I was talking with my friend Mike Bockman, a militaria dealer and owner of BBmilitaria, when we got on the subject of the Niobrara River that runs across the Northern part of Nebraska. I had canoed this river several times in Boy Scouts and Mike had canoed it with his family when he was young.

I was fascinated to hear that Mike obtained his first military collectible while canoeing the Niobrara when he was around seven years old. His family had stopped to picnic on the grounds of Fort Niobrara, an Army outpost established in 1879 to monitor the Sioux Indians. The fort was eventually abandoned in 1906 and little of it remains today.

While Mike was sitting at a picnic table on the fort grounds, he noticed a metal object in the dirt. It was an 1880-90’s Army Enlisted uniform button. Indian war era uniform buttons are not valuable. In fact, you can find them with little difficulty on the web for about $5.00, but what is significant about Mike’s button is that it is an artifact directly attributed to a time and a place. The button is a reminder that Nebraska and its people have changed since the time that button was worn on a uniform.

There is no doubt Mike held that button in his hand and thought about the soldier who wore it. Did this soldier have to skirmish with the Sioux that strayed off the reservation to harm settlers and steal horses and cattle? Did this soldier struggle to stay warm within the adobe walls of the fort during the deadly winters?

A discarded uniform button opened Mike’s mind to history and collecting. Many of Mike’s friendships and his livelihood as a militaria dealer are the result of him finding this now priceless button on the ground.

Chris Hughes is a WorthPoint Worthologist specializing in 20th century militaria and the owner of Rally Point Militaria and Vietnam Uniform – Military Collectibles sites.

After spending over 15 hours on a to jet to Beijing, my rubber legs ambled off the plane, through customs, towards the baggage carousel, where I waited to be reunited with my luggage. I was not too groggy to notice the gigantic Kentucky Fried Chicken mural and chuckle over its absurdity. Across the airport, I saw a man wearing something that caught my eye. As he approached me, I confirmed he was wearing a 1950s era MA-1 nylon flight jacket worn by US fighter pilots during the cold war era.

His jacket was nice. The knit cuffs were not blown out. Its sage green color was not bleached or faded and it still had the desirable nylon webbed tab on the front, where the pilot clips his oxygen mask. I have sold many of these vintage jackets over the last decade to China and Japan and I wondered what the chances were of this person acquiring his jacket from me. As I watched him wait for his luggage, I gathered up the nerve to approach him and ask him about his jacket. I quickly learned that although his English was better than my Chinese, he was not fluent. When I said, “cool jacket” things clicked and I could tell that he was pleased by my compliment. We exchanged a few more words and he allowed me to photograph him in his jacket. Then we departed in different directions.

Despite language and cultural differences, I was pleased to be able have a moment of mutual appreciation with a stranger over a collectible piece of vintage apparel. This could not have been a better introduction to China!

Of all WWII US Airborne military collectibles, Original helmets are one of the hardest items to obtain for a collection. There were three main types used in WWII. A fiber (cardboard) liner was used early on. This was soon replaced by high pressure (fiberglass) liners made by Inland and Westinghouse.

Original fiber airborne liners are so rare, they are virtually nonexistent. Inland liners are also quite rare. According to www.toppots.com, of the 1,900,000 Inland liners produced from 1942 to 1943, approximately 75,000 were converted to airborne configuration. It’s safe to assume that many of these left in Europe and other theaters.

Westinghouse manufactured liners appeared later in the war and they are the most common, but finding original airborne Westinghouse liners is not easy because of the high demand for airborne militaria. It is unknown how many airborne configured liners Westinghouse made.

Due to the popularity of WWII airborne collectibles and the scarcity of original helmets, the market is minefield of forgeries. That is why I was elated when my friend agreed to sell me my first Inland para liner. It took several years of coaxing, but we eventually agreed on a price and I am delighted to own it.

The kicker is where my friend found this piece of rare headgear; it was rescued from his relative’s costume rental store! When my friend found the helmet, it had General stars hot glued to the front, which he carefully removed (with no loss of paint). The store had also hot glued a bevo weave store tag inside the crown of the helmet over the Inland stamp. I debated over removing this label, but eventually I carefully removed the tag and kept it with the helmet.

