My Great Uncle Walt Crackerjack's

[AZPhil]

Hello All,

Well my Uncle Walt passed away at 98. 

He had a Great run at it!!!

 He was US Navy and joined at 17 and served from WW2 to Vietnam.

He served on the USS Kaskaskia from its dry dock in San Diego to the Aleutians,  Then to the Pacific all the way up to Tokyo Bay for the signing then to China. I made a 44 minute recording of his service when I went to Biloxi for training and stop by the Old Veteran Home there to see him.

 

I never really studied Navy uniforms , But I believe this is his post ww2 uniform, But not sure on the exact timeframe.

He has a nice set of ribbons for his service. He definitely could say "Been There, Done That" for pacific service.

 

 The right shoulder has the USS John R Pierce patch/ribbon.

I also have the pants that go with the top.

 

Will need to find a Dixie Cup cap for it.

 

I would appreciate any info about it.

 

Semper Fi

Phil

 

[sigsaye]

24 minutes ago, AZPhil said:

Hello All,

Well my Uncle Walt passed away at 98. 

He had a Great run at it!!!

 He was US Navy and joined at 17 and served from WW2 to Vietnam.

He served on the USS Kaskaskia from its dry dock in San Diego to the Aleutians,  Then to the Pacific all the way up to Tokyo Bay for the signing then to China. I made a 44 minute recording of his service when I went to Biloxi for training and stop by the Old Veteran Home there to see him.

 

I never really studied Navy uniforms , But I believe this is his post ww2 uniform, But not sure on the exact timeframe.

He has a nice set of ribbons for his service. He definitely could say "Been There, Done That" for pacific service.

 

 The right shoulder has the USS John R Pierce patch/ribbon.

I also have the pants that go with the top.

 

Will need to find a Dixie Cup cap for it.

 

I would appreciate any info about it.

 

Semper Fi

Phil

 

Very nice post war (1960s), Dress Blues. He has no Korea or Vietnam ribbons. This is not uncommon. My dad wore his Korea ribbons, but didn’t bother with Vietnam. He had his ribbons embroidered into a mount and never “Updated them. The USS John R Pierce was a Gerring Class Destroyer that was decommissioned in 1973. Your uncle’s uniform has 16 years of Hashmarks, indicating he did 20 (4 years apiece on the Hashmarks). He was a First Class Boatswains Mate (BM1, E-6). The Unit Identification Mark, (UIM/“Rocker), on the right shoulder, was adopted in 1958. They appear in regs around 1951, but took a minute to see full use Navy wide. 

[Salvage Sailor]

I'd say your uncle was 'a steamer', as shown by the GCM's yet all red hash marks, not uncommon for a 20 year BM1.  He had a career hiccup somewhere in the middle of his service so no 12 year gold hashmarks nor Chief's rocker for this Boatswain's Mate.  He may also have done a bit more than 20.  He probably had a sea story or three about this.  His service records would tell the tale.

Nice set of blues

 

 

[AZPhil]

Thank you Gent's!!

I appreciate the help with the time frame.

He also did a tour on the USS Macon. Not sure when that happened during his tour, But I had this plaque made when he turned 96.

I will have to listen to the audio file I made on him again.

I was also given some of the medals that he got. One is the GCM date 1952.

If his first , that would explain the Red verses Gold hash marks 

I didn't realize that some were engraved. I don't collect awards. 

 

 

 

Once again! I appreciate the help/info given.

Thank You!!!

Semper Fi

Phil 

 

[AZPhil]

Here is another question.

It was mentioned above about not having the Korean or Vietnam ribbons.

 

During that time frame he was in the Atlantic/Mediterranean fleet.

 

Would he have been eligible for the KW &VN award/ribbon?

 

Semper Fi

Phil

[atb]

1 hour ago, AZPhil said:

Here is another question.

It was mentioned above about not having the Korean or Vietnam ribbons.

 

During that time frame he was in the Atlantic/Mediterranean fleet.

 

Would he have been eligible for the KW &VN award/ribbon?

 

Semper Fi

Phil

I don't think so unless his ships went through the proper specified Korea or Vietnam areas of operations. The National Defense Service Medal was awarded for the Korean and Vietnam War eras and he has that among his ribbons. It should have a device on it to show service in both time periods 

[29navy]

IS there a tag under the flap?

 

He would only have been eligible for the Korean War medal if he had been in the Korean Theater.

 

For the National Defense first authorized in 1953 retroactively awarded for service back to 1950, he should have a star for the Vietnam War.

 

And like the Korean War, any Vietnam related medals would have been for service in the Vietnam Theater.

[Salvage Sailor]

Aye, he may have been a Second/Sixth Fleet sailor (Atlantic Ocean/Mediterranean Sea)

[sigsaye]

Yes, it would seem that his post war service was in the Atlantic Fleet

[AZPhil]

4 hours ago, 29navy said:

IS there a tag under the flap?

 

Yes there is. But it so wore you can read anything.

What does the tag signify  ?

[sigsaye]

3 hours ago, AZPhil said:

Yes there is. But it so wore you can read anything.

What does the tag signify  ?

  It would have had the contract date of the uniform. Along with size and owners name. 

[AZPhil]

Thanks sigsaye,

The only other tag I found was in the pants, But I think this would be a generic USN tag. 

The ink is worn off, but I can see an imprint of his name and BM1.

 

 

Semper Fi

Phil

[sigsaye]

10 hours ago, AZPhil said:

Thanks sigsaye,

The only other tag I found was in the pants, But I think this would be a generic USN tag. 

The ink is worn off, but I can see an imprint of his name and BM1.

 

 

Semper Fi

Phil that’s an earlier tag, from the late 1950s. They were still in use for many years, and used simultaneously with newer. The Navy did not pull things from service just because they changed tags. So, your G-uncle probably retired in the early/mid 1960s. Lots of WW2 vets retired then. I remember in 1965/6/7, when my dad retired, most of his buddies, (WW2 Vets), were also retiring with their 20 in. 

[AZPhil]

Thank you Sir!!  

Semper Fi 

Phil

[moneywayne]

On 11/20/2023 at 12:05 PM, AZPhil said:

Thanks sigsaye,

The only other tag I found was in the pants, But I think this would be a generic USN tag. 

The ink is worn off, but I can see an imprint of his name and BM1.

 

 

Semper Fi

Phil

this is a WWII type! About 43-45

[sigsaye]

1 hour ago, moneywayne said:

this is a WWII type! About 43-45

Yrs, but there were millions of WW2 contract uniforms still in stock and available for use, for many, many years. I went to boot camp in ‘72, and several guys got the WW2 style white jumpers. So, a WW2 contract date simply means that’s when the contract to manufacture that item was signed. Could have been made years into the 1950s.