1st Infantry Ike Jacket

[Luftwaffe 1941]

Is the bottom layer of ribbons 1/2"?

You'd be suprised. I have seen ikes with ribbons out of order, with duplicate ribbons, with ribbons they were not entitled to have, with ribbons from different eras that make no sense as to why they would be on there, but what do they all share in common? Their originality.

I have a 77th ID uniform with the bottom layer of ribbons being 1/2" and the top layer a 3/8" made up of 3 duplicates. I would say that most likely the different sized ribbons were found in the pocket and added on later, but still finding these jackets with all sorts of ribbon combinations is not out of the ordinary.

What do the cluthbacks on the ribbon bars look like? Do they have clutchbacks or not?

Hunt

I've seen many jackets in the past with out of place or incorrect ribbon bars, so I completely agree with your statement.

All of the ribbons on this particular jacket measure the same at half an inch. The upper row and the army of occupation ribbon on top both have a protective plastic outer piece, but the bottom row of ribbons that are sewn on are exposed with no plastic piece. The clutches on the duplicated row of ribbons are your standard WW2 era examples that are smooth, instead of the post war versions you can find that have the dimples.

[BrodieBartfast]

not sure how I missed this one! A very nice Ike to a famous division.

Regards, B.B.

[paulscoot]

An Ike attributed to the Big Red 1, welldone great pickup

[huntssurplus]

I've seen many jackets in the past with out of place or incorrect ribbon bars, so I completely agree with your statement.

All of the ribbons on this particular jacket measure the same at half an inch. The upper row and the army of occupation ribbon on top both have a protective plastic outer piece, but the bottom row of ribbons that are sewn on are exposed with no plastic piece. The clutches on the duplicated row of ribbons are your standard WW2 era examples that are smooth, instead of the post war versions you can find that have the dimples.

So the bottom row is sewn on? is the duplicate row and the occupation ribbon attached to the same ribbon bar? Or is it an extra row of duplicate ribbons and then the occupation ribbon on its own?

I'd say most likely the extra ribbons were added on right before he was to go home and be discharged.

Hunt

[Kohima]

I fully agree that ribbons were frequently worn in the wrong order (we have all seen or owned such examples), but still say the duplicates are ‘more likely’ to be a post-service addition, by the veteran or family member, as convenient storage..

Of course, none of us can confirm either way exactly how and when they got there - and one can never say always or never - but that aside, this is a lovely example of an honest and desirable jacket to a very famous regiment and division..

I do wish to say that my previous comment about the courtroom guards all being decorated combat veterans is quite erroneous.. Although this was the intention, it was not a sustainable plan over the course of a ten month trial. With combat veterans being a priority for demobilisation and return to the States, before long, many replacements and occupation men were becoming the norm.
There is a good chance that this veteran saw some guard duty in or around the courtroom or prison, though the four pocket Class-A jacket was standard for the 1945-46 trials.

All the best to all, and stay well,
Bob

[huntssurplus]

Hey Bob, I agree with you for the most part, but the fact that the occupation ribbon is above the second row of ribbons, and that the bottom row is sewn on, I think there is a decent chance it was worn like that.

But, as you said, we can't really know for sure unless there was a period photo of the veteran wearing this uniform on the way home/right after discharge.

Hunt

[Luftwaffe 1941]

So the bottom row is sewn on? is the duplicate row and the occupation ribbon attached to the same ribbon bar? Or is it an extra row of duplicate ribbons and then the occupation ribbon on its own?

I'd say most likely the extra ribbons were added on right before he was to go home and be discharged.

Hunt

Yes, the very bottom row is directly sewn to the jacket. The duplicate row and occupation ribbon are separate from each other. Interestingly the duplicate row is held on by two clutches, while the occupation ribbon is a pin back example. So each row of ribbons on this jacket is attached in a different fashion.

Best regards- Jarret

[Luftwaffe 1941]

I fully agree that ribbons were frequently worn in the wrong order (we have all seen or owned such examples), but still say the duplicates are ‘more likely’ to be a post-service addition, by the veteran or family member, as convenient storage..

Of course, none of us can confirm either way exactly how and when they got there - and one can never say always or never - but that aside, this is a lovely example of an honest and desirable jacket to a very famous regiment and division..

I do wish to say that my previous comment about the courtroom guards all being decorated combat veterans is quite erroneous.. Although this was the intention, it was not a sustainable plan over the course of a ten month trial. With combat veterans being a priority for demobilisation and return to the States, before long, many replacements and occupation men were becoming the norm.
There is a good chance that this veteran saw some guard duty in or around the courtroom or prison, though the four pocket Class-A jacket was standard for the 1945-46 trials.

All the best to all, and stay well,
Bob

The fact that there is a slight possibility of this man being involved with the trials is enough to get me exited! I personally find the history of the Nuremberg trials to be fascinating. In what most consider the most important trial of history, some of Hitler's top henchmen would be tried and punished for the horrible crimes they committed.

For those of you who also find the trials to be an interesting subject, I think you will enjoy this video. A man by the name of "Gerald Boe" recounts his experiences as a guard during the trials. He even shows his own Ike jacket during the video! YouTube

Best regards- Jarret

[Salzburg]

Very nice jacket, and a nice tribute to your Grandfather too.

Regards


Martin