The liner has been repainted, but it looks wartime. Strangely, there are traces of 6th Army Div decals beneath the paint. Creases in the khaki web A-straps indicate they have been folded up inside the liner from use as an infantry helmet. It is very fortunate they were not cut off like many Airborne Inland liners I’ve encountered.

With my Inland sitting proudly in my collection, I will now search to find an original leather chin cup for it, and an original M2 or M1-C shell to mate this liner with. In the meantime, I’ll use a regular fixed-bale M1 shell, which was appropriately used by airborne personnel as well.

Chris Hughes is a WorthPoint Worthologist specializing in 20th century militaria and the owner of Rally Point Militaria and Vietnam Uniform – Military Collectibles sites.

My favorite antiques and collectibles tell a story. It’s been my experience that unearthing the story is more rewarding than the challenge of obtaining the item. My most recent “story” began at the Hastings, Nebraska military collectibles show in March 2008. I had just set up my dealer table and started walking the floor to see what other dealers brought to sell. A fellow Omaha dealer was loading a garment rack with several US WWII uniforms, so I walked over to take a look.

My eyes were drawn to a green wool USMC blouse and trousers with a 6th Marine Division patch, corporal chevrons, an honorable discharge patch, and matching EGA (Eagle, Globe, and Anchor) collar devices. I looked inside the blouse to discover an unusual name penned inside the shoulder (where size and date are marked on WWII USMC uniforms). The dealer had no information about the veteran, nor did he recall how he acquired the uniform, but he was sure it was a local find.

We agreed on a price, and I walked away with the uniform and a gut feeling that I was going to find information about this soldier. When I returned from the show, I began my research and quickly discovered the veteran was born in Grinnell, Iowa and had attended college at Grinnell University. After college, he entered the Marines and later became an editorial writer for the Omaha World Herald newspaper.

I was on a roll! Further research revealed that he and his wife were living in a retirement community a few miles from my home and his children published a book in 2000 containing a large selection of their father’s World Herald editorials. The book was available at Amazon.com and the first chapter exclusively detailed his experiences as a Scout with H Company, 29th Marines, 6th Division during WWII. Before attempting to contact the veteran, I ordered a copy of his book and read every passage about his experiences being a Marine.

One story that is difficult to forget addresses the randomness of death and injury in combat. It explains how the veteran earned his Purple Heart Medal for a gunshot wound, while simultaneously losing a fellow Marine who had been lying beside him. The two Marines were ahead of their platoon scouting enemy movement on Sugar Loaf Hill (located on the island of Okinawa), when a Japanese machine gun crew flanked them and opened fire on their position. Had the Japanese flanked from the opposite direction fate may have reversed the outcome of these men.

After reading the book, I decided to call the veteran and our conversation went well. He was intrigued that I took the time to find him. After explaining my methodologies in locating him he proclaimed that, “I knew his whole life story.” With a laugh I replied, “That’s what happens when you publish a book about yourself!”

I asked about this uniform and apparently it was sold when he and his wife liquidated their house to move into a smaller apartment. After a nice talk over the phone, we agreed to meet in person. He was kind enough to offer me a copy of his discharge papers, military photos, as well as other ephemera from his days as a Marine to put with the uniform. I listened as he talked about Marine life, his career as a writer, and his family. Being the first generation in my family to finish college, I was amazed to hear the veteran’s father and grandfather had also graduated from college.

As I prepared to leave, I pulled my copy of his book from my bag and asked if he wouldn’t mind signing it. He smiled and wrote inside the cover, “To Chris: Best Wishes & Semper Fi!!” I thanked him for the sacrifices he made for our country and for taking the time to share his experiences with me. I am deeply honored to be the caretaker of his uniform and his stories.

Chris Hughes is a WorthPoint Worthologist specializing in 20th century militaria and the owner of Rally Point Militaria and Vietnam Uniform – Military Collectibles sites.

I recently won a Vietnam era Special Forces beret from an online auction. Prior to bidding, I emailed the seller with specific questions because the auction description was vague and the accompanying image was not great. The seller never responded to my questions, but I could tell that the insignia was a desirable variation, so I took my chances and placed a bid anyway.

