Here’s a vintage Patrick Packard painting that I acquired 10+ years ago.  He evidently took some artistic liberties with the B-29 “Black Cat”nose art.   Patrick H. Packard (1920–2011), also known as Pat Packard. youngfunerals.com He was a well-known American aviation artist, particularly recognized for his paintings of military aircraft (including WWI and WWII subjects). He grew up in Wisconsin, lived in the Rockford/Belvidere, Illinois area, and was an active member of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA). Packard served in the Air Force and continued painting airplanes into his later years, often creating detailed, realistic works for collectors, museums, and aviation enthusiasts. He also contributed technical drawings.  The dramatic style with B-29s over Mount Fuji is typical of commemorative pieces he (and similar artists) created honoring Pacific Theater units like the 29th Bomb Group. 

It's interesting because the Mod 8 is different from the Mod 7 with respect to the rounded barrel portion after the area where it gets mounted to the Stable Element. Mine is flat if you look at the mounting bracket, yours fits into a recess then it's secured by the mounting plate. Wonder why the different revisions, maybe different applications? Might lend credence to that note about missile fire control.

This has happened to me as well, granted I’m in the valley right outside of SD, but it’s happened to me before. Luckily it wasn’t such a High dollar item. I tried to do all the same things you did and they just did not want to cooperate and purposely made things difficult. Truly sorry to hear this and I hope something can be done.   Gear Fan

For those that have an interest, I knew this before asking the AI source. The B-52 aircraft that supported the Vietnam War were primarily based at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam and U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield in Thailand. These bases were crucial for conducting bombing operations during the conflict from 1965 to 1973.  Wikipedia Patches would be made in these locations unless someone went TDY and had them made because the patches were cheap. I am not going to throw out my 42.5 years  of USAF service or being a Strategic Air Command Master Crew Chief on the B-52 or retiring as a Chief Master Sergeant for anyone to believe me, nor do I care. I have no gain in displaying my patches that I got directly from Veterans while working on the B-52G model aircraft for three years. Believe what you want to believe and be wary of dealers. I have been burned by many over my 53 years of collecting. What I have found is the S in the logo is unique and the style is common on era made patches, this is my opinion and take it for what it is worth, buy from the Vets or families of Vets.. Please do your research and those that make a profit off you should cause you to research that much harder. Thank you for letting me put this out there.

New to this forum but not to collecting and thought I would kick things off with my most recent find. Pick this nice early JMG proofed Colt New Service at a LGS and wanted to share. Butt serial 29725 (crane serial 180570) places this as an "early" JMG proofed 1917. Matching grips internally penciled to match the crane serial. What is really cool to me is that this still has the earlier cylinder where the rounds sat fully within the cylinder. I think they began making these with a modified cylinder around the 30000 mark, making this an interesting "transition" gun: starting the JMG proof and finishing with the early cylinder. I believe this was made/shipped early Feb 1918 so it likely did a tour of duty with the AEF. Finish isn't minty, but very solid with smooth overall wear, which would be consistent with service use. I always enjoy finding these earlier guns with the early cylinder and keep my eyes open for the GHS marked 1917 Colts so was pleasantly surprised to stumble across this JMG marked one.

I have one of these keys I got a few years back.    Here’s the link      

"Funny how people now wear name-tags but it's considered impolite and abusive to use their name . . . . . and good lord don't make eye contact.  !!!!!"   > Excellent article about all of that, titled "Hector's veto" in the June issue of The New Criterion...

My husband is third generation Army officer and has accumulated many treasures over the years. One in particular is a guidon that was at Omaha Beach on D-day where his grandfather was there as battalion commander of the 110th. I would really like to have it as well as other items authenticated. I would like to know how to go about finding someone reputable to have them looked at. Here is a pic of the guidon.      My husband’s grandfather was LTC Neal Harper and we have many of his things- a map he carried in the war, a notebook he kept, his flasks and much more. Here is info on him. 

. Hi Scarecrow.   Yes I remember that time well, that was another time and another place, and ANOTHER lifetime . . . . . . can't do that now, sexual harassment !!!!!   Funny how people now wear name-tags but it's considered impolite and abusive to use their name . . . . . and good lord don't make eye contact.  !!!!!       Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, 16 May  2O26.   ..

+1 C6A. 100% authentic factory original. The reddish-orange on the Cav insignia is interesting. I wonder if this is the original shade or has it changed as it aged?