Just wanted to let y’all know I changed my handle from ScottN to DUCKnCOVER.  I hope everyone has a GREAT 4th & 250th!   Cheers

Marv, Thank you!  I thought there might be more information since Gary published and you had some.  :)   I suppose that leaves UFH or Springfield as the more likely places where it got shortened. The M7 scabbard that was with it has the VP - stamped on the metal, so my understanding is that is from the run early 1950s.    I'll leave the brown grips on it.  Yes its just to show what went with the rifle, and maybe 'use it' if needed at the WW2 themed 2-gun match in Md. this Dec.  The rifle itself was rebarreled late 40s and I use it for local monthly CMP matches.   Not a collectable per se but the history is important to me regardless.   Matt

Great thread & very informative.   Perhaps redundant, but here are some more photos of the liner above.   CC          

Hello, hope your doing well, I hope you don’t mind the message, I’ve been looking for a genuine and original Maroon Pararescue beret for a long time, my grandpa and my dad both were PJ’s back in the day. Grandpa served during Vietnam, passed away in 06, he was buried with his beret as all PJ’s generally are, dad’s beret was lost a long time ago. I would love to see if you wouldn’t mind talking with me about possibly getting one of these from you.? It would be nice to have one to remember my grandpa by. I’ve been searching around for a long time. Thank you for kindly seeing my message and hope to hear back at some point. 

Kind of an unusual one, Unit Police marked PASGT Helmet cover.     I am told this would’ve likely been worn in Korea during a short deployment there.    If anyone knows more please feel free to correct me.  

I would say it's been rebuilt,   The RP swivel is Rochester Products, all original parts would be R marked. The bolt and other parts should be blued, and the receiver Parkerizing is rather light, factory finish is darker.  Still a nice rifle.  

Most if not all the pouches were featured in SPEARS. My two are almost complete save one lacks the ammo pouches and I need the resupply packs. But they were almost exclusively m81 woodland. Great piece of gear truely.

So many thousands of stories like this that go to the grave untold. Thanks for sharing. 

I can now confirm that Eugene B. LeBailly graduated from the Grand Central Flying School in 1939 in Class 40-A.  The men who made it through training and earned their wings as members of Class 40-A formed an association after the war and had reunions and published a book in 1980 commemorating their 40th Anniversary.  There are poor quality group photos of the men in the book I have, and no discernable wings can be seen on them in the photos.