The tribute to your dad's service looks great so far!    I always liked “The Final Countdown” movie - there were some great (non-AI-generated) flying scenes in that one.

Happy to report that I reunited this medal with Ray Keller’s grand niece, Amanda. She happened to see my post doing internet research on Ray and contacted me via PM.  Coincidentally, she lives about 10 miles away from me. 

Post-auction sale is online at reduced buyer's fees. Hurry. There are a few bargins left!!!

Hate to say it, but I do believe that's a game screenshot, specifically from ARMA 3. Wouldn't be the first time it's tripped people up.   It's definitely based on the drop the 82nd conducted during REFORGER '80, though. A couple pictures from that jump, with visible SSI.  

Here's officers and chiefs of VA-175 while on USS Coral Sea for the 1950-1951 Med Cruise.   Only one I remember is the squadron CO, "Blackie" Kennedy, seated center, first row of officers.       The cruise book write up reads: "  The personnel of Attack Squadron ONE SEVEN FIVE are no strangers to the U.S.S. CORAL SEA having been aboard for the 'Middy' Cruise of 1948 and again on the recent Shakedown Cruise.  No stranger to sea duty either, the Skyraiders of ONE SEVEN FIVE have ranged the sea lanes from Greenland to Panama, in the past year spending seven months aboard the 'Flat-Tops'. "  Re-commissioned as VT-82 in September 1945 at NAS Alameda, California, the squadron was transferred to the East Coast in February of 1946, based at NAS Quonset Point, Rhode Island.  Seeing extensive sea duty in 1946 and 1947 aboard the carriers Randolph and Kearsarge, in the summer of 1948 the squadrons venerable TBM torpedo bombers were operating from the CORAL SEA, that July flying a record 1001 hours while providing Midshipman passengers a close-up of carrier aviation. "  In January 1949, the TBM's were loaded to the 'green-house' and the squadron flew south for a new home base at Jacksonville, Florida.  Shortly thereafter the Avengers were traded in for brand new Douglas 'Skyraiders', and with these new aircraft the squadron participated in in the Cold Weather Cruise of November 1949 aboard the U.S.S Midway, joining the 'Royal Order of the Blue Noses' when the Arctic Circle was crossed on the 12th of November. "  In February of 1950, VA-175 was plastering Viegues Island, flying from the U.S.S. FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT during Operation Portex.  After a short breather back in Jacksonville the squadron was in the Caribbean once more for the CORAL SEA Shakedown.  During this period a new high mark for flight time was achieved, the dependable Wright Cyclones grinding out 1464.6 hours worth of training flights in three weeks of the month of May. "  The squadron, presently commanded by Lieutenant Commander John E. Kennedy returned to the CORAL SEA on 21 August 1950 for operations in and about the Norfolk area before beginning the present Mediterranean Cruise."

FindaGrave Memorial for Albert Bivings: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/25659098/albert_eugene-bivings                                         for  Yancey Bivings:https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/156269120/yancey-harrell-bivings     Did not know if you had this information or not. Hope it helps.   Steve

I would just say that plain jane G-1 jackets tend to be difficult sales and collectors will view the replaced waistbands as a dig. Definitely not seeing this jacket bringing multiple hundreds because of availability, condition and saturation of the overall market. 

sp. lastly.

There's one way to find out... remove the EGA. Maybe there's another small shrapnel hole under the EGA? If so, it might not be a Marine helmet after all. Lastley, there's no doubt in my mine the EGA was added to this shell.    Chuck