Well, this photo goes totally against the grain on the cited belt buckle.  What was once deemed to be enlisted exclusive apparel get absolutely destroyed by photograph.  Plus, the officer selected to wear the newly authorized and approved singular Second Division Shoulder Insignia design instead of the unit specific pentagon shaped patch that was phased out the same year by order of the OQMG in 1925.  

Another WW2 era consumer button set. Nice to have the types labeled. Found this pic on etzy.   

What is the link to that thread?

Maybe my eyes are getting worse than I thought.  I didn't even see any other letters about the M but I think you might be right perhaps about the D.  Maybe the D is for Depot.  Just a thought.  I'm pretty sure someone on the forum will let us know what we're actually looking at.

No bullion fans?

I’ve loved elastolins since I was a little boy and have a couple myself.   Thanks for posting.

These are absolutely beautiful. Thank you for posting. A labor of love. 

Went to an estate sale today and stumbled across these figures. Very happy to pick them up as I very seldom find anything like this in my area.  I believe the tins are 1920’s/30’s. All are in pretty good shape. 

A native of Calumet, MI and son of a cattle dealer,  Tolkan enlisted in the Navy during the Korean war and after basic training at San Diego was ordered to Oakland, CA and duty on an attack transport, USS Sandoval;  however, he got a medical discharge for a heart condition discovered before he shipped out.    He studied theater in college on the GI Bill,  and afterwards headed to New York to become an actor with 75 bucks in his pocket.  A fearsome, imposing   chrome-dome,  known for his no-nonsense authority figures,  he played Michael J. Fox's principal, Mr.  Strickland,  in 1985's "Back to the Future",  Tom Cruise's cigar chomping CO,  Cdr. Tom "Stinger" Jardien, in 1986's  "Top Gun" and  Det. Lubic in 1987's sci-fi flick, "Masters of the Universe".   He also appeared in 1973's "Serpico" with Al Pacino and "War Games" in 1983.   Per IMDB,  his first credited role was in 1960 in the TV cop drama,  "Naked City" and his last in 2015 playing a piano player in Kurt Russell's  "Bone Tomahawk".     The line "Don't shoot me, I'm only the piano player" comes to mind with irony.     Tolkan's characters were always entertaining and he weren't no slacker and neither were his dad, the cattleman.   RIP.     

Very, very possible. As I keep staring at it for way too long, it looks like a G and not a Q, and there are more letters after the M . The box seems wider, too. I'll keep staring.. Perhaps a D after the M for USQMD. D for Department. I think I'll go with that for now.