Dear Patches,    Your answer quoted above is extremely helpful and interesting. Is there a posted thread anywhere on this forum which you can link to here explaining your sources and methods for how to conduct the research you are describing in your post? Or if not, could you possibly post them here with links?   To expand on that, is there a way to decipher and research soldier's serial numbers on uniforms even if without names and use those?  I think I have some WWII and later period uniforms with only numbers (with letter prefixes?) visible.    If not already, of course this would be immensely helpful posted in an easy-to-find central location for newer members like me to find as a critical reference.   Thanks for any additional guidance if possible please, thank you! 

I got most of the medals. Some egraved some not.

Hello. I got one of these and looks to be well worn. Wish I knew who had it.

An Error more current 90s-2000s 172nd Infantry Brigade, a odd one as it was blown during its embroidery, but given its plastic coating, though it wasn't given its merrowed edge we see, like why do that now that the patch is an error.    

Very hard without the full first name rather then just the initial, did check the O  register for RA Os of 1955, but he's not in it indicating he's a Reserve Commission, and the online site that has these registers didn't make available the volumes that list Reserve Components.

Yes, as this portrait of him testifies to that, seeing its one taken after his service in Korea,  

Communication from Marshall to Sutherland Jan 30 1942.  Sec War Stimson was pushing early on for the MOH for MacArthur.

Life incorrectly listed it as an Expert in its photo shoot.  Generals were not specifically excluded initially, that was added with a later revision.

You can start checking through this:  https://www.militaryindexes.com/worldwarone/