Militaria Collectors

[VESUVIO]

Any WW1 or WW II militaria collectors?

[anglykos]

Yes, I have a 1943 Willys jeep which I am restoring

[Launch Mini]

have some items my father brought back from Germany during WWII.
No pictures, but have a bayonette, pencils & small items marked with the dreaded swastika.
My watch box is a cedar chest he used for his personal belongings while overseas.
Most of his medals etc were stolen years ago.

[VESUVIO]

Anyone else?

[Grumpy Badger]

I have all my grandfathers memorabilia from WWII including captured German Binoculars and a pocket watch but I'm not interested in collecting more stuff that doesn't have a family conection.

This thread may be tricky to get off the ground due to the restrictions on discussing/photographing certain items but I do have a collection of cavalry swords, mostly Napoleonic Era.

[sierra11b]

Only stuff that i've acquired during my service or from family service members.

-I have a trench art two shillings ring my late Granddad made in Europe that I wear on my pinky.

-I have a two old Garand Bayonets

-Some baby clothes made from the parachutes of Operation Market Garden from an older gentleman I met in Nijmegen which were made by his mother (really cool story).

-I also have an Nazi Field Manual I traded a log of chewing tobacco for when I was training with the FschJgBtl 313. Kinda creepy and the German solider agreed which prompted the easy trade, but unfortunately it's buried in storage along with the silk parachute clothing.

-My Father-in-law has his late father's Gunto sword that he wore against China and the USA. I imagine it will be mine someday...

[VESUVIO]

very nice, thank you for sharing. Any firearms?

[TattooedGQ]

I have a couple of WW2 Japanese Katanas, and firearms from Russia and Germany.

[pz93c]

Yes.

A little of this.... a little of that.

[joeychitwood]

I have my grandfather's discharge papers and the letter of appreciation sent upon his death. He kept no other memorabilia. He fought in the Battle of the Argonne Forest, the largest battle in American history, with over 287,000 killed or wounded among the French, Germans and Americans.

I vividly recall him telling us stories of World War I while shaving; how he lived for months in filthy, muddy, rat-infested trenches and of the first use of mustard gas in war. The details of suffering and loss in Argonne almost seem incomprehensible today.

[GED]

I’m interested in WWII-era US Army uniforms.
Below is some of my small collection:

First photo is of a WWII-era “crusher” with
a modern regulation USAF A2 made by Cooper(purchased in 1990)and a WWII-era “chocolate” wool gabardine officer’s shirt and khaki tie.



Next is a reproduction Parsons M1941 field jacket(made in Japan and purchased in Tokyo-of all places-in 1993)sporting a 28th "Keystone" Div. patch with an authentic EM wool khaki shirt and trousers-the basic combat-field uniform for troops(except Airborne, tank crews)in the N. Africa/ETO for most of the war and commonly worn with khaki leggings.



And below is a set of the classic “pinks and greens”-officers wool gabardine “Ike” jacket, wool gabardine “pink” trousers, shirt, tie, and belt-all WWII era(these are seen in such great films as Twelve O’clock High).



(Have also got a couple of steel helmets with liners, three officer's "green" service coats, 2 EM service jackets, leggings, Sam Browne belt, brown russet cavalry boots, "pink" gaberdine riding breeches, cartridge belt with canteen & ammo pouches, leather holster for 1911 sidearm, service medals, silver USAAF pilot's wings, uniform badges, patches, and various service pins)

[joeychitwood]

My father served in the Army in Korea as a member of the 47th Infantry Division (Viking Division) specifically in the Finance Corps. I have his patches and brass.

[GED]

Originally Posted by joeychitwood

My father served in the Army in Korea as a member of the 47th Infantry Division (Viking Division) specifically in the Finance Corps. I have his patches and brass.

Am interested in what the blue/white striped service ribbon is?(looks
like your father was also awarded the Korean
and Occupation(Japan, Germany)service medals.
(Thank you for his service!, by the way)

[GED]

Originally Posted by GED

Am interested in what the blue/white striped service ribbon is?(looks
like your father was also awarded the Korean
and Occupation(Japan, Germany)service medals.
(Thank you for his service!, by the way)

Let me answer my own question: it's the United Nations Service Medal for Korea(thanks, Google).

[joeychitwood]

Originally Posted by GED

Let me answer my own question: it's the United Nations Service Medal for Korea(thanks, Google).

