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WW2 USMC Reserve 1st Samoan Battalion insignia


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Patches are US made. At least patches for 500 members were ordered. Maybe everyone received 3-4 each? If that is the case, you could 500-2,000 of the patches made with 1/4 of them being sewn onto lava lavas. 

 

Interesting to note that the Navy Frita Frita was created 1st. 

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SgtMaddoxUSMC

OCS

The list of enclosures also mentions the sample chevron for the Lava-Lava.  Do you have any photos of that as well?

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Eric, photograph of exhibit 1997.66.1 has a single stripe for Private First Class. It appears through the orders above that that the Quartermaster pushed back and stated that they were to wear standard issue USMC ranks. For Private First Class, Corporal, and Sergeant. 

 

I am not an expert on USMC so I do not know if that Private First Class or even other photographs denoting the Sergeant rank were standard issue or a different shape and matching red to the insignia. 

 

It would also be interesting to see if someone has a Navy Frita Frita with ranks to see if those were anything issued or sourced locally or in Hawaii or mainland. 

 

 

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SgtMaddoxUSMC

OCS,

Do you have a higher resolution shot of that display?  I know the forum restricts the images to a pretty low resolution.  If so, please send a hires to my email (see my signature).  I'd love to see a closer image

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Eric, nope, that was the image that I received from Joanie at the MCRD Museum. The room upstairs where it was located was dark. 

 

 

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This photo was from the National Marine Corps Museum. It was labeled "Nusbaum 3 medium"

 

I am not sure if Nusbaum was the Marine ministering the oath?

 

Regardless, it has a nice shot of the Sergeant rank. 

Nusbaum 3 MEDIUM.JPG

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Kurt Barickman

I had a group from an enlisted man who later was given  a commission with 1/8th Marines and they were sent to Samoa prior to Guadalcanal and in that group were numerous photographs and several were of these uniforms in wear on Samoa; the person who currently owns that group is a member of this forum.

 

Kurt

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Also interesting to note, that the initial request for cap insignia was turned down as they were told that the

 1944504923_capturneddown.png.cb6fc237758dca270048658399d5a1c5.png

 

However, they ended up creating their own insignia, as we have seen in the pictures and caps in collections. 

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Great job of research and thanks for providing all the information, just a terrific effort, thanks Steve. Hope forum can see how rare these are and how few have survived.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mort

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