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Saw a post not too long ago by Tojo showing his father-in-law's WWII memorobilia. Got me to pulling out two jackets I got from my father before he passed away. My brother and sister had no real interest in having them. Here they are:
39th Bomber Group. Ball turret Gunner.
I don't have any children, but I think my nephew would be interested in having them when I decide to give them up. If not, I will try to find a museum that might be interested.
I don't know what the ribbons signify, so if anyone knows, I would appreciate finding out.
Thanks for looking,
D
Dwayne or Dman or just D. All comments are welcome on my builds.
Very nice! The ribbons are: Air Medal w/3 oak leaf clusters (4 awards of same medal), good conduct medal, and European Theater Service medal with three stars (4 campaigns participation). His bomb group also earned the Presidential Unit Citation. That is pinned over his "ruptured duck" discharge patch.
Interesting bomb patch on his cuff. That's one I have not seen before. I'm curious as to its meaning. I'm surprised there are no service stripes or overseas stripes.
To just have survived his combat service as a ball turret gunner is award enough. The odds were not in his favor.
F is for FIRE, That burns down the whole town!
U is for URANIUM... BOMBS!
N is for NO SURVIVORS...
- Plankton
LSM
Hello D,
That's great you are keeping your father's WWII jackets. For the ribbin bars...
The left one: Air Military Ribbon (I believe that's it)
The center one: Good Conduct Ribbon
The right one: European-African Middle Eastern Campaign Ribbon
Solid Blue Ribbin: Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon
Sleeve Rank: Staff Sargent (E-6)
I hope this helps you. Thanks for sharing your father's service jackets.
LOL...Stik, you must of been typing faster than me
Hunter
Dwayne, are you sure about his bomb group? The 39th was a B-29 Group in the PTO, 20th Air Force. But his shoulder patch is 8th Air Force.
Here is a list of 8th Air Force Divisions, Bomb Wings, and Bomb Groups
http://www.scharch.org/Dick_Baer/_RFB%203rd%20Division%20BGs/8th%20Air%20Force%20Bomb%20Groups.htm
RIK, it is indeed. I learned a new one!
Thats a lovely item to have there Dwayne, great your looking after it.
carlos, i think he meant the 34th BG.
I am a Norfolk man and i glory in being so
On the bench: Airfix 1/72nd Harrier GR.3/Fujimi 1/72nd Ju 87D-3
Very nice!
My Dad still has all of his Army stuff, as well as my Grampa's Navy uniforms, flight log and various items. I have my great-grandfathers helmet from WW1, as well as a German (spiked) helmet that he brought back.
I also have a jacket, very similar to yours. I got hired to do some restoration work, on a home that had been repo'ed. They said, anything left in the house goes to the garbage, or is free for the taking. I found the jacket in a closet, in perfect condition! I there was also a framed photo on a desk (wedding photo)...it had a nice frame, that I thought I could use. When I took that weding photo out, behind it was a photo of a man in uniform, standing by a P-38 "Deetle-Bug". This guy was the crew chief. 11th AF in the Aleutian Islands.
I was able to contact the family, (through a few phone #s I found in the desk)...in hopes of reuniting the family with these items. They had zero interest, but were happy to see these things go on to someone who could appreciate them.
Bish Thats a lovely item to have there Dwayne, great your looking after it. carlos, i think he meant the 34th BG.
Thank you very much for the ribbon explanation. I will be writing this down.
My father was drafted fairly late in the war, and said that he did not see many Luftwaffe fighters, but did describe the flak over some of the targets as pretty harrowing.
He spoke highly of his treatment by the civilians in England.
Thanks again for looking. It is important to remember.
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