Got a buddy whose grandfather was a bomber pilot in the Air Force for 35 years. Longer than my age times 2!!!   Wade

earcups came in today and I have them wired so that everything would be ready for speakers foam inserts and ear seals.

got a banana mounting plate in and only cost me $75  that was the cheaper option versus paying almost $400 for one with the Anvis 6/9 mount but if I manage to find one for less than $200 then I might buy that and put it on the banana mount. I will also need to buy a Step in visor if I want to display it with the mounting plate on the helmet. The mounting brackets came from Flight helmet for the banana mount which came in with the nape strap and the J plate for the 4708 helmet cord.

A Rank of Old Timers pose at their vessel's airplane, Chiefs All and Right Sleeve Rank wearing men.   USS Philadelphia, a  Brooklyn-class Light Cruiser. The Airplane we assume is not the Seagull Biplane, but the Kingfisher if so then photo dates after 1940, as Kingfishers start Fleet and Shore issuance in August 1940, so maybe photo is summer of 1941?

More of a view of it.

I got this late last month came with it's original foam liner. It's sized extra Large and dated to 1988 which is 3 years younger than my 1985 dated early contract HGU-55 and the majority of my photos are on my phone of the rebuild and I actually got this $50 cheaper than the 1985 early contract helmet.   https://www.ebay.com/itm/336419561561   The bayonet recievers were from the same seller that I got them from for the 1985 early contract rebuild and it took me less time to refoam the earcup piles thanks to the experience from the other rebuild. the chinstrap was sourced from ebay specifically from Gary Diapranene (yes the infamous guy) XL nape strap came from flight helmet I already had the visor snaps on hand. Majority of my photos are on my phone but I did post them on the Flight gear collectors facebook group.

Awesome! Thank you so much for this. I didn’t know he was awarded this medal till now. 

Heres a Marine group with one of those changed to a stick pin. 

Wish I could have visited one of those stores, probably would have spent hours digging . I find BDU'S in local trift stores for cheap sometimes.  

Unidentified Marine with Expert Rifleman qualification badge in the 1912 summer khaki uniform (I think, USMC is not my area of expertise).   Joseph A. Mehring from Columbus, Ohio, born there in 1888.  He trained with the 158th Depot Brigade before assignment to Company L, 331st Infantry, 83rd Division he fell sick at the embarkation port and was shipped several days after his company.  He was reassigned to Co. G, 329th Infantry and eventually served with Quartermaster Mobile Bath Unit 4.  Taken August 20, 1918 "somewhere in France."  He was a grocer in civilian life and died in 1961.