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When truth is stranger than fiction...AAF to 28th Infantry Division, ANG


Dave
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Background: A couple months ago, I bought out a large collection of WW2 US uniforms. Most were pretty unremarkable and I sold them over the period of a couple weeks on eBay. 

 

This particular uniform, with the insignia of the 112th Infantry Regiment, ended up getting sold directly to a collector at the same time. When he received it, significant drama ensued after he accused me of selling a "fake" uniform...to which he added campaign stars on the ETO ribbon and tried to sell as an "original" uniform. This (combined with a horrible attitude) eventually led to his banning from a Facebook militaria group.  

 

One thing he did find out was that the name and service number of the person in the uniform belonged to a CBI pilot - thanks to the National Archives releasing the Air Medal cards online. So...turns out it was an AAF uniform that was later patched up as a 28th Division one. Pulling the research string myself, I figured out that the pilot who owned the uniform settled not 50 miles from the HQ location of the 112th Infantry when they were a PA NG unit. At that point, it made sense...he got rid of his uniform to a National Guard officer who then wore it while with the 112th Infantry. A not-uncommon scenario, particularly with so many people dumping uniforms after the war was over. 

 

Well, after all the drama, the uniform ended up in my collection. As I don't collect uniforms, it's not really something that "fits" in my collection, so my intention was to research it and then sell it "as is" with the story about the first owner and then who I thought was the second owner.

 

Here's where "stranger than fiction" comes in...and it's amazing what you can find on the internet! This morning, I did a google search on the name and wouldn't you know it...come to find out, the officer was discharged from the AAF in February 1946 and then joined the PA National Guard, leading a company in Company I, 112th Infantry Regiment. Who would have ever thought that to be the case?!

 

So what it looks like is that some well-meaning collector got the uniform at some point in the past and it probably had wings and PTO ribbons on it...with a DFC, AM with oak leaf cluster, etc. He probably thought "wait, that's wrong...how could a pilot end up in the 112th Infantry Regiment?" So, thinking they were doing the right thing, they stripped the wings and ribbons and put on ribbons that made sense for the 112th Infantry.  And it wasn't until today that the actual truth was figured out!

 

Sometimes truth is absolutely stranger than fiction...if I saw this uniform with wings and original ribbons, I would have thought it was made up...when in reality, the "fixed" insignia with the CIB and ETO ribbons were actually wrong for the REAL veteran and his service. (And of course, I'm still stuck with this uniform...do I fix it? Sell as-is? Restore it? Now I know why I collect medals!) :D

 

 

 

 

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And here are his Air Medal award card and then the article from his hometown paper mentioning him in the 112th Infantry...wild!

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Wow, that is really cool I wouldn't say you are stuck with the uniform at all and I am sure if the research is included you could find a buyer for it if you wanted. I am normally against changing uniforms, but in cases such as this where they are clearly not how they should be I would say restore it to how it should have been. It seems like you are lucky here that you know what ribbons he would have worn, that way there is not a chance of over embellishing. Out of curiosity are the posts on a pair of pilot wings the same length as on a CIB so that they could be easily switched without creating new pin holes?

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I agree with Ray.  I am not a fan of messing with stuff, but that officer’s service story is so uncommon that you should replace that CIB and ribbon bar with his correct ribbons and badge.  

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Interesting uniform for sure. I guess the question is why didn't he wear the CBI patch as a combat patch on the right shoulder? I don't doubt it's authenticity, just wondering! 

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I'd say strip whatever doesn't belong and then sell it to prevent any confusion or misunderstanding on the buyer's part. Sometimes, even if you thoroughly explain things to people, there's a certain percentage who just don't get it. I've learned this the hard way over many years of working with the public lol

 

If my budget weren't so tight right now with the holidays coming up, I'd definitely buy it from you.

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Interesting story, and a great example of why you should never "fix" uniforms unless you're 100% sure.  Same goes for switching out parts on firearms to make them "correct".  Lots of good collectibles have been ruined by well-meaning collectors.

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I’ve seen the similar case. Cold War period Army National Guard Air Defense Artillery officer OG-107 uniform with flight wings. 
 

It turns out that he was a bomber pilot instructor during the World War II. Post war, he left active duty and went over to National Guard and changed his MOS to ADA. 
 

Direct from family estate and well documented. 
 

I think it would’ve been passed off as fake if found in surplus store without documentation. 

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  • 1 month later...
rathbonemuseum.com

And to make the story even stranger, here is the material from Lt. Dale A. Bean that I picked up a few years ago at an SOS show. Lt. Bean, from PA, was a pilot in the 3rd Combat Cargo Group, 10th AF, 1944-45. I found the same articles and notes as Dave. He rotated out, went home and then became a Lt. in the PA NG 112th infantry. All of the insignia were made in India. Note that the ribbon bar is correct but has a SS ribbon made in India mistakenly in place of the DFC ribbon.

 

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Pretty awesome research, guys. I would NOT suggest restoring the uniform at all. Even if it didn't already have the new identity, I wouldn't attempt to make it correct. That, by definition, is a put together uniform even though it isn't fantasy. These things make it to the market as if they were vet-obtained original and they are not and never can be - even if a 100% sure fix. None of us would like to be the recipient of such a uniform even if intentions were honorable and the proper items were put back in place - at least not for the price of an unaltered piece.

