Consolidated Topics - USN Uniforms with other branch SSI's and Devices

[Chutesandskulls]

Your man was wounded on 11-19-43 with Third Defense Battalion on Bougainville and the Ribbon with commendation 11-22-43 with Third Marine Amphibious Corps again on Bougainville; was PHM 2 in both cases. Congrats, great USMC USN Corpsman set.

 

Kurt

Thank you Kurt for the information I appreciate it. I am really happy with this set.

[Captainofthe7th]

I found this uniform on eBay recently and normally would have passed it up for a put together or something...you know, Army ribbons like the Good Conduct usually have no business being on a Navy uniform, especially an officer's coat. Regardless, some unknown force got me to add it my watch list. After a couple days I started doing some light research and found the guy in the Navy Officer's Register, an obituary, and wouldn't you know it, the 1954 7th Division unit history roster. I made some phone calls and got confirmation on this and found that he was a Corporal with the 17th Infantry in Korea. So it all tied together, I made an offer and got it for a song.

 

I love a good mystery. I'm also very fond of cross branch uniforms like this and to make it even better he is a 7th Div guy, so I am just tickled. I am assuming he arrived in Korea very late before the armistice - enough to earn a CIB and a campaign star but late enough where he was still there in early 1954.

 

Well, enjoy and remember that just because something isn't by the book doesn't always mean it's wrong!

 

 

Rob

[Brian Keith]

WW II Sailor in USMC Green, CM1 Uniforms

 

Here is a nice USN/USMC uniform set of Carpenters Mate First Class, Gene Milar. The set consists of his USN jumper with CM1 rate and his USMC uniform with his CM1 rate, EGA’s and ribbons. The ribbons are, Navy Expeditionary Medal, American Campaign, Navy Good Conduct, Asiatic-Pacific Theater and the American Defense Service Medal. It is interesting that the rating on the jumper is hand sewn and machine sewn on the jacket. I really don’t have much information about him. His Find-a-Grave says he was born in 1902- Died in 1974 and is buried in Hartford City, IN, about 20 miles from me. This uniform was of the father of a former boss of my wife, who was pleased to find a good home for it while cleaning out his parents’ home. The family didn’t seem to know much about his service. I think there has to be some interesting service history as he was 39 years old in 1941, and I don’t think he was a career Navy guy. I’ve probably had it for over 25 years. It is the only USN/USMC set I have. I think it is a very nice uniform set. Comments welcome, thanks for looking. Any information anyone can add is greatly appreciated!

BKW

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BROBS]

a really nice and interesting set!

I wonder if he was a Seabee?

[Brian Keith]

I would "assume" he was a "CB" but there is no indication on his uniforms. Given his age and his specialty, it is likely he was. I really like the "as found" ribbon set. Thanks for your comments,

BKW

[jguy1986]

a really nice and interesting set!

I wonder if he was a Seabee?

There were Seabee units attached to Marine engineer battalions, so it makes a lot of sense given that set of Alphas.

[pathfinder505]

I have seen corpsman uniforms but never one like this. Nice group!

[Brian Keith]

Thanks for all the comments, I do find this an interesting set. Anybody able to help with his service history?

BKW

[wawine]

He shows up as a patient on the USS Solace on July 31, 43, having transferred from the SS Joseph Smith. A member of the 26th CB transferred to that ship the next day, he's still a patient a month later and there is a member of the 3rd CB on board as well, so you may find he was in one of these units also.

 

Based on his rank, ADM and EM, I would suspect the 1942 date was a second enlistment. Likelihood of getting sick in the Pacific makes the most sense to me. Malaria, Typhus etc.

[pathfinder505]

Found that he enlisted 23 Dec 1942 and was released 19 Nov 1943.

He was a CM1c (Carpenters Mate 1st Class). As mentioned above, He was transferred from the SS Joseph Smith (a Liberty Ship) to the USS Solace (a Hospital Ship which was the station hospital at Noumea from June to August ) on 19 Jul 1943. He then was transferred to the SS Dashing Wave (a Transport Ship that was used to transfer from Hawaii to the West Coast) on 19 Aug 1943 for transfer to a US Naval Hospital for treatment and disposition.

