I've said this a thousand times...

[3_7_I_Recon]

...and I'll probably say it a thousand more (that's why I put it in the Shooting The Breeze section).

 

I can't believe people just throw away the things the good things and keep the junk!!!

 

I just read the post about the son not wanting the dog tags that his dad left in Italy and was AGAIN reminded of the stuff that people toss out. My mom is the manager at a donation center and people come in there and actually tell her the stuff "belonged to: my dad, my mom, my grandmother, my grandad, my great-grandmother, my whatever...." "it's real old" blah blah blah...

 

She has received a WWII era nurse's cape (near mint condition), a pair of bib overalls (I don't know what they're really called, but they're green and they're made like bibs) from the "Army Air Forces", and two days ago a big plastic tote of old military uniforms that we haven't looked at yet.

 

Old handmade quilts, good grief how can you throw out something your grandmother sat there and hand quilted!!

 

So sad, sad, sad......

[Walt's Daughter]

Oh I hear ya! That's why when people ask, "Do you want my dad's stuff?" I say hell ya! Were you going to toss it in the trash? :armata_PDT_19:

[CaptO]

I know! This sort of thinking is incomprehensible to me. I do look around at my stuff and think, that when I am gone not all of this is going to be interesting to everyone. I ackowledge that. I would certainly hope, however, that my kids or grandkids would be interested in stuff I brought back from Iraq way back in ought-four.

[chambers]

Here are a few of the latest finds. They're going to the Veteran's Museum this weekend. Does anyone know what era these are from or what the patches signify?

 

Some of the pieces appear much older than the others.

 

Thanks

[Walt's Daughter]

Very cool. Glad you are giving them a good home with the Vet's museum. Just did a quick perusal of the pics. Will look more in detail later. Just wanted to let you know I saw this post.

[chambers]

The workers at the Vet's museum told me a few things about the uniforms.

 

The soldier's name was G.W. Powell (it was written on the collar of some of the shirts). According to his Army number he was a draftee, he said that draftees numbers began with the number "3". The patches indicated he was a first sgt. The colored patch signifies a state-side division.

 

The tan uniforms were WWII era, there was also a complete green wool uniform, too also WWII era. The blue ones were next, he said perhaps early 50's.

 

They also said it was rare that a draftee make fist sgt. Is that true? and that perhaps this guy trained other troops at Ft. Dix.

[Walt's Daughter]

Glad you got the answers to your questions. Hoorah!

[CaptO]

I would say it would just depend on the person. There were a lot of draftees and by definition, they didn't enter the service of their own volition. Of course, there were undoubtedly people who were drafted that would have signed up anyway. In either case, it is certain that among those numbers, there were ones who excelled in it and had the desire to stay in. Was it unusual? I would guess (and that is all it is - a guess) that it was simply because so many just did their time and got out when they were able. Especially for many who had really seen the suffering aspect of the war. Also, when the armed forced started their precipitous drawdown after the war, there was only a need to keep those who really wanted it and who were pretty good at what they did. For these reasons (many of the same we face right now as the current armed forces is scaled back - except for the draft aspect, of course) I would say that it probably was rare.