Foot Locker of THE Julian A. Cook??

**Wilk Mydlarz** · 11-29-2016, 02:55 AM

I picked this up from a thrift store just because I thought my son would like to store his stuff in it. After I got it home, I decided to research the name on the trunk... and of course came up with the man portrayed by Robert Redford in "A Bridge Too Far".
On the front it states he is a Lt. but on the side the painting states 2nd Lt. Wikipedia says Cook graduated from West Point as a 2nd Lt in 1940. The trunk has an emblem which states: 1949 Doehler Metal Products Corp New York. Elsewhere on this forum a member states his opinion the the 1949 does not necessarily indicate a year.
Is this just a fabulously realistic reenactor's trunk? (Though I don't see why a reenactor would mark Cook as 2nd Lt rather than Major, which is what his rank was during Operation Market Garden.)
My son has postulated that the blue tag taped to the bottom of the trunk may be an auction lot number.
Also, across the top of the lid is some writing that I can't make out... it looks like three words and the third work looks like "OFFICE" or possibly "OFFICER". I've taken a separate photo of each word.

Thanks for any help!

**Chopperman** · 11-29-2016, 03:35 AM

How cool would that be if it turned out to be the real deal.

**MAP** · 11-29-2016, 03:39 AM

Cracker!!!

**Wilk Mydlarz** · 11-29-2016, 03:44 AM

by MAP

Cracker!!!

Is that good?

**MAP** · 11-29-2016, 03:55 AM

by Wilk Mydlarz

Is that good?

I should have been a bit more verbose.. Sorry. Broke the rules by not expounding a bit more... and my term Cracker was actually a very poor choice of words in looking back.

I don't know trunks so would like to see why someone thinks the 1949 isn't a date.

But even then I'm highly skeptical. Was he de-ranked post war? As the two tags are post war. One is even dated March 1948.

**Wilk Mydlarz** · 11-29-2016, 04:01 AM

Yes, it does appear that the customs form is printed "MAR 48" at the bottom.
Could he simply have been using/re-using his old trunk without updating his rank? Does seem weird...
As for 1949 not being the date... I haven't found ANY Doehler trunks with any other year. Doesn't seem likely they would only make trunks during the year 1949.

**MAP** · 11-29-2016, 04:13 AM

I guess it is possible. But just speculating without further research. I guess a key clue would be to see if he served in the army of the occupation during that time period.