WW2/korean war era US ike jacket
Hello everyone,
Today i got this ike jacket i would like to share. One thing i noticed is that the two rank (major) pins are different. Perhaps someone replaced it... I am pretty satisfied with this jacket but i have two questions:
1) i noticed the service stripes are on the right arm. Normally i see them on the left.. is this cause for concern?
2) also can someone identify the last ribbon on the bar and what the two crossing swords mean.
Hope you like it!
Michael
one would think at this point i would know how to properly post lol.. thank you for fixing it
Michael,
I have a few concerns with this Ike jacket and I will explain my reasons: Other than the sewn on patches, I believe the insignia was added later. The ribbon bar is very nice and is embroidered, but you will notice between the ribbons the lighter colored Khaki material. This ribbon bar should not be on this uniform. It appears not to be sewn on the jacket, but rather pinned to it. The last ribbon is a foreign decoration, Belgian I believe, which is quite possible to be on this ribbon bar. The Combat Infantryman's badge looks to be a recent strike and appears once again to have been added later to the uniform. The oak leaves for the rank of Major seemed to also have been haphazardly placed on the uniform, one not being centered. There is no cause for concern about having mixed rank. Perhaps the pin back on one of the oak leaves broke and the individual replaced it with another oak leaf.
The placement of the hash marks on the right sleeve is correct for Post World War Two uniforms, and based on the regulations, "Individuals assigned to a unit that received the Meritorious Unit Commendation (lower right sleeve) are authorized to wear it." This does not specify between Officer's and Enlisted Personnel, it only states "Individuals Assigned".
The US and Crossed rifles were again added by someone else.
I would look inside the pockets and other areas inside the uniform for a manufacturers tag or even a name. If there is a name, you may be able to research and find that this uniform was not put together..
The hash marks on the right sleeve indicate overseas service. For every 6 months a hash mark was awarded. In this case the wearer has 2 years overseas. As I mentioned before, the placement is correct after World War Two.
Although I brought up some of the issues that I would look out for, the important thing is this: If you are happy with the uniform, it doesn't matter what others may think. I have collected uniforms and militaria for nearly 50 years and sometimes I may be jaded by what I have seen. I am not seeing the attention to detail that I would expect from an Officer of the United States Army, after having served for 22 years as a Senior NCO looking for and picking out uniforms infractions, this one has a few red flags for me... but again I hope that you are happy with the uniform and the information that I provided.
Look into Belgian decorations and you may be able to identify the ribbon..
Smitty
thank you for all the info, Yes the ribbons are pinned to the jacket, and unfortunately there is no name on the inside. Even if i got bad news, at least i know for the future. i appreciate the help
Michael
Michael,
We all have been there at one time or another.. As I get older, I try to pass some of the knowledge on to newer collectors, so that we can continue this hobby..
If you ever need any help, just let me know, I will be more than happy to assist you along the way..
Happy Collecting
Smitty
appreciate it, thanks smitty!by Rakkasan187
Just to add to the previous comments by Smitty, the Ike jacket also appears to be an EM jacket as opposed to an Officer's. Certainly not common, but not unheard of to see an EM jacket being used by an Officer. I would just think with that many years of service and by the time of achieving the rank of Major this individual would have an Officer's jacket.
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