Once again, great research and cohesiveness in the community. Very interesting story.

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8 minutes ago, dmar836 said:

Pretty awesome research, guys. I would NOT suggest restoring the uniform at all. Even if it didn't already have the new identity, I wouldn't attempt to make it correct. That, by definition, is a put together uniform even though it isn't fantasy. These things make it to the market as if they were vet-obtained original and they are not and never can be - even if a 100% sure fix. None of us would like to be the recipient of such a uniform even if intentions were honorable and the proper items were put back in place - at least not for the price of an unaltered piece.

Once again, great research and cohesiveness in the community. Very interesting story.

 

On the bright side, the uniform already resides with a new owner who was looking for a uniform from that ANG unit, so he's very happy with it as it is. 

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Great uniform.

 

AAF to Infantry (or the other way around) definitely happened from time to time. I had a pistol belt named to an officer that served in an infantry regiment during the late 1930s up to about 1942. Then he became a pilot in the AAF. Sadly he was KIA later on in WW2. 
 

In regards to the topic uniform of this thread, I’d say put the correct stuff on it. What’s the point of a stripped uniform? When selling, you can take the insignia off or simply disclose the ribbons/insignia are replacements. 

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Longbranch, That's not the problem. Once you add, another can just say they didn't do it. Things have been sold like that for years. A quick ebay search will show this.

I could direct my wife to pin some wings on a named tunic, add ribbons, and sew on patches - just as research showed the vet would have had. I could "honestly" sell it saying I had done absolutely nothing to it since I had owned it. We don't live forever and this stuff ends up on the market. When money is involved there are as many people who would do that as wouldn't - unfortunately. All in the name of honoring a vet.

As one seller claimed, "I sell dreams".

Why not just take a named patch and add a tunic, wings, and ribbons? Why not then add a name in fountain pen "as the vet would have likely had"? What's wrong with that?

That's a bit ridiculous but where does it stop for someone more dishonest than us?

I detected this 25yrs ago at one of my first shows. Old white-haired dealers would answer, when asked, "Sure, those ribbons are all correct..." Further questions showed me exactly what they meant.

Sorry for the rant but I don't collect, display, trade, nor sell "dreams" and I don't want things going out when I'm gone that were enhanced by me.

Dave

 

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LOL.

 

The only thing you can really control is your own integrity and honesty. Outside of that, you can’t really control how an item is treated after it leaves your possession.

 

It’s possible to sell a fully stripped and un-named uniform, and then that same item can magically gain a name, story, and full set up of insignia by the next owner. It’s just a fact of life.

 

Good case in point:

 

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LOL. You do you. If that’s what you took from my comment, great.

 

Add stuff and be honest about it. Don’t add stuff and be honest about it. Doesn’t matter either way if the next owner isn’t honest.

 

I think leaving uniforms stripped is unrealistic (and pretty lame) when collecting/displaying a uniform collection.

 

Which is why variety is great. You can do it your way. I can do it mine. 😎

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collectsmedals
On 1/3/2021 at 2:08 PM, Dave said:

 

On the bright side, the uniform already resides with a new owner who was looking for a uniform from that ANG unit, so he's very happy with it as it is. 

Just to let everyone know, I am the new owner of the uniform being discussed. My father was in the 112th prior to the war and I wanted a documented uniform to the 112th Infantry in my collection. My intentions are to remove the incorrect CIB and ribbons and otherwise leave the uniform as is, adding notes to my files as to the original owner and the information posted here. I am not planning on adding wings or the correct ribbons.

 

As far as when I sell it, I am 62 years old and have been collecting since I was 12, and over that 50 years I have sold exactly one item from my collection (an Ike Jacket) to someone who badly wanted one from the Americal Division. I have also given away a few items over the years to young collectors just starting out.

 

An interesting side note, my Father joined the 112th in 1940, when the war started he volunteered as a paratrooper, getting his jump wings in 1942. He went on to make combat jumps with the 509 PIR in North Africa and Italy, receiving a Silver Star and being wounded for the second time in Italy. I have a display of his decorations which includes a set of his 112th Infantry DUIs. I have had people tell me that I made a mistake and the DUIs should not be there as he was in the 509 which was part of the 5th Army not the 112th Infantry, but he was in the 112th and was proud of his service there. His uniforms were destroyed in a fire before I was even born, but if I had them he might very well have had one with paratrooper wings, a silver star, a 3rd Zouaves badge on the pocket, 112th DUIs on the lapels and the 28th Division patch one the sleeve and a 5th Army on the other. Odd and seemingly impossible combinations do happen from time to time.

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Very nice uniform. I don’t think it would hurt to restore it as he earned his wings and likely wore them proudly. Glad it’s in a good home. 

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  • 3 years later...
collectsmedals

Update!

 

Thanks to rathbonemuseum.com and this forum I was able to reunite Dale Bean's uniform with his wings, ribbons, patches, etc.

 

I would normally not add insignia etc. to a uniform in my collection, but I felt it was acceptable in this case as they were actually his.

 

The ribbons are slightly askew, but I used the original holes which were still visible in the tunic.

 

 

 

 

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