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Well, post some military pics.

I mean, really, it's been a nice discussion.

You don't have to chime in if you're just going to be a dick. Nobody is begging for your contribution. Unless you have one?
My sole contribution was a photograph of a known provenance of World War II CBI pilot's wings for ALL other to compare...not just you Hoss
 
My sole contribution was a photograph of a known provenance of World War II CBI pilot's wings for ALL other to compare...not just you Hoss

Okay. I'm pretty sure the three or four of us commenting on that pic know exactly what USAAC pilot wings look like. Which is why the pic @rudiewhitebwoy posted is so remarkable: they're not the same wings.

Thanks, though.
 
...are those the same man?

Seems he was an Army Air Corps lieutenant in WWII, pictured in the cockpit of a trainer biplane, then a USAF buck sergeant sometime after 1956... That is a very, very, very odd rank progression. Must have had a break in service, and a long one, but still that's quite weird.

And I do not believe those are aviator wings in the lieutenant pic. The shot is blurry, but the center device looks like the wrong shape.
Here’s a Pic of an e6 army air corps crew chief wings from 1943 for reference. Crewmember from a c47. 672C4649-8B11-467C-A11C-B91CAD21CAE3.jpeg
 
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Verbiage about military pictures?

You don't have to read any of it if you choose not to.
@Picton, I'm sorry your way out of line. All the I see if you speculating about something there is no way in the area of your expertise. Hell you can't even clearly make an ID of said wings, then go on ad nauseam about your theories on his Korean War rank. I find it highly entertaining that you use a personal attack on me, because you feel threatened by my picture of of my father's CBI pilot wings, World War II.

I have a rule with dealing with veterans and relatives of veterans for 37 years always, always, give the benefit of the doubt to the Veteran and family until proven 100% wrong. @rudiewhitebwoy ignore this BS get your uncles DD-214 if you wish and move on.
 
@Picton, I'm sorry your way out of line. All the I see if you speculating about something there is no way in the area of your expertise. Hell you can't even clearly make an ID of said wings, then go on ad nauseam about your theories on his Korean War rank. I find it highly entertaining that you use a personal attack on me, because you feel threatened by my picture of of my father's CBI pilot wings, World War II.

I have a rule with dealing with veterans and relatives of veterans for 37 years always, always, give the benefit of the doubt to the Veteran and family until proven 100% wrong. @rudiewhitebwoy ignore this BS get your uncles DD-214 if you wish and move on.
Okay.
 
"Okay"

WTF? You identify as an an 'Officer and a Gentleman' then use weasel words that mean nothing when you’re called out for shiteposting in a Veterans thread.
Lol. What should I say instead? You’re debating with yourself.

You can try to keep this alive if you want. I’ve said my piece.
 
@Picton, I'm sorry your way out of line. All the I see if you speculating about something there is no way in the area of your expertise. Hell you can't even clearly make an ID of said wings, then go on ad nauseam about your theories on his Korean War rank. I find it highly entertaining that you use a personal attack on me, because you feel threatened by my picture of of my father's CBI pilot wings, World War II.

I have a rule with dealing with veterans and relatives of veterans for 37 years always, always, give the benefit of the doubt to the Veteran and family until proven 100% wrong. @rudiewhitebwoy ignore this BS get your uncles DD-214 if you wish and move on.
My Mom is 80, and she's always been a little flighty. I asked her if her brother left then came back, she doesn't remember. I asked her if I could see his Medals, she said she'll try and find them. Come to think of it, I may have a picture of him in uniform and my Mom on her wedding day.
I called my Dad on the 30th to wish him a happy 61st wedding anniversary, he had forgotten and so had my Mom. They thought it was their 60th and I reminded them that I'll be 60 in two months. They said, "Oh, okay it must be 61".
 
My Mom is 80, and she's always been a little flighty. I asked her if her brother left then came back, she doesn't remember. I asked her if I could see his Medals, she said she'll try and find them. Come to think of it, I may have a picture of him in uniform and my Mom on her wedding day.
I called my Dad on the 30th to wish him a happy 61st wedding anniversary, he had forgotten and so had my Mom. They thought it was their 60th and I reminded them that I'll be 60 in two months. They said, "Oh, okay it must be 61".

If you can find a DD214, you'll answer a number of questions. They were issued after 1950, and he was in the USAF after that date. So whenever he ETSed, he was given one.

It'll list everything he was ever entitled to wear, his paygrade, his schools, all of it, even the WWII stuff (which would have originally been on a different War Department form; you might find that lying around, too). It is unlikely to reflect his dates of rank, though, which is what perked my ears up in the first place. I'd be very curious to clear it all up.
 
If you can find a DD214, you'll answer a number of questions. They were issued after 1950, and he was in the USAF after that date. So whenever he ETSed, he was given one.

It'll list everything he was ever entitled to wear, his paygrade, his schools, all of it, even the WWII stuff (which would have originally been on a different War Department form; you might find that lying around, too). It is unlikely to reflect his dates of rank, though, which is what perked my ears up in the first place. I'd be very curious to clear it all up.
I doubt I'll ever see his DD214, but I found this on my work computer.
His Obituary DOB is wrong, it should say 1920, not 1929,
he was Captain of the Salem NJ Football Team as was my Grandfather,
the picture with my Mom has was not in his uniform.

1688594081110.png

1688594104362.png

1688594142826.png
 
Love it. I'm glad you're trying to track this down!

The USAF never had E5 pilots, so that fourth photo still seems very odd, but without a DD214 we'll probably never know. It's got my spidey-senses tingling.
 
This is my Mom's half brother. He was 22 when she was born. When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor he dropped out of Rutgers to enlist. I have no idea what the Aircraft are. He was a Bomber Pilot in the Pacific theater and the Korean war. My Mom has his Medals somewhere. I'm not sure of his rank either? I think my Mom said he was a Major?
I bet the plane in the second pic is a Boeing-Stearman N2S-5 Kaydet.
 
A lot of AAF members were officers during WW2,
But after the war they had a large RIF (Reduction in Force,) and if they wanted to stay on active duty they had to resign their Commissions and become Enlisted.
If they stayed in until retirement, their status upon retirement was a Reserve Officer, and held the rank commensurate with their total years in service.
My Dad was a Flight Officer during WW2 and was a Navigator on B-17' flying out of England.
(Flight Officer was the equivalent of LT)
After the war he was RIF'd and stayed in as an Enlisted man.
He retired in 1964 as a Senior Master Sergeant and his Retired ID card listed him as a Major and paid accordingly.

There are many WW2 Veterans that started out as officers, and retired after many years as an Enlisted member! They were not demoted, they were "laid off."
 
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Agreed. The enlisted aircrew is still a circle in the middle though. Not sure that ever changed. But I suppose the newer picture badge could be an officer aircrew badge.
I know this thread is about AAF but this is what my Navy A/C wings looked like:

Center part round...I think all enlisted A/C wings had a round center.

1689286746535.png
 
wow. Aren't both those guns older than the Marine holding them?
Maybe?

The Sterling was produced up until 1988 and versions of the PPSH-41 were produced up until the 1990s.

The Marine was produced in 1968. :)

Too bad digital photography was available to him in 1993, otherwise serial numbers and manufacturer marks could have been recorded.
 
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