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US Army Company Grade 1912 Infantry Officer's Visor Cap


Edelweisse
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Hi Folks:  I recently found this 1912 pattern US Army company grade officer's visor cap.  I found this in a French flea market in Metz...and the bullion Eagle caught my eye.  Inside it is name both on a label and hand-written.  "Frank Yoder"  The paper label "Lt. Yoder".  There is a silk tailor's  label "THE PETTIBONE BROS. MFG CO. CINCINNATI, O."

 

i would like to actually ID this visor if possible. 

 

The visor has "Missouri seal" side buttons holding the visor bullion strap.   I've done some research on Ancestry.com but I couldn't really ID any yet.

 

A few questions....was this from WWI when he came over?  Why was it in France?  

 

 

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11 hours ago, Edelweisse said:

Frank Yoder

Hmm. perhaps he was in the 35th Division, there were two regiments of the Missouri National Guard in the division in WWI, the 138th and 140th Infantry Regiments, plus the three Machine gun battalions were of the Missouri NG, the 128th, 129th  and the 130th Machine Gun Battalions all formed from the 2nd Missouri Infantry.

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Thank you AZNATION for all your hard research.  I am confused.... “SGT.“ vs. “Lt” ...and then “Captain”.... but the manifests and grave marker “SGT” ...was he reduced or demoted.  Why the difference...I would think...once officer....you stay officer.

 

Maybe someone can explain..etc?
 

I really really appreciate your research

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Seems that all of his time as an officer was prior to WW1....maybe this was all under a college ROTC system or something similar. 
 

 

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Here's the deal.  In 1915 Frank Yoder was attending Missouri University as a student.  While at the university he must've enrolled as a cadet in their military training program.  That university's cadet program was NOT a regular army enlistment.  In May 1915 Frank was commissioned as a 1st Lieutenant and Battalion Adjutant by the Governor Major of the university regiment.  When the regular Army WWI Draft Registration took place Frank registered for the draft and was subsequently drafted into the regular Army.  His previous university cadet rank didn't follow him into the regular army so most likely he started out as a private, then made corporal, and finally sergeant before getting out of the service.  I can't really explain why or how his Missouri University cadet officer cap ended up at a French flea market in Metz, but I reasonably assure you it's this Frank Yoder's cap.  To sum it up Frank's Missouri University cadet rank, which was 1st Lieutenant was not a regular army rank and did not automatically make him that rank when he was drafted into the regular army when the U.S. got involved in WWI.  I hope I explained this well enough for you.  Thanks...Matt

 

By the way, it's a beautiful cap!

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Makes sense....I was a Major in Army JROTC but enlisted in the USAF & Retired as a MSgt.  For me...it’s this bullion Infantry visor w/Missouri state seal buttons on the cap named to a Lt. ...sitting in France...but researched to a SGT assigned to the 356th inf regiment MG unit of the 89th ID....Who served in France during WWI.  

 

All that said.....THANK YOU!!!!!

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Thank you for your comments....I’m impressed with aznation’s research....to put history/info to a piece that was named.  I was impressed by the bullion eagle...that’s what caught my eye.  When I held it...I told the seller that the buttons were wrong but now O know that the strap buttons were correct to the cap.  All in all...nicely named piece.

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