For working the lines hot.  Closing in fuses, changing out hardware without turning the power off. Called hot sticks today.

What are the long wooden poles? I have a few and have not been able to ID them.

The Two Rivers Reporter, June 10, 1940.   Wisconsin Historical Society via Newspapers.com   Aalto served as a propaganda officer in the Finnish military during the Winter War. His 1940 visit to the United States combined the pursuit of professional and personal business interests, a public relations campaign for Finland, and fundraising for Finnish reconstruction. In October, Aalto had just begun a professorship at M.I.T when he was suddenly recalled to Finland by the War Department. Aalto would remain in Europe for the duration of WWII. (Source: Aalto and America. Anderson, Fenske, Fixler.)     Alvar Aalto (center, with cigarette) and Finnish colleagues visiting German sculptor Arno Breker (far right) at his studio, Wriezen, 1943. (Goran Schildt, Alvar Aalto: The Mature Years)  

How do these look? I’m pretty sure the navigator ones are original, but the observers wings are really nice and I have heard that people fake this manufacturer sometimes. 

Hello! I just picked these two wings up at a local antique store and wanted to see if they look legit. I’m pretty sure the navigator set is, but the observer one looks almost too good. What do you think?

I picked this lid up a while back from an estate sale in Idaho, it's a fixed bale Schlueter that was later reissued in I'm assuming Vietnam. What's neat is that it's named to a "Cochran", and also has what I am guessing is his service number "19677627", along with "63rd Div." It'd super cool to learn the provenance of this lid, I'm aware you can request service records and such, but where do I start? How do y'all go about researching these things? Besides the historic aspect, I also have some general questions about the helmet itself. It's a fixed bale Schlueter, with what appear to be standard OD#7 chinstraps with steel hardware. However, the chinstraps are very clearly sewn on by hand. How common was this practice with reissued/in the field helmets, assuming this was done in military service in the first place? The helmet also came with a P64 liner 6 June 66 contract. It isn't named. Thanks for looking!   

New information just received from one of my other cousins negates this. They told me their WW1 Grandpa was 6 feet 2 inches tall. The guy I thought it was is nowhere near 6'2". END OF TOPIC!

I have been inventorying my collection and when I got to the DCU uniforms at least the ones I know were worn in Afganistan I noticed what seems to be laundry numbers. I have not been able to do a deep search of this thread so I am asking if this has been addressed before?

Hello Spathologist, I've examined my Saber very carefully but I haven't found any markings. The information I have about this Saber comes from here: https://www.springfieldedge.com/sword_m-1872_mount.html

Yeah my kids make fun of my phone. 10 years old? I may get a new one soon