Thanks @DogDoc for the note. I will spend the next few months watching and learning more about the market and making sure I know what I am looking at.

5th Composite Group Luke Field (Ford Island), T.H. circa 1935      

Great work and detail, would have never known it was a twig from the backyard. Reminds me a lot of a scene from Saving Private Ryan, and even looks a little like Tom Hanks. Not to take anything away from the real guys who were actually there, all I can think of is all those white crosses.  Former modeler myself, but just aircraft, tanks and ships. I could not do figures If my life depended on it. It takes a certain artistic touch, a keen eye and lots of patience.  

Here are several recorded and documented M.A. Wings sold by two well established militaria vendors that deal with high quality wares on their  respective webpages.  Some of the examples shown do line up with the photographic evidence from the 1919 publication. There are a few Aeronauts that are wearing M.A. Wings types back in the days that are not typical examples.  I suspect if either were found in the wild that they would be viewed as suspect due to the lack of detail or because they were not published in some contemporary reference material.  I think these two likely fall into this category in my opinion.  

I can’t answer your first question and only half of the second one. Good 1903A4’s are out there if you are patient and willing to dole out the funds.    Good luck Jay  

I flew on that deployment when I was a Captain in the 68th.  We were the first to deploy being there for 6 weeks and then the 70th "Tinheads" followed us for the next 6 weeks and flew our airplanes after we returned to Moody.  The flight over was 13 hours and 12 minutes for me and I was in the second element.  We departed about 3 am Moody time and arrives mid afternoon Cairo West time.  It was 10 air refuelings  and the flight was in the dark until we were crossing the Azores which was the first land we had crossed since coasting out from Nova Scotia.  To clarify, Moody did not have any F4Ds.  All 3 squadrons, 68th, 70th and 339th all wee F4E equipped.  Four of us (2 pilots and 2 WSOs) left at the 4 week point to return to Moody to begin preparing for William Tell 1980.  In the 2 week period when we were the only guys at Moody from the 68th the accident occurred which took the lives of Gordie Essinger and Jim Weatherington.  As a result we were tasked to go their homes (Pilots to Gordie's house and WSOs to Jim's house) and do what ever we could for the families.  I had seen Gordie's wife at squadron parties but didn't pay much attention since I was a single guy with my own priorities.  Getting to know her in the aftermath of this tragedy was a life changing event for both of us.  Neither one of us were expecting it or looking for it but we were married 9 months later. WE still our and our children, our twin daughters (from her first marriage) who were 10 at the time and our son (from my first marriage) who was8 at the time are now in their 50s with their own families.  God is good!  BTW- We won the F4 division at William Tell 1980 with our "dirt beating camouflaged  jets" against all the "air superiority gray jets flown by the air-to-air pukes".     

I hadn't noticed the hole spacing. Good eye! 

I owned a #d PH group to a WIA 82nd Airborne man with the PH number confirmed on his discharge papers.  Sometimes veterans filed their discharges with local city halls to confirm benefits.  As a last ditch effort I’d pursue that line of inquiry.

...and 'Hogan's Goat', PT-366     Model of PT-366 with Pacific Theater camouflage shows the boat as it was configured while stationed at PT Base 17, Bobon Point, Samar, Philippines in June 1945. The model was commissioned by Paul N. Becka, Radarman 3rd Class who served during the Philippine Liberation, September - October 1945   Matt Kudla manning the 37mm mount     Placed in service 25 June 1943 and assigned to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron EIGHTEEN (MTBRon 18) under the command of Lt. Comdr. Henry M. S. Swift, USNR   MTBRon 18, assigned to the Southwest Pacific, had action at Dreger Harbor, Aitape, Hollandia, Wakde, and Mios Woendi, in New Guinea; at Manus in the Admiralties; and at Morotai in the Halmaheras.   It also based for a time at Kana Kopa, New Guinea, and in San Pedro Bay in the Philippines, but had no action from these bases. The squadron then was reassigned to Southwest Pacific and was augmented by PT's 362 - 367, 80-foot boats fabricated by Elco and assembled at the Harbor Boat Building Co., Terminal Island, Calif. When completed these boats were identical with the 80-foot Elco model    

I am beginning to hunt for a 1903A4. I have found one that appears to be a CMP July 1999 Lottery/Auction example that has the original CMP letter from 7/19/99. It lists the rifle as a 1903A4 Condition A. It appears to be arsenal refurbished at Anniston as it has an AN stamped on the buttstock. The original RA and boxed FJA cartouches are present but very faint and the scant stock shows sanding around the grip. My question is did the large majority of CMP auctioned/lottery rifles experience similar arsenal refurbishment and service grade like ratings? Or were there also correct/collector grade rifles that came through the DCM/CMP if one is patient enough to find one?