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The Combat Infantryman Badge


Steve B.
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Nice, I would like to see as many regs on the CIB as I can. Thank you for posting it.

Again, I am separated from my regulations, and therefore cannot quote chapter and verse, however, World War Two recipients of the Combat Infantry Badge are automatically eligible for award of the Bronze Star. This authorization does not apply to those awarded the CIB since World War II.

 

The rationale behind this was as follows: By 1944 the United States was experiencing a severe man power shortage; not in terms of overall numbers serving in the Armed Forces, but rather in the Infantry alone. George Marshall attributed this to failure to predict the tremendous draw on manpower by the Army Air Forces, which even the most far sighted planners pre 1941 had not envisioned. By 1944, this shortage became critical and resulted in cancellation of the Army Scientific Training Program (freeing up soldiers being trained at US universities for technical MOS's), drafts of Army Air Force personnel being removed from training and retrained as infantry, etc. As a morale builder for the Infantry, it was decided to make qualication for the BSM on receipt of a CIB. The logic was that Army Air Force personnel were receiving the Air Medal purely on a number of hours flown, in addition to their wings.

 

This rule still applies (BUT ONLY TO WWII RECIPIENTS), and several years ago I worked on a case for a member of my VFW post. He had received the CIB for operations on the Rohr River shortly after the Bulge. His separation papers had a notation typed outside of any box on the form in the upper right hand corner that said "CIB-served as Infanryman" and dates denoting a several week time period. After those few weeks, he reverted to his usual MOS as a truck driver. The veteran told me that one day his unit was told to send a few dozen drivers up to the front to fill out combat infantry units, and after a few weeks they went back to their parent unit.

 

Of course, this fellow was getting elderly, and he had heard about these awards of the BSM, and it bothered him he had never actually received the medal. I wrote St. Louis several times explaining the situation and forwarding copies of his documentation and heard nothing. I was concerned he might die and never have received his award. By chance, that summer I was vacationing in Germany at the Armed Forces Recreation Center at Berchesgaden, where I struck up a conversation (over a few beers) with a retired Colonel who worked for OMH (Office of Military History). He said his office dealt with St Louis all the time, and when he got back to DC he would try and expedite the matter. A month or two later his medal and certificate were mailed to the veteran. Several months later he died. His family told me he was so proud that his service was finally recognized.

 

The citations for such awards read "For Meritorious Service in Combat" in the Pacific or European Theater as appropriate. Such awards are not entitled to the "V" device.

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tbirdismypride

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I know most of you have these but this is my first one!! Marked Sterling and has Sterling smooth face cluches and 3 inches long.

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Nice one. Good clean front without any blue missing.

 

I love them. They are addicting, being such a beautiful looking award. I've been keeping my eyes out more maker marked, english made, and two-piece CIBs. Tough to find them!

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Your CIB looks nice. I only have one as well, taken from an Ike jacket that was about 60% moth eaten. The clutches have a string tied to them that I've never untied. The CIB itself looks to be a two piece construction and marked sterling. I've tried to take some photos.

 

Tim

 

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That is a very nice one. Are the two piece more rare??

 

 

I personally don't know which is the more rare. I assume the two piece solely on the premise that a one piece manufacturing process would be simpler and thus cheaper to produce.

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88thcollector
I personally don't know which is the more rare. I assume the two piece solely on the premise that a one piece manufacturing process would be simpler and thus cheaper to produce.

 

the two piece is much rarer.

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Nice badge, I agree, they are very nice pieces. I haven't gotten the bug where I have been hunting them down. I do have one, but it is on one of my Ike Jackets.

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Tim:

That is a super nice 2 pc. you have there. Love it! A very nice, and rare, find!

 

 

Thank you Brian. I went to an ASMIC show in Norman, OK today and a gentleman had an entire display case of CIBs for sale. There were maybe 25-30 of the different level awards. He was asking what seemed a reasonable price for the lot but I just couldn't justify the expenditure this close to Christmas. It's becoming easier to see why some people develop a "specialty" within our hobby.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I hit two small flea markets near my home two weekends ago. At the first one, I purchased two combat medic badges for $12 apiece of which I am showing one of them here. At the second one, I purchased the ribbon bar and Combat infantryman badge together from one table for $3 ! I believe the CIB is British made ? The enameling is perfect. Thanks for looking. Kim

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the.warlord1944

I read the topic a couple of weeks ago and i know most of you have read it.

 

I only had a CIB and somebody was discussing that they saw a combat artilleryman badge there and i was searching for one but i lost it on ebay.

I thought ,,oww i gonna get me one,, for the collection because it was a cool looking badge.

Last night i won one but not from artillery but from the armour.

It was listed in the Vietnam era (i mostly collect ww1 and ww2) so i m a newby at vietnam era and only collect the real deals (not the shady patch area where you get punk*d a lot with the reprostuff).

 

The pictuere is total crapp but the only ones i`ve got.

It has to go on mail so till then here`s the picture.

 

Best part of the deal it only costed 5 dollars plus shipping.

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I read the topic a couple of weeks ago and i know most of you have read it.

 

I only had a CIB and somebody was discussing that they saw a combat artilleryman badge there and i was searching for one but i lost it on ebay.

I thought ,,oww i gonna get me one,, for the collection because it was a cool looking badge.

Last night i won one but not from artillery but from the armour.

It was listed in the Vietnam era (i mostly collect ww1 and ww2) so i m a newby at vietnam era and only collect the real deals (not the shady patch area where you get punk*d a lot with the reprostuff).

 

The pictuere is total crapp but the only ones i`ve got.

It has to go on mail so till then here`s the picture.

 

Best part of the deal it only costed 5 dollars plus shipping.

Since all of the "Combat Armor" and Combat Artillery" badges were unauthorized, unofficial and privately purchased, what makes any of them the "real deals?" How many have found them on uniform coats actually worn by a soldier?

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