I like Ikes

[RustyRelics]

I recently hit the jackpot while searching antique stores in Western Pennsylvania. Four Ike jackets, three identified sets of Navy uniforms, 1 unidentified Navy uniform set and an unidentified Navy Jumper, all WWII or shortly after period. Today, I will show you two Ikes that belonged to the same soldier.

Here we have an April 21st, 1945 dated Ike jacket that was used by a soldier during occupation duty, possibly into the Korean war.

I'm not the best at dating rank patches, but I believe this to be an M1951 patch, proving that the jacket saw use after occupation duty in Germany.

The patch here is a very nice Theater Made patch for the 7th Army. This patch was theater made, i.e the Germans made them, for occupation duty soldiers just after the war. It was a small way for some Germans to make money in post war, destroyed Germany.

This soldier was awarded the Army Good Conduct Medal.

The soldier was an artilleryman, as evidenced by these to DI pins. The Blue pin is for the 201st Field Artillery Regiment, and the red one is for the 28th Field Artillery Regiment.

 

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[RustyRelics]

This is another jacket owned by the same fellow.

A more Occupation era set of insignia, 7th Army again, and still corporal.

A ribbon bar showing the German occupation medal and National defense ribbon.

This jacket has two 201st Field Artillery Regiment DI, this time mounted on the shoulder straps.

I believe this is a European Theater Command patch, but I'm not quite sure.

 

[traveller777]

This is another jacket owned by the same fellow.



View attachment 2008545



View attachment 2008547


A more Occupation era set of insignia, 7th Army again, and still corporal.

View attachment 2008548


A ribbon bar showing the German occupation medal and National defense ribbon.



View attachment 2008549



This jacket has two 201st Field Artillery Regiment DI, this time mounted on the shoulder straps.


View attachment 2008550


I believe this is a European Theater Command patch, but I'm not quite sure.

Nice find. Good for you.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

I recently hit the jackpot while searching antique stores in Western Pennsylvania. Four Ike jackets, three identified sets of Navy uniforms, 1 unidentified Navy uniform set and an unidentified Navy Jumper, all WWII or shortly after period. Today, I will show you two Ikes that belonged to the same soldier.

View attachment 2008534



Here we have an April 21st, 1945 dated Ike jacket that was used by a soldier during occupation duty, possibly into the Korean war.



View attachment 2008535



I'm not the best at dating rank patches, but I believe this to be an M1951 patch, proving that the jacket saw use after occupation duty in Germany.



View attachment 2008536


The patch here is a very nice Theater Made patch for the 7th Army. This patch was theater made, i.e the Germans made them, for occupation duty soldiers just after the war. It was a small way for some Germans to make money in post war, destroyed Germany.



View attachment 2008537


This soldier was awarded the Army Good Conduct Medal.





View attachment 2008538



The soldier was an artilleryman, as evidenced by these to DI pins. The Blue pin is for the 201st Field Artillery Regiment, and the red one is for the 28th Field Artillery Regiment.



View attachment 2008543

View attachment 2008544

Nice score, love the old school uniforms.

 

[ARC]

Your "7th army" patch is a "7 steps to hell" patch.

... it is a US patch.

"The Seventh Army was the first American formation of Field Army size to see combat in World War II. The Army was formed when the U.S. I Armored Corps was redesignated on 10 July 1943 to provide headquarters for American forces in Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily. "Seven Steps To Hell" is an unofficial tab {used in Germany as a "badge of honor"} under the 7th's "Pyramid Of Power" patch. United States Army Europe, formerly the Seventh Army, is an Army Service Component Command (ASCC) of the United States Army and the land component of United States European Command. It is the largest American formation in Europe."

 

[pepperj]

Well done Rusty on the purchases.

 

[ARC]

Well done Rusty on the purchases.

Agreed.

 

[WannaDig3687]

Very nice, Rusty. 👍🏻

 

[RustyRelics]

This is an amazing jacket.

This jacket had a last name, and army serial number written in ink on the inner lining of the jacket. It is nearly impossible to photograph it, but with my naked eye, the name "Stegman" is easily seen, and I could just barely make out the Army serial Number.


It belonged to a man named Marvin W. Stegman, who at the time was a 19 year old teenager from Missouri that enlisted in 1943. He joined the 334th Infantry regiment Anti-Tank company, 84th Infantry Division. He survived the war, but ended up in a military hospital towards the end of the war with bronchitis. He enlisted in the Marines during the Korean War. He died in 2015 at the age of 90.

 

[Retired Sarge]

This is another jacket owned by the same fellow.



View attachment 2008545



View attachment 2008547


A more Occupation era set of insignia, 7th Army again, and still corporal.

View attachment 2008548


A ribbon bar showing the German occupation medal and National defense ribbon.



View attachment 2008549



This jacket has two 201st Field Artillery Regiment DI, this time mounted on the shoulder straps.


View attachment 2008550


I believe this is a European Theater Command patch, but I'm not quite sure.

National Defense Service Medal was established in 1953 and was retroactive for service back to 1950.

So he had to have served up to at least 1950 or been recalled to Active Duty (Korean War era) to have been eligible for the NDSM.

Nice Ike's by the way, I've always thought the Ike jacket was sharp. My dad wore the USAF version when he first came into the USAF in 1962. They phased them out in the USAF in 1964, and he complained about it, all the way up to his retirement in 1988.