Question about USAAF Ike jacket rank

[Dozer]

I have my uncle's WWII USAAF jacket that I intend to have framed and have a question about rank stripes.

He was a PFC but doesn't have a stripe on the sleeves.  (Or stripes) Should I leave the uniform as is or should I add the stripe?

 

I wasn't sure if it was common for them to be left off, especially as he was discharged in 1944 after being wounded.

My thinking was he may have been issued this uniform after being evacuated and didn't bother with insignia.

There is no patch on right should either.

[Dozer]

Edit:

Meant to say there are no service stripes on the sleeve either.  He served from '42 into '44 so I would expect he would have earned some.

[Scarecrow]

53 minutes ago, Dozer said:

Edit:

Meant to say there are no service stripes on the sleeve either.  He served from '42 into '44 so I would expect he would have earned some.

Hi Dozer,

Do you know what unit or group your Uncle served with?  The jacket does have the USAAF SSI but also has the CIB over his ribbon rack.  I guess not impossible but a bit unusual that a USAAF serviceman would have a CIB.

[BILL THE PATCH]

He might have been a replacement for  after the battle of the bulge. I have a similar uniform. Soldier was in England working in a metal shop. Got called up to Infantry. Served in a Armored inf bn. I'm not understanding the AAF patch still on uniform. He would have had to taken It off. Do you have his discharge papers? It might shed light on it.

[FlyNavy02]

Agree unusual but not unique. 

 

I have an Ike jacket named to a former infantryman of Co. B, 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division. He was wounded on D-Day and received a CIB. He was discharged from the hospital in November 1944 but did not return to his unit. Instead, he was assigned to one of the many anti-aircraft artillery units of the 9th Air Force, hence the SSI and the Coast Artillery Corps collar disk.

 

[Dozer]

3 hours ago, Scarecrow said:

Hi Dozer,

Do you know what unit or group your Uncle served with?  The jacket does have the USAAF SSI but also has the CIB over his ribbon rack.  I guess not impossible but a bit unusual that a USAAF serviceman would have a CIB.

I don't know what unit he was assigned to and doubtful I could find out now.  Like others have suggested, he was likely pulled in as replacement during the battle of the bulge.  That was where he was wounded. (Jan, '44 in Belgium)

On a side note, he was at one time attached to the OSS, possibly while he was stationed in Washington DC but that's just a guess.  Being a PFC it probably would not have been a significant role.  I do have a thankyou letter from the head of the OSS that was sent at the end of the war to all those that had been a part of the organization.

[tredhed2]

If a cop of his discharge is not avail, many vets filed a copy of their discharge w/ their local county or city clerk's office.  The vet's last current unit should be on it.   

[Ray42]

I would say leave the uniform as is, it’s certainly an intresting one. I have an original member of the 605th FA who trained with the unit before going to Italy and somehow ended up an Air Force Mechanic, these odd combos do show up with weird explanations. Like others have mentioned he probably got wounded at the bulge and was sent to an AF unit upon recovery. 

[Dozer]

1 hour ago, Ray42 said:

I would say leave the uniform as is, it’s certainly an intresting one. I have an original member of the 605th FA who trained with the unit before going to Italy and somehow ended up an Air Force Mechanic, these odd combos do show up with weird explanations. Like others have mentioned he probably got wounded at the bulge and was sent to an AF unit upon recovery. 

 

 

I think I have a picture of him in uniform before going overseas.  Maybe I'll be able to see the shoulder patch.  With his being attached to the OSS at one point I always assumed he'd been Air Force all along.  After being wounded he was discharged as soon as medically cleared because he'd lost his left eye.....and most of his hearing.