This is an original, extensive WWII uniform, document, photo, insignia, and ephemera group belonging to a combat engineer attached to the 592 Engineer Boat & Shore Regiment, part of the 2nd Engineer Special Brigade.
The items in this group include:
1. Ike Jacket – Size 40 Regular dated May 10, 1944. It has EM US and Engineer collar ciphers with smooth clutches. The chevrons and shoulder sleeve insignia are machine sewn and the pocket patch is hand sewn. The ribbon bars are pin back. Excellent condition with no mothing.
2. Khaki Shirt – Size 15.5 x 33 inches. All insignia is hand sewn to the shirt. Small rust stain (from hanger) on back of neck and a small rust stain on the front shirt tail (from dry cleaning staple). Otherwise, clean.
3. Khaki Necktie – 40% wool / 60% rayon. No issues.
4. Wool Trousers – Dated May 7, 1946. Excellent condition. No Mothing.
5. Web Belt – Cream colored with ornate brass buckle with US Army Eagle (see pic). Total length 36 inches.
6. EM/NCO Visor Cap – Fur felt with russet brown leather front and back strap. “Made by Feldman”, size 7 1/8. Minimal mothing on top of cap. Supple.
7. Discharge - 2 pages. Official copy (black). Verifies his assignment with 592 Engineer Boat & Shore Regiment.
8. American Legion Cap – Post 331 (Nebraska). Some mothing.
9. Portraits – All 8×10 (4 total). One of soldier in uniform after basic training. Nice image with 1940’s color tinting. The other are high school, college, and later in life (with glasses).
10. Domain of the Golden Dragon Award – Full color and attractive (see pic). In original envelope postmarked November 11, 1945.
11. Letter of Recognition from President Barack Obama
12. Meal Card – Dated January 1945. Signed by veteran on back
13. Army Song Book – Dated 1941. Excellent condition.
14. Post Cards – 4 total. One is to the veteran’s parents and reads, “Dear folks, I’m at Fort Lewis at present and due to the large number of men here it will take from five to seven days for me to obtain my worshipped discharge. I hope you are in better health mom. It won’t be long before I am home for good.” Dated October 1, 1946. The other 3 post cards are from a friend of the veteran while he was vacationing.
15. 7 Stock Images of Japan Surrendering – Each measures 4 x 5 inches.
16. 1 Snapshot – 3 x 4 inches of the night sky being lit up by ship ordnance. The veteran wrote the following on the back, “Okinawa on the night that the news was announced that Japan had surrender (sic). The sky is filled with shells and bullets from everything from pistols to heavy anti-aircraft guns. Several men were killed and and (sic) a few were wounded from this demonstration of happiness over Japan’s surrender.”
17. Sterling ID Bracelet – Heavily tarnished with the veteran’s name on on side and his ASN (Army Serial Number) on the other.
18. Ribbons and Insignia – Minty loose Asiatic-Pacific Campaign ribbon, Good Conduct ribbon, WWII Victory ribbon, two “Ruptured Duck” lapel pins, 2 Engineer patches (removed from uniform), and 1 corps patch (removed from uniform).
19. School Pictures – Three 1930’s grade school class photographs. Postcard size.
Price: SOLD
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Original, Vietnam era Army Dress Blue officer blouse in a tagged size 42 Long with shoulder tabs for a Lieutenant Colonel in the Medical branch. The visor cap is made by “Top Rank” and is a tagged size “7 1/4″. Both the cap and blouse were used by a Lt Colonel C.T. Yarington, Jr (MC 04065519). I Googled this veteran and it appears he was a surgeon who wrote several articles in medical journals.
The blouse is in excellent, used condition. The visor cap has evidence of light moth tracking in the nap on the top of the cap. It is very slight, in fact I didn’t notice it until I was outside photographing the items. Otherwise, the cap is in excellent condition.
Price: SOLD
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This is a 1950 dated USMC dress blue blouse named to a PFC Leland Wilson. The blouse is in excellent, used condition.
Price: SOLD
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Featured is a light weight tiger stripe camouflage shirt worn by Special Forces veteran SGT Bruce Ulricson while he was attached to the B-16 Mike Force (1st Mobile Strike Force Command) from 09/01/1969 to 03/01/1970. His tiger stripe shirt has his name and army tape machine embroidered on tiger stripe material, a Vietnamese hand embroidered set of US jump wings sewn on tiger stripe material, and a set of South Vietnamese silk woven (bevo) jump wings. SGT Ulricson remembered the name and army tapes being made up on a sewing machine at the B-16 compound, “where you could buy boonie hats and assorted items then have anything direct embroidered on them for little cost.”
