Thank you for this explanation Steve, this is something I always wondered. So dealing strictly in WW2 is a Coxswain a Boatswain when at the helm of a ship only? I know BM have many different jobs on a ship. Are the other Seaman branch sailors you mentioned considered Coxswain when "Driving" the ship?  Is a single stripe Boatswain a Coxswain?  Hopefully my question isn't confusing.

Thank you @KurtA and @Marinecore34 :)) I thought, that it looked strange, too, but I was just wondering if anyone had ever seen something like that before... But it seems, my gut feeling was right, that this is a funky fake :) thank you for the heads-up anyways :D   Jules 

Hi Ken I met with Kev this week at Lichfield Cathedral. The Longest Yarn exhibition was amazing! The Cathedral was very busy with lots of interest. The subjects were of course more Britain at war related compared to the Normandy scenarios you have, but represented a massive spectrum of subjects! My favourites were the Mulberry Harbour, and of course the VJ celebration 'kiss'! The skill and workmanship is incredible! Both Kev and I discussed your Jeep project, and are in awe of what you all have achieved! I purchased a framed Women's Land Army character for my daughter. Very reasonably priced, yet glad to support this wonderful cause! It was fun to catch up with a like minded friend and to share the experience together (and reminisce of all things Jeep, militaria, friends and history related!!). Cheers, Graham.

First of all, thank you for your service!   Concerning the desert and jungle uniforms being worn in basic training, I will have to look for photos... I have read from forum members, that they did get jungle jackets issued to them in basic. A Marine, who served from the late 1970s until the mid-1990s said, that he was issued ERDL jungle jackets in basic, too. Could you tell me, what CONUS means, though?   With the desert camouflage uniforms, I will have to check, but I think I saw it somewhere, but this might just have been a photo from a preparation course for a tour in Iraq... Not sure, but I will keep my eyes peeled. The only thing, I can definitely think of where I saw it, was in the movie "Cherry" from 2021. They did wear 3 color desert uniforms there, but this might just have been fiction in that case. I could have sworn, I have seen a real photo elsewhere, but I might be confusing it with something...   But you are definitely correct, that ACUs are more readily available and will be for quite some time, even though this was (and to a dwindling extent still is) the case with Woodland BDUs... And they are becoming more expensive nowadays, too. But I totally see your point with jungle jackets being associated with Vietnam, which in turn boosts the interest in them. Although, I think, that the post-Vietnam worn examples are interesting, too, as they tell their own story :))     Cheers, Jules 

@Gear Fanatic Would this even be accurate for a 1st sergeant to have his rank insignias displayed on his jacket when he was involved in combat? And that he wore a M1928 haversack and bayonet? I can't really find many pictures from the 28th so it's really hard to determine that.

Good question…better in-depth explanation 

She said she is going the route of museum/preservation quality.

It's $1,400.00 to have done.  It will be a shadow box (walnut) with a blackout.  Between the blackout and banner will be a silver border. Because the banner is delicate, glass was frowned upon by the framer.  she spent 2 hours telling me about her game plan.  She is using UV acrylic.  All acid-free materials.  She said that if I ever sell the banner, the buyer will probably want to know how the framing was done.  She will take pictures throughout the process.  She's done some very high-end pieces.

One thing our forum doesn't do, but could possible add is a people / location locator. Often, sellers don't ship or take certain payment options. I don't mind "bird dogging" stuff for others. Actually it makes the hunt for items more enjoyable when you can help someone out, or they help you. Through the forum, I have made contacts and have helped other collectors get "stuff". In this case I am looking for someone in the Mobil, AL area to snag something for me. If you can help, hit me back.    Thanks, Ben 

then I will keep what i have now and pass on the holster.