[Brian Keith]

Great information guys, Thanks! With an enlistment of Dec, 1942, he wouldn't have been authorized the American Defense Service Medal. He was an "old man" having been born in 1902, 40 years old in 1942. I wonder if he was injured or sick.

Thanks!

BKW

[vintageproductions]

RVN US Navy Shirt with CIB

 

Okay, here is one that is really interesting.

 

This came out of the Rose Bowl flea market today from one of the rag dealers and their famous bales.

 

It's a Genuine Trooper private purchase poplin shirt. The US NAVY strip and name tag are Vietnamese machine embroidered. The CIB is VN quilted hand embroidered. You can see where collar rank has been removed. On the shoulders are two thin thread loops for what looks like attaching shoulder boards.

 

This was all sewn together at the same time and has been well worn.

 

Would love to know what this one means.......

 

 

 

[gwb123]

My theory is prior service with the US Army, and a later tour with the USN.

[doyler]

I agree...Prior Army then Navy.

[sigsaye]

Not that uncommon. In 1975 I was on an FF with a crew of 250. We had 8 prior service Army with CIBs. Still common in the mid '80s, when I was training recruits

[Salvage Sailor]

We had several Army OSVET's aboard my ships in the 1970's

OSVET = Other Service Veteran - the USN program for melding prior servicemen into the Navy, still in use today

[gwb123]

CIB on Navy Greens

 

I've posted this one before. I picked this up in Hawaii back in the 1980's. I forget the exact size, but this was one big individual.

 

Note the short sleeves, which would have been a uniform violation in the Army, as well as they very faint CB stamp on the pocket.

 

I mentioned to Bob earlier, if you had any construction skills at all, the CB's were actively recruiting ex-Army personnel to fill out the local Reserve unit at the time. As I recall, they would deploy for projects across the Pacific.

[JB4244]

WW2 USMC coat - Navy radioman attached to 2nd Marine Division

 

Hello,

 

Here is a coat of a Navy radioman attached to the 2nd Marine Division.

I think this is battle of Okinawa period (coat is dated September 1944).

According to ribbons, I think he served on a ship (4 campaigns including Philippines) before to be attached to the 2nd Marine Division in 1945.

No name inside.

2nd Division felt patch is handsewn.

 

Regards.

[JB4244]

More

[shrapneldude]

Those stripes are USMC Sergeant stripes sewn upside-down, aren't they? That is one cool uniform.

[JB4244]

Yes, you're right, that's USMC Sergeant chevrons.

[BILL THE PATCH]

Oh I see, he made a 1st class petty officer patch from the Sargent stripe. Wayv to cool

[Captainofthe7th]

Ooo I love this!

 

You could start thumbing through muster roles looking for RM 1/c in the 2d Div. I imagine this would leave you with a handful of names, frustration, and wasted time, but it could be fun. Sometimes the most interesting uniforms like this never have a name!

 

Rob

[JB4244]

Hi Rob,

 

Yes, I was thinking to do that. But I don't know where to find a complete roster of the 2nd Div for Okinawa.

It must an interesting work ;-)

[Nkomo]

US Navy ACU with 1st Division & JCCS-1 patches 2006

 

Something you don't see everyday. This is a grouping to a Petty Officer 2nd Class who was part of the Joint Counter-Radio Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare (CREW) Composite Squadron. In a nutshell, JCCS-1 was started to establish a program to defeat radio controlled IEDs. Since the Army didin't have many Electronic Warfare experts at the time, the Navy stepped in to establish and help train Army soldiers in EW. The program was started in 2006 and was disestablished in 2010. Over a 1,000 Navy sailors were trained in and deployed during that 4 year period.

 

JCCS-1 personnel were assigned to various Army units. This Petty Officer was assigned to the 1st Infantry Division.

 

Link: http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=69577