SGT Ulricson also served as a radioman at Camp A-109 (Thuong Duc) from 01/01/1969 to 09/01/1969. I recently had the privilege of interviewing SGT Ulricson, where he relayed his experiences serving on an A-Team and Mike Force:
1. What was your motivation to volunteer for Special Forces?
What motivated me initially was the physical and mental challenge of being S.F. Also, being with the best trained soldiers in the Army. I spent 1 year in Training Group and served with the most professional NCO’s in the Army… dedicated, professional, motivated, pride and never whining about duty to our country. They realized their risk and went the extra mile. Some of these men came home in body bags. There are some things worth dying for…
2. What Special Forces Groups did you serve in chronologically during your Special Forces career?
Enlisted:
- PFC: Training Group 7/1967 – 6/1968
- Spec 4: 6th SFG(A) 6/1968 – 11/1968
- Spec 4 – SSGT: 5th SFG(A) 12/1968 – 3/1970
Officer:
- 1/10th SFG(A) ODA 31 (Team Leader) 4/1985 – 6/1987
- SOCOM (Ft Bragg) Project Officer, Training Exercises 1987 – 1989
- S3 – Training Group Spt Bn 1993 – 1994
- Retired 8/1994
3. What did you like/dislike about serving on an A-Team?
Likes:
Again, serving with the best. Working with our allies (e.g. Dutch, Canadian, SAS, Germans). I liked the physical and mental challenge. The diversity in the mission… operations from living in snow caves, jumping out of MC-130’s, living in the jungle with Rhade (Montagnards), rock climbing, weapons training, meeting people… never bored, a sense of accomplishing the mission(s), and surviving all of this. I have approximately 2 dozen friends’ names carved on The Wall. Life is precious.
Dislikes:
Dog and pony shows for VIP’s. Warm beer. Learning of a close friend’s KIA. The medic. Rats crawling on you at night… leeches. Dumb people; that could get others killed. People that give up.
4. What did you like/dislike about serving on a Mike Force?
The Mike Force was the Montagnards. Totally loyal to our missions and to us. Did not run away from enemy contact. Loved to party after combat operations. Watch cowboy shows. Play volleyball. They new the “bush.” Took care of me. The best fighters!
I liked my complete tour with the Mike Force. If not in the bush, I spent my free time with the Rhade; socializing, training, eating, drinking, partying – understanding them, as well as they understand me.
I honestly cannot recall any time I would put in the “dislike” category. (I’m sure there were some)
5. Any intersting stories you would like to share about training, camp, life, patrols, operations, etc?
My entire 6 months with the Rhade I could write an action story/novel. Following is a list of stuff I remember and share with you:
- Watching John Wayne/cowboy movies
- Drinking and partying with them (Rhade).
- I would buy gin at the PX on sale
- Playing volleyball… combat style
- Looking at Time/Life magazines together and explaining US customs, values, culture
- Chep (Rhade Co Commander) “appropriating” a mattress for him
- Being invited and participating in three Black Rock ceremonies with village elders. And receiving a montagyard bracelet
- Crossing rivers and throwing in concussion grenades to get a fish dinner that evening. Cut in two, stuffed in a canteen cup, heated with C-4 provides a yummy hot meal
- Crossing bomb craters by walking single file over the crater of a fallen tree. The one that falls in gets wet and we all get a good belly laugh out of it
- Rhade had a great sense for enjoying life and realizing “their” day with the Americans will end and probably not the way they want
My time in the Mike Force and with the Rhade will be forever etched in my being for my lifetime.
The following images were taken by a 173rd Airborne photographer who followed a Mike Force operation SGT Ulricson was on. Click on the images to read the captions SGT Ulricson provided.
Posted in Militaria Articles by Era, Vietnam War Militaria | 1 Comment »
Ira Eaker (1896 – 1987) led the first B-17 (heavy bomber) attack on continental Europe, a raid on Rouen, France on August 17, 1942. In 1942 he became commander of the mighty 8th Army Air Force, and in 1944, he became commander of the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces. Eaker entered the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 1970.
Eakers signature is on a postmarked air mail envelope to Washington dated January 6, 1931.
Price: $75.00 (USD)
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