When I received the beret in the mail I was relieved to see that it was a beauty! This 1963 dated beret was made by the Canadian manufacturer “Fleur De Lis”. Early on, conventional Army brass prohibited berets from being worn by Special Forces. In 1962 Special Forces personnel pulled a gutsy move and wore their unauthorized berets in front of President Kennedy during a Special Warfare demonstration. After the demonstration, Kennedy remarked that he liked the look of the beret and its fate was sealed as the official headgear for Special Forces.

The government did not secure a contract to manufacture berets until around 1965. Until then, berets were purchased from Fleur De Lis. The anatomy of a Vietnam era Special Forces beret includes:

1. The beret – Official color is called “Rifle Green”. Wartime government and Canadian berets have a real leather band (not vinyl), two black enamel painted vent grommets, a leather tab sewn to the lining behind the vent grommets, and a black cotton lining with nomenclature and/or a maker mark silk screened in white ink. The print is often faded on worn berets. Many wartime berets have the lining completely removed to be lighter, cooler, and form a better drape.

2. The Flash – The shield shaped patch sewn on the beret. These patches come in different colors to denote each SF Group. The flash on this beret is yellow with a black border and is used by 1st Special Forces Group stationed in Okinawa, Japan.

3. The DI – The DI or distinctive insignia pin is affixed to the beret through the flash. Enlisted Men and Non Commissioned Officers wear the Special Forces DI (shown on this beret), baring the the motto “De Oppresso Liber” meaning “Liberate the Oppressed”. Officers pin their rank through the flash in lieu of a DI.

What makes this newly acquired beret unique is that the yellow 1st SFGA flash is theater-made, meaning it was made in theaters of operation (typically Japan, Vietnam, or Thailand). This type of insignia is highly sought after by collectors and tends to be slightly irregular in shape, color, and construction in comparison with regular mass-produced insignia.

1st Group flashes were originally solid yellow, but after Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963 a black border was added to memorialized their largest support of special warfare. The black border on this theater-made flash is crude making it more appealing than ordinary examples.

The DI is a rare “skull harp” pattern where there are holes in the harp look like skulls facing each other. This insignia is early and highly sought after. The DI was also made by Meyer and bears a nice hallmark. Early DI’s are seldom found hallmarked.

The best surprise with this beret was finding a small, embroidered tag with the veteran’s name and Army Serial Number sewn inside the lining. I was able to search rosters and find that this veteran was with 1st Special Forces Group and assigned to an early TDY team stationed in Thailand in 1964. It is very likely that this beret was worn during this operation.

Having this beret attributed to a veteran makes this very special to collectors and historians. Without provenance the beret is still collectible, but it value is only determined by the sum of its parts, whereas firm provenance can double or triple the value. Not only does research add value, it preserves the history of this beret and the veteran who wore it.

Chris Hughes is a WorthPoint Worthologist specializing in 20th century militaria and the owner of Rally Point Militaria and Vietnam Uniform – Military Collectibles sites.

I just read an article stating there are only three living WWI vets left. It seems like they all faded away without receiving the recognition they deserved. I’ve only met one WWI vet in my life. He was my great uncle Benny. Benny served with the 88th Division and told me that he survived the war but nearly died on the troop ship coming home because of a serious flu outbreak. I wished I had been older when Benny was alive, so I could have asked him about his experiences. Sadly, no one else in my family asked him either and now his stories are gone.

Recently, I had the fortune of purchasing a wonderful footlocker group for a 355th M.G. (machine gun), 89th Division veteran directly from the vet’s son. I asked the son to tell me stories about his father. Like most veterans, his father returned from the war, found work, and did not talk about his experiences. The son told me that his father discussed the war with him only once. On this occasion, they both sat in the attic, in front of his footlocker, and his father told him stories of fighting, being wounded and gassed, having his big toe blown off, and Army life in general. Then they returned from the attic and never discussed it again.

