Hi Folks:  Saw this jacket in an American thrift store in Germany and took pictures.  German civilian "US patched" armor jacket.  just wanted to share FYI

People could have anything engraved on a buckle, for a price. Just pay the guy and pick it up later. Get to the Big P.I., order your buckle, grab a couple of beers, a steak, maybe a rub and a tug and pick up your buckle. I've seen a lot of buckles that weren't military themed. Check postings in this thread. Examples; Boy Scouts, Hollywood Stunt Men, other masonic, sailing, monograms, etc., just to name a few. That's the beauty of these buckles.

While this site is primarily about militaria collecting, there is a section dedicated to Historical Discussions.  Scroll down the main page until you find it and try posting there.  That section doesn’t get as much traffic as it should. Try kicking up some dust there and maybe you can get something rolling. Without knowing the history, these relics we collect would be meaningless bits of metal, cloth, or wood.  I for one have been a history buff at least since my early teens, way over 50 years ago (eeeks! that long? I feel old now). I came onto collecting for the thrill, to me, of having small slices of history in hand. So I learn something history related first, then I get a bug to have something that was there.  The artifacts are themselves history in solid form. Unfortunately, lately I’ve been forgetting a little of what was in the old noggin.  I have been to Gettysburg twice. Once with the family that created me, about 1975, and again about 15 years ago with the family I created. Personally, I found all the monuments visually interesting, but they kept getting in the way of my mental picture of what went on there. I much preferred the Antietam battlefield for getting a feel for the history of the place.  I for one am glad you found us here and hope you conclude that joining wasn’t a mistake. You aren’t alone in your interest in the history side of things here.  mikie

Just asking. But why is there a freemason symbol on the beltbuckle? -BC

CDR Craig Dean Powell graduated BUD/S Class 123 on 1 July 1983. 

Alright, yeah that's probably my best bet. I'll search up and find the closest I can get to the actual chinstrap. Thanks!

Army.

And made from 1954 to 1965, after which the code used is now  E23

Looks to me to be a fake. Letters are wobbly and filled.    Wade

Addressed in different thread