First Sergeant Ezra Eugene Cassady was born on 21 August 1916 in Adair County, Missouri. He graduated Kirksville High School in May 1933 and he initially entered military service in November 1937. By early 1940, he was serving as a Private First Class in the Headquarters Company of the 2nd Infantry, 5th Division. He was stationed at Fort Wayne in Detroit, Michigan, at the time of the 1940 census. On November 27, 1940, Cassady reenlisted in the Air Corps at Detroit for assignment to the Hawaiian Department. He arrived in the Territory of Hawaii in January 1940 and was assigned to Wheeler Field serving in the Quartermaster Corps. On the morning of December 7, 1941, Cassady was a Corporal in the 25th Materiel Squadron, 18th Air Base Group. Wheeler Field served as Hawaii’s primary fighter base and was a priority target for the first wave of Japanese aircraft. Because American aircraft were parked wingtip-to-wingtip on the tarmac to prevent sabotage, they were highly vulnerable to the approximately 35 bombs dropped during the initial assault. CPL Cassady’s unit was responsible for the maintenance and supply of these aircraft, placing his personnel at the center of the devastation on the flight line. Ground crews at Wheeler were forced to operate under heavy fire, dragging equipment from burning hangars and attempting to save aircraft engines while fire departments battled the resulting "river of fire" on the tarmac. The 18th Air Base Group faced catastrophic losses, with nearly two-thirds of the field's 140 planes destroyed or put out of action during the two waves of the assault. Ground-level chaos included the explosion of millions of rounds of stored munitions in Hangar #3, which sent glass and shrapnel through nearby facilities. Despite the destruction, ground crews successfully rearmed and fueled a handful of P-40 and P-36 fighters, allowing a few pilots to get airborne and engage the enemy. By the time the second wave ended at 9:45 a.m., the installation had suffered 33 personnel killed and 75 wounded. Cassady stayed at Wheeler Field until 1943, helping to rebuild from the attack devastation. Following his service in the Pacific, which included (in his own words) “activity related to supporting the Battle of Midway and operations at Wake Island, Guadalcanal, and the Coral Sea,” Cassady transferred to the European Theater of Operations in September 1943. By May 18, 1944, he had been promoted to First Sergeant. During his time in England, he served with the 8th and 9th Air Forces. Cassady returned to the United States in late 1944 and married Alice Kephart in Missouri on November 18. His final wartime assignments included duty at Santa Ana Army Air Base and Laughlin Field, Texas. First Sergeant Ezra Eugene Cassady was officially discharged from the military on May 26, 1945. He passed away on May 23, 2002, in Warren, Michigan. An interesting note, while in Hawaii, Cassady wrote 5 poems that were published in Honolulu newspapers, including on the day after the attack on 8 December 1941. He also had a copyright for a published song. This gorgeous, British made jacket is in immaculate condition and serves as a reminder of the survivors of Pearl Harbor that went on to support the war in both theaters.

I posted this in the ASMIC FB group but I figured I would also share it here.   Looking for an ID on this patch. I picked this up today. It came from the belongings of a man who worked in Military Intelligence and atleast worked for the DIA.   That being said I am guessing it is some kind of intel/ signals unit.

WWI era US grenade vest or "Grenade aprons" in British parlance. There are several old threads on them. TONS of equipment were made for US forces in 1918 in preparation for the planned allied 1919 spring offensive, but then came the November 1918 armistice and the end of war, leaving the military with huge stocks of leftover equipment.    https://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/249599-m1918-grenade-carrier/

Almost in the same style , like the large bubble glass oval WW1 pictures you see of the time. 

I did reach out to ShopGW and asked to have them contact the buyer if they wanted to spin it. Crickets. Typical. Did anyone score this one?

Hello, I would like some help with the mark on the back of the vest.  The top line appears to say 'H.H & Co' and the second 'May 1918' but cant make out the third line.  Also I know these were used to carry grenades but is there any other history or story to them? Thanks John

Almost ready to start putting my Skyhawk together! My dad’s squadron, the Rampagers had blue rams horns on their flight helmets, similar to the LA Rams. Dad was tickled when he saw that little detail.

Some close-ups, and current ring for comparison.

I get it, definitely get’s old after posting multiple topics with no response or conversation.

Missed this topic, some real gems, especially that 1st Airborne task force patch on the first page, a real beauty. Like the book/manual. Never seen anything like that! Do you know if that was specific to that unit or not?