The 355th group included:

1. Wool overcoat with 89th Division machine gunner insignia
2. Wool tunic with 89th Division machine gunner insignia and a 3rd Army patch (for German occupation)
3. Fur felt campaign hat
4. Two pairs of wool trousers
5. Footlocker and tray
6. Canvas meat tin pouch (worn on his haversack)
7. Mess kit, utensils, and two canteen cups
8. Trench art ashtray made from brass
9. French-made leather gloves
10. Several sets of puttees (leg wraps)
11. Color copies of the veteran’s wound certificate, tinted photo, and draft cards (the son wanted to keep the originals)

I verified the vet being wounded by gas on 11-4-1918 (during St. Mihiel) in the 89th Division unit history. His wound certificate lists him with the 145th Infantry (37th Div), so he fought with the 145th prior to the 355th. I am researching 145th Infantry records to determine when and how many times he was wounded while serving in the 37th Division.

It was a rare pleasure to acquire this original group from the family and hear details about the veteran that I would have never been known had I found these items at an auction or militaria show. Opportunities like this are few and far between these days!

Chris Hughes is a WorthPoint Worthologist specializing in 20th century militaria and the owner of Rally Point Militaria and Vietnam Uniform – Military Collectibles sites.

There is rampant misuse of the term “crusher cap” in reference to US visor caps in the WWII militaria collecting market. A crusher cap is a type of visor cap that is intended to be soft and pliable. Germans also had a crusher cap designed for field use, but that is another topic. US crusher caps were designed for pilots and air personnel to comfortably wear under their headset.

The distinguishing feature of a crusher cap is that the bill is made from a single layer of leather with a leather bead around it. Other visor caps typically have two layers of leather fused or sewn together, with a machine-stitched brim. A double ply visor stiffens the cap, making it less than ideal for wearing with a headset.

The quintessential US crushers coveted by collectors are Bancroft “Flighter” caps, offered in both tan and dark green wool. Luxembergs and Flight Weights are also desirable.

If you surf the net looking for a crusher, you will find a lot of mislabeled visor caps. True crushers command many times more money than even the nicest regular visors, so when you are buying a crusher cap, make sure you are actually buying a true crusher and not an overpriced visor cap.

Here are pics of a Bancroft Flighter from my collection that is part of an 8th Army Air Corps Bombardier group. Notice the single ply brim and relaxed shape.

Chris Hughes is a WorthPoint Worthologist specializing in 20th century militaria and the owner of Rally Point Militaria and Vietnam Uniform – Military Collectibles sites.

I recently acquired my first M42 Reinforced jump jacket. This jacket was even CC-2′d (Chemical impregnation to protect skin from gas), which led me to believe that it was used on the Normandy jump. Based off the canvas used and the rigger sewing construction, I could tell that it was 82nd Airborne.

The jacket was not attributed to a vet when I got it, but there were two matching laundry stamps inside the garment. On enlisted men, the laundry ID is the first letter of the soldier’s last name and the last four digits or his ASN (Army Serial Number). Identifying a vet with a laundry ID number is a like finding a needle in a haystack, but I felt that this jacket merited the research.

I used the power of Wiki and posted my jacket and the laundry ID number on several militaria boards I subscribe to. In little time, I was contacted by an airborne collector who had a database containing the names and ASN’s for 43,000 WWII 82nd Airborne vets. He ran my information and came up with exactly one match. The soldier was T4 Gordon P. Hannan of Regimental HQ&HQ Company, 504th PIR, 82nd Airborne.

The 504th PIR fought and made two combat jumps in Italy prior to arriving in England (4-22-1944) with the intent of participating in the Normandy jump. However, their numbers were depleted and they did not have enough men to participate in the jump. Note: A handful of 504th troopers did volunteer as pathfinders and Pathfinder Security Teams (T4 Hannan was not one of them).

The 504th PIR were issued the same reinforced M42 jump suits as all the other regiments that were jumping into Normandy, but since they didn’t jump, they did not have to turn their jump suits in when everyone returned to England. In fact, the 504th were the only regiment to wear reinforced M42s in the Holland jump (Operation Market Garden). So, it is likely that T4 Hannan wore this jacket on the Holland jump.

This is a firsthand example of how the power of the Internet and “collective intelligence” can be a real benefit to collecting and research. I encourage everyone to post and let the world hear your stories and share in your research projects.

