I know everyone on the internet says the old Naval Clothing Factory/Depot located in Brooklyn, NY closed in 1966. However, as a young navy dependent, I have a most vivid  memory of Dad stopping by the the facility in 1973-74ish to get his service dress blue and full dress white coats altered. Dad had purchased all of his dress uniforms there since his commissioning in 1958.  The store was located in a seedy part of South Brooklyn, a few blocks from what had been the Brooklyn Yard.  When we moved to the West Coast Dad bought all uniforms through the Navy Exchange system.  I remember Dad commenting years later that the Brooklyn Depot made uniforms were by far the best, especially if you visit in person for a personal fitting.     BTW, I still remember that day five decades later. It was in the mid-seventies. The "clothing factory" was outside the Naval Support Activity, Brooklyn boundary gate/walls; most folks are unaware of the Navy's continued presence, on what had once been one of America's oldest shipyard, long after the shipbuilding function ceased. Dad had my brother and me stay in the car,  keeping the doors locked and windows rolled up (thank goodness it wasn't during summer, when humidity is extremely high). I remember wondering if someone might walk up to the car, pull out a Saturday-Night Special and attempt to take the car. Dad was only inside for maybe 15-20 minutes. But, Mom had a fit when she found out we were left alone.  

I bought a repop 45th Tac Recon Sqdn patch out of China on epray that just arrived. It is very close to one the my dad wore in Misawa Japan 57-59. I spent years looking for an original like the one he had with no luck. I think my mom tossed his patch and cap out when I was a kid. The seller had repops post when he was in a few years ago so I sent a photo of what it looked like and it looks like they made it. A filler is better than nothing. I know they did a back doored this into the states as this was post marked San Francisco.

I was told years ago that the Marine Corps in WWII would gave the Marine put his thumbprint on the reverse of the tag using India Ink and then the tag would go in an acid wash that removed the surrounding metal but not the thumbprint that was covered with India Ink.   Bill

Today’s flea market finds.   Culps Hill Gettysburg relics.   M3 with M6 scabbard.

I have mine and my Dad's - Fortunately I have not had to go to the VA for medical care (Not yet at 67...knock on wood). My technical training as an '03 was how to stay alive!!   Bill

I know everyone on the internet says the old Naval Clothing Factory/Depot located in Brooklyn, NY closed in 1966. However, as a young navy dependent, I have a most vivid  memory of Dad stopping by the the facility in 1973-74ish to get his service dress blue and full dress white coats altered. Dad had purchased all of his dress uniforms there since his commissioning in 1958.  The store was located in a seedy part of South Brooklyn, a few blocks from what had been the Brooklyn Yard.  When we moved to the West Coast Dad bought all uniforms through the Navy Exchange system.  I remember Dad commenting years later that the Brooklyn Depot made uniforms were by far the best, especially if you visit in person for a personal fitting.  

Greetings Andrew,        Without some plausible family input or the from the veteran themselves, at best, any determination of when and where the knife was assembled and or carried would be pure conjecture. I am unawares of any contemporary to WWII (earlier or later for that matter) military program or civilian business, which would have led to such an assemblage of parts, so determining the knife's (as it is now) origin story is always going to be a bit of a riddle. I have previously purchased mixed parts Mark I Trench Knives myself, in order to complete various types of modified knuckles missing blades (for my own collection). These type of mixed parts variants are IMHO, most often someone making due with what parts they have access to and does not necessarily mean it was accomplished by a uniformed servicemember. To your query, no idea as to when this modification was made, though surely after WWI. Could be done in time for WWII or it could have been 10 years ago.       The only practical issue of a French/American combination mixed parts' assemblage is the fit of the Au Lion blade's shoulder into an L.F.& C. variant's handle's blade opening. While the skull crusher/retaining nut can securely hold the blade's tang in place, the actual fit of the blade where it exits the font/blade side of the handle is often one of poor fit and requires some "work with a file" to get a uniformed fit. In other words, the blade shoulder's profile is ever so slightly different between the French and American made variants so that while they both generally speaking fit each others' handles, they are usually wobbly and inexact in that fit. And without the support of a decent blade shoulder's fit; all that is retaining the blade is some very thin threads on the end of the tang. Those threads alone won't hold up to severe use and will easily strip. No, I assume, not always the case that these blades require some fitting work, but on the few mixed parts' examples I have purchased, that was the case. Surely, there must have been some blades that dropped right into place without any "work" required. OK, well off topic, but an interesting aside just the same.   Best Regards,   V/r Lance 

Found this old thread about the CADET WINGS while researching information I have been reading in a large Group from a NAVY VF-82 F6F-5 Hellcat Fighter Pilot KIA  early 45 He Attended the NAVY CPT (Civilian Pilot Training) SEP 1942 in Phoenix Arizona (Have his CPT Log Books) Group ALSO Included a large collection of letters sent home to family starting in 1943 as a CADET at Hotel Del Monte Monterey Cal and continued through his training at multiple training stations. Graduated and then aboard USS BENNINGTON The interesting point is he Mentions His Sister is wearing his wings (not the official Navy Wings) and from the dates on the letters he must have gotten it after CPT in Arizona (solo) No description of the wings but assume he is talking about the V-5 Wings but again thats only a Guess BUT he did get Wings of some sort prior to his OFFICIAL NAVY GRADUATION WINGS

could also be the Pal Navy version. Some are marked RH 37. Kabar had a knife only marked Kabar on one side.   Coles book shows a PAL only blade marking.

I don't need one. I received valuable technical training, experience and now I am receiving medical care from the VA.