That’s a great looking hard hat!! Thanks for posting and sharing your helmet here!!   Chris

A bit late to this… but the most likely and WAY less cool answer is that this officer reused a BDU from their time as a cadet at the USAF academy.    There was a period of time where cadets wore a class number (exampe: a “98” for the class of 1998) above the name tape. So the two missing patches would have been a class number and a USAFA patch on the pocket. 

I'm new to the forum, but not to U.S. history! I mainly focus on the colonial era, both world wars, and a bit of the cold war. I've been (trying to haha) collecting pre 20th century books (right now I have a US history book from 1886 and a US Senate Report of Committees book for the first session of the 48th Congress Vol. 5 from 1883-84). Recently I picked up a WW2 era EM cap that I'd like to share and learn more about. 

Sheri, I guess the first thing would be to see if that unit was on Omaha on D-Day.   Next, many guidons were made by the Army Quartermaster and were tagged inside the sleeve. They were dated but often those marks are worn away. Still the style of tag could help date it. That would require removing it from the frame.    Research of the grandfather would be equally important. Does the family have any or all of the documents of his service? Some can be obtained thru researchers here, there's a section on doing that.    Finally, I remember a flag that came from a ship involved on D-Day in an auction years ago. Research showed the ship was there, and that sailor was there too. The sailor was a cook. How or why did the cook end up with a flag from such a historic event? Even that day, everyone knew the significance of the event and would want that flag. As I recall, that question could not be answered since the man had passed away but the family grew up being told that the flag flew on D-Day. I hate to rain on the parade but I thought it was more likely that the flag was flown on that ship but not on D-Day.    Glen Back (I think) bought a D-Day flag at a charity event for a few hundred thousand dollars. Since then many flags have come out of the woodwork.  Good luck. 

patches    Thanks for the intell., and sadly the field jacket is a repro I bought. My grandfather didn't come home with any uniform(s); just his decorations.

C. Older signed it as well.  He became a judge in California.  He was the judge for the Manson trial.

Springfield Rifle 1952

Cool. Looks like “Pappy” Boyington and Chanaulght (sp) on there as well.

Hi!  My husband is a third generation retired 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. 

Thank you, Yokata57.