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Posted 1 year ago
Militarist
(96 items)
Scott here is the photo you asked to see. Note the Blue Airborne tab on the 101st patch. The tab should be black but is colored blue. My guess is that the photographer had just done an 82nd Airborne photo and assumed that they all were blue. He was a chef which is why he got the T under three stripes before he finished his first year in service. Before he finished basic the officers found out that he was a chef and put him in charge of the officers mess so he needed the stripes to order the corporals and privates around. By the time the war ended he was a "hard" Staff Sgt meaning that he no longer had a T in his stripes. Since he was German born and spoke with a thick German accent during the Bulge he was ordered never to go anywhere without an escort. The officers didn't want their chef shot as a spy!
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Thanks for sharing-- The "Airborne" tab in blue is interesting. Did the color bother your father or did he ever mention it?
Did he ever tell when/ where he had this photo done? Both Division trained at Camp Clairborne, so that would be my guess. It could have also been done in the UK.
Thanks again for sharing,
Scott
Thanks Scott, the photo is signed by a Milwaukee photographer so it would have been done in late 1942 or early 43. He never mentioned it and I don't think he ever noticed it. He was in the 327th regt. back when it still was part of the 82nd so the blue tab would not have bothered him even if he had noticed it.. There was a Camp Claiborne historical site on the internet years ago and I sent them a scan of a photo of my dad standing by the entry check point sign that the site director thought was the only known picture of the gate and sign but I guess he must have run out of money for the site.
I just did a google check and the Camp Claiborne site is still there but is still a work in progress.