And the 1917A1 was still hanging on and would still be hanging on to some extent on Guadal Canal.

Another outstanding build, Manny.  Love the background as it really gives this diorama that extra POP.  

I’m was going through my inventory this afternoon and found this — an Advanced Combat Vehicle Crewman helmet (ACVCH) NIB. These were designed and contracted for use by the USMC, with the help of Natick.  The reason it looks black when the box top is open is because the carrying bag is black. I carefully removed the bag and manual so you can see the helmet inside the box. The easiest things to see are the face shield (that nobody wore) and the white helmet cover. It came with the three color desert cover already on the helmet. 

Thank you all for the comments. I really appreciate them. Allan H. I will be selling some soon. Building another full size even as we speak. They are great holster fillers. Keeps your holster holding it’s shape.

Great looking Schlueter lid! My best estimate is that with the heat stamp 63A, the shell itself dates to around June 1943 (using charts available). The 2nd pattern fiber liner with folded webbing on the nape dates to around mid-late 1942. The leather chinstrap appears to be a post-war manufacture (possible Korean War era), but the hardware is the one to tell. Are there any stampings on the fasteners?    Here's a bit of information about the liner. Hawley Products Company and General Fibre Products were the two producers of that style of liner, and should be marked respectively. According to JMurray1944, "as vague as it is, makes it is easy to conclude that, the 'General Fibre' liner was just a Hawley liner made on Hawley equipment, under Hawley supervision, pressed at a satellite location." The main way to determine which one made which is to refer to the ink stamps on the interior (granted, they're still present). General Fibre has a small uppercase letter "G" stamped into the fiber body. It is usually found near the crown, often separate from or just below the "LINER-FIBRE-M1" ink stamp.  Hawley seems to lack this "G" but retains the "LINER-FIBRE-M1" stamp.  A great looking front seam, fixed loop Schlueter lid with 2nd pattern Hawley liner and a heat stamp that appears to be 63A.    Of course, I'm no expert and still learning every day, just figured this information would help! I've always wanted a nice Hawley set for displays.    Hope this helped, Hayden

It’s all good. When I saw that he was stationed in Yermo vic Barstow, CA in the Mojave Desert, I was thinking that he sure could have used a pith helmet!

I like it. Just a good ol' un-messed with Vietnam War era Helmet. I cherish all of my helmets that I find at estate / yard sales. The best way to find them. 

State Guard organizations or non-Federalized National Guard?

Interesting note in the last line of that Ridgway message:  HOPE 52ND DIVISION WILL ALSO BE ALLOWED TO COME   This is in reference to the 52nd Scottish Lowland Division which had been leg up until Dunkirk, then trained in Mountain tactics, and then as an Airmobile Division for Arnhem and hopefully the 'push' to the Reich.  When the 1st Airborne Division was effective destroyed, this hope of Matthew Ridgway's was not fulfilled in Holland.  

Great to see that you have started another project. Excellent work so far.