Marine Couple...Sweetheart or Mother?

[Brig]

Picked up this WWII portrait...was listed as a boyfriend/girlfriend, but I don't think so. I think it may actually be a mother/son combo based on the age difference. Opinions?

 

Woman appears to be wearing a class or Marine Corps ring.

[Bob Hudson]

The way they're cuddled up, I hope it's not his mama. 

 

[CHASEUSA11B]

Definitely look like sweethearts. I don’t think she’s as old as you think she is. 

[manayunkman]

She looks way too young to be his mother.

 

Good thing she didn’t hear you ask the question.

 

But maybe he is her father?😂

[Brig]

She just doesn't look that young to me...it even appears she has a tuft of graying hair poking out from the corner of her cap

[stratasfan]

I'd lean towards the guess of it being his Mother. :)

 

Cool that she put the Marine patch and insignia on her normal dress!

[Bob Hudson]

8 minutes ago, stratasfan said:

 

 

Cool that she put the Marine patch and insignia on her normal dress!

 

That's the USMCWR seersucker dress:

 

[stratasfan]

Oh, so she's in the USMC? That's even cooler! Maybe then I'd lean to the sweetheart. She does look a little older, but he may look super young for his age, too. Boy . . . really cool picture! Any markings on the back?

[CHASEUSA11B]

What was the age limit for female Marines in this time period? 
 

[Brig]

No markings

 

Age cap was 35 for enlisted, 49 for officers to join. So not beyond possible if she had a son young.

 

Of course, prior service might have also nullified the age cap or extended it, as it does now. However, as there were only around 300 WMs in WWI, it's highly unlikely she was one of them.

 

[I Hate Moths]

I would say mother and son.

Here is a mother and her son photo from Yank magazine Feb 2, 1945.

 

[aznation]

I think Sweetheart.  I don't think a mother, much less a woman Marine mother would let her son spoon her and hold her hands like that in such an intimate fashion.  Just imagine if you will holding your mother's hands like that.  On second thought, don't.  Too creepy to imagine her being his mother.  Yes, his sweetheart might look a tad older than him but I'm thinking a young Marine might easily go for that, especially if it's just a fling.  If that's his mother then I think they have a REALLY close relationship.

[Brig]

Generally you don't immortalize flings with studio portraits

[USMCR79]

Brother and Older Sister is my guess

 

Bill