I'm curious how you came to this conclusion? I have been researching and from what I could find this Purple Heart is identical to a period Navy Purple Heart. Is there something I am missing to help tell them apart? I'm just curious. As far as your choice of words when you say "your Purple Heart" , seeing as it is not mine, is inaccurate. It is no way mine. I have never purchased one.

“I would like to welcome Captain Atfoo to the Battalion.  He is Ranger qualified with a ‘combat patch’, but wears an EIB.  He also was a commissioned Drill ‘Sergeant’ prior to joining us.  He has not seen AR 670-1, but will be reading it from the FLRP until his blouse gets un-******!”   (And yes, before anybody chimes in, I know there are legit ways this could happen, but how likely?)

The canopy release fittings (Frost Fittings) have a small set screw on each side of the crossbar that you have to take out. Take them out and remove the crossbar. Put the fitting in place, slide the crossbar through the holes in the fitting and harness, then put the set screws back in.     For the ejector snaps, unscrew the pin and remove it and the sleeve. Put the sleeve in place through the loop in the harness. Put the ejector snap in position with the release pull facing out. Put the pin through the hole in the fitting and sleeve and tighten the pin.   For the V-Rings, thread the harness webbing through them.

Yeah my question is how to put the fittings on the harness, I know where they need to be 

May be a nice early Yellow Grenade. If the color of the yellow is accurately represented in the photo, I'd say it is period. Two tests, if you could get it in hand put it in the sun for half an hour. If there is no smell of paint, then at lease you can assume that all the volatiles have dissipated indicating the paint has been on the grenade for a long time. If you smell anything after the body has warmed up, you should pass.  Another more immediate test is, the paint should be hard, see if you can indent the paint with your fingernail after a hard press. If your fingernail indents the paint, then I would also not make the purchase.   Can you show the top of the spoon to see its markings?  

Thank you both for your input! I'm glad to know it seems all good. 😁

Good lord, what a mess.  I don’t even know where to start….    Some of the patches look to just be laying on the tops.  And crookedy patch rotation, unevenly spaced from shoulder seams - I would have LOVED watching somebody show up to formation in one of those things…    

Thank you so much for sharing these; I really appreciate you taking the time to pull those records. I have come across several of them in my research but a couple of these are new to me and add helpful context to the diary entries.   I have been researching this collection fairly extensively over the past several weeks. It actually caught the attention of the Head of Special Collections and Archives at Clemson University Libraries, given Kemp's connection to the school; she described it as one of the most complete WWII collection their institution had encountered. We had a formal meeting to discuss potential placement of the collection.   Given the completeness of the grouping I am trying to get a better sense of where something like this sits in the current market — particularly for a named 8th Air Force KIA archive with a continuous diary. Any insight the community has on comparable groupings or recent sales would be genuinely helpful.   Again, thank you for the research contribution; this is exactly the kind of community engagement I was hoping for.

20th Air Force Jeep at Kadena AB, Okinawa.