name though I don't think you'll be able to find a solid ID unless you want to spend a lot of money purchasing all 80 records from the archives. 

 

I guess to reiterate my points:
-This jacket was NOT worn by Faitin

-it was probably worn by someone with more notable WW2 service

-It is going to be very, very, very hard to find a solid ID if that is your goal, however the insignia is very nice and thus the jacket has some worth to it if you were really hoping to have an ID'd uniform. 

 

Sorry things didn't go quite right! At least the mystery is more or less solved as to the mystery. I'd be happy to assist if you need anymore assistance. 

Hunt

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Thank you Hunt for your help and input! I agree that this jacket almost certainly doesn't belong to whom I thought it belonged to. The online search of laundry numbers gave me 20 matches, but I also no not every soldier is listed online, so the true owner may not even be one of those 20 matches. I did ask the guy at the antique mall if he knew where it came from, but he of course didn't know since it wasn't his. But like you said it's got some great patches on it and I got it for next to nothing, so I'll hold onto it for a little while at least. 

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  • 1 year later...

Just a follow up and question on this Ike..

 

I saw one of your earlier posts with close ups of the two patches… they look theater made - do you know where they were made?

 

Do you know for sure that he served under MacArthur (or maybe under Marshall?)

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2 hours ago, digi-shots said:

Just a follow up and question on this Ike..

 

I saw one of your earlier posts with close ups of the two patches… they look theater made - do you know where they were made?

 

Do you know for sure that he served under MacArthur (or maybe under Marshall?)

 Hello, I believe the patches are Japanese made due to the quilted stitching on them. Charles Faltin's obituary mentioned serving under MacArthur. However, I no longer believe it was his uniform as member 'huntssurplus' explains in post #17. A lot of coincidences between the jacket and Charles Faltin but unfortunately it's probably not his

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