Here's one more question: How did each branch of the US military feel about helmet graffiti, and in which branches was helmet graffiti most prevalent? Of course, lenience towards helmet graffiti differed from unit to unit, but was there one branch that was stricter (or more lenient) towards the practice of graffitiing helmets?

123rd Army Reserve Command with AIRBORNE tab

Quite the haul!  Congrats!

In the authoritative "Workhorse of the Fleet," published by American Bureau of Shipping, author Gus Bourneuf notes that the Liberty ship transports were emergency conversions intended to carry about 1,000 troops. He describes the ships as being congested, having inadequate stores and messing spaces, and that when operating in tropical regions the heat in the holds was stifling.   "Liberty Cargo Ship" lists 30 of these conversions.

@Jsand  -- easterneagle87 gave good advice on selling the six buckles on the right.  I don't collect these types of buckles and when I acquire them I tend to flip them for $20 +/- $5 per buckle.  An idea is to start with $40/buckle with a make an offer option and then lower the price if they don't sell fast enough for you.  Great score BTW!  I missed that auction so it wasn't me bidding against you.   Here are two Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron (VMGR) buckles... The 1981 buckle on the right sold on ebay in April.  I saw it the other day while searching completed auctions....

I'm still looking for one of these.  Someone must have one that's "excess to needs." If that someone is you, please contact me so that I can help you turn that situation around by helping you to finance a new acquisition to better fit your collection (and filling a hole in mine!). Happy collecting!

. Hi Graham.   Thanks,   the reason I asked was I have some original rear lamps for the earliest M3 ( Stuart ) light tanks of WWII and they are in orange cartons and then over wrapped with a cosmoline wrap., I don't have then to hand today to photograph and post.  Best wishes for the eventual rebuild.       Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, June 02   2O25.    ….  

I rolled my own to go on my proto middy clone.    

Many folks in Hollywood were veterans and the DOD worked closely with Hollywood for accuracy. 

The Evarts never operated as a cargo vessel. It was modified and completed as a troopship immediately after launching.     Source:  Liberty Cargo Ship, James Davies, ww2ships.com