Thanks. Disbursing officers of the Finance Corps acted as agents of the US Treasury. After the war, my dad graduated from Concordia College in Minnesota and moved with my mom and another guy named Clint Hill (who at one time had dated my mom at Concordia) to Denver, where he got a Masters in Finance at DU. Clint Hill joined the Secret Service in Denver (a branch of the US Treasury) and is known as the agent who jumped on top of President and Mrs. Kennedy in Dallas the day he was killed. My dad then worked for decades in "finance," but for whom, we kids never really knew. I just recall the same "business associates" flying to wherever we lived and meeting with him. He also traveled a great deal in the 1960s and 70s, attending "classes." As a young child, I recall seeing John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy and Richard Nixon at airports the same day we would go pick up my dad from a trip. I never gave any of this a second thought, including the fact that our family suddenly moved to another city at 3AM the night I graduated from high school. My dad died in 2001.

My daughters, marveling at my cluelessness, on two separate occasions asked my mom after he was gone if dad worked for the Secret Service. Never one to lie to her family, she simply smiled and didn't answer. She died in 2007. We had moved constantly when I was a child, and upon checking, my daughters discovered that every town we lived in had a Secret Service office. My daughters have been on a mission since to find out what my dad did without success.

[GED]

Originally Posted by joeychitwood

Thanks. Disbursing officers of the Finance Corps acted as agents of the US Treasury. After the war, my dad graduated from Concordia College in Minnesota and moved with my mom and another guy named Clint Hill (who at one time had dated my mom at Concordia) to Denver, where he got a Masters in Finance at DU. Clint Hill joined the Secret Service in Denver (a branch of the US Treasury) and is known as the agent who jumped on top of President and Mrs. Kennedy in Dallas the day he was killed. My dad then worked for decades in "finance," but for whom, we kids never really knew. I just recall the same "business associates" flying to wherever we lived and meeting with him. He also traveled a great deal in the 1960s and 70s, attending "classes." As a young child, I recall seeing John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy and Richard Nixon at airports the same day we would go pick up my dad from a trip. I never gave any of this a second thought, including the fact that our family suddenly moved to another city at 3AM the night I graduated from high school. My dad died in 2001.

My daughters, marveling at my cluelessness, on two separate occasions asked my mom after he was gone if dad worked for the Secret Service. Never one to lie to her family, she simply smiled and didn't answer. She died in 2007. We had moved constantly when I was a child, and upon checking, my daughters discovered that every town we lived in had a Secret Service office. My daughters have been on a mission since to find out what my dad did without success.

Seems like your father had a very interesting-and covert career with the Secret Service. Small world! My great grandfather and grandfather both graduated from Concordia Seminary-St. Lewis(2nd oldest Lutheran Seminary in the U.S. next to Gettysburg Seminary(of the famous battlefield “Seminary Ridge”). My dad(also a Lutheran from MN)graduated from the USMA, was a career intelligence officer and was detailed with the CIA and the NSA at various points in his career. He was among the first group of officers the military sent to the Russian Studies program at Columbia and after retiring got a MA at Middlebury, and did doctorial work at Gutenberg University(Mainz)and Heidelberg. He died in 2000.

[joeychitwood]

Originally Posted by GED

Seems like your father had a very interesting-and covert career with the Secret Service. Small world! My great grandfather and grandfather both graduated from Concordia Seminary-St. Lewis(2nd oldest Lutheran Seminary in the U.S. next to Gettysburg Seminary(of the famous battlefield “Seminary Ridge”). My dad(also a Lutheran from MN)graduated from the USMA, was a career intelligence officer and was detailed with the CIA and the NSA at various points in his career. He was among the first group of officers the military sent to the Russian Studies program at Columbia and after retiring got a MA at Middlebury, and did doctorial work at Gutenberg University(Mainz)and Heidelberg. He died in 2000.

Interesting. I'm glad they were able to share info with you. I posted a new thread telling the story in a little more detail with some wise responses.

[GED]

Originally Posted by joeychitwood

Interesting. I'm glad they were able to share info with you. I posted a new thread telling the story in a little more detail with some wise responses.

If you mean by “they were able to share info with you”; the CIA and NSA-that these shared info about my father with me-no, they of course, did not. But I can document that my father served with them both-from a declassified CIA history of the early cold war years in Germany which I’ve got.

In this history there’s a short biography of my father which in it states exactly what I’ve written above about his military service including his work with the CIA and NSA. PM me and I’ll be happy to send you the link(don’t want to come off as a bullsh***er or as someone exaggerating his father’s service which is fairly common nowadays, unfortunately). Also, I can remember very well living in Arlington VA and my father driving up to Ft. Meade weekdays to work.