Chris Hughes is a WorthPoint Worthologist specializing in 20th century militaria and the owner of Rally Point Militaria and Vietnam Uniform – Military Collectibles sites.

Until recently, little was known or published about MACV-SOG, an elite US Special Forces reconnaissance unit in Vietnam. SOG was under joint command by 5th Special Forces Group and CIA with an objective to recon and disrupt the Ho Chi Minh trail by running cross-border operations into denied areas, primarily Laos and Cambodia. SOG recon teams were small, typically 6 to 8 men. They had a 1-0 (pronounced “One Zero”) who was the team leader, a 1-1 assistant team leader, and a 1-2 radioman. The remaining personnel were indigenous mercenaries. Depending on region, they could be Chinese Nungs, Montagnards, Cambodes, or Vietnamese.

The 1-0 was a leader with innate skill coupled with experience. Rank was irrelevant on SOG teams. Being “good in the woods” is what ultimately determined survival or failure. 1-0’s commanded respect from all of the Special Forces community. The 1-0 jacket was a symbol worn at camp to distinguish themselves from other SOG personnel. The 1-0 jacket was awarded to 1-0’s after completion of the Recon Team Leader course at Long Than. Initially, they were intended to be worn in the field. Photographic evidence verifies this. However, the nylon material was noisy in the brush, so 1-0’s opted to wear them in camp only. Often times, jackets were modified with direct embroidery bearing the wearers name and SOG related themes like recon team names, “shell burst” skulls, etc.

There were three patterns of 1-0 jacket. The first pattern (shown here) is a pull over with a removable hood. There are two front slash pockets, single snap cuffs, and a rear map pocket in the lower back with a snap closure. There is a small oilskin tagged marked “M” inside the hood and collar to denote size (medium). The second and third patterns are not pullover and do not have a removable hood. SOG was a relatively small unit, so these jackets are extremely rare and often overlooked as being a simple windbreaker.

Chris Hughes is a WorthPoint Worthologist specializing in 20th century militaria and the owner of Rally Point Militaria and Vietnam Uniform – Military Collectibles sites.

The next pair are considered true 1st pattern because they actually saw a fair amount of use in Vietnam. They resemble the later jungle boots with the exception of the following differences:
I. They were issued with shoe laces rather than round boot laces
II. The metal vent grommets on the sides are inverted and concave
III. They lack nylon web ankle and other reinforcements
IV. They have black leather trim across the top of the boot and up the back of the heel

The pair in my collection is dated 1962, but most found are 1963 dated.

The 2nd pattern jungle boots are similar to 1st pattern with the exception of the following changes:
I. The metal vent grommets are no longer concave and inverted. They resemble the vent grommets on all later patterns.
II. They no longer have black leather trim across the top of the boot and up the back of the heel. The leather is now replaced with nylon web.

The pair I have in my collection are 1965 dated, but I’ve had examples that were 1964 dated.

The 3rd pattern jungle boots have the following changes:
I. They are now issued with boot laces (rather than the shoe laces)
II. They have nylon web ankle reinforcements
III. They began to have spike resistant soles to protect the feet from punji sticks. Some boots have this feature while others do not.

The pairs I have in my collection are dated between 1966 and 1968.

The 4th pattern jungle boots incorporated a “Panama” sole to replace the waffle sole.

There are some subtle differences within the various models, but that is due to manufacture differences and my point is to illustrate the major differences.

Chris Hughes is a WorthPoint Worthologist specializing in 20th century militaria and the owner of Rally Point Militaria and Vietnam Uniform – Military Collectibles sites.

This uniform grouping was worn by PFC James J. Kriha, Service Company 401st GIF, 101st Airborne. Kriha was a post D-Day replacement and fought in Holland (Operation Market Garden), where he was seriously wounded and spent the next year and a half in hospitals recovering.
His uniform has a three-place ribbon bar an with ETO ribbon w/ two campaign stars, Good Conduct ribbon, and Purple Heart ribbon. The ribbon bar pin is broken and the insignia was sewn to the uniform upside down, causing the ribbons to be in reverse order, but that is how the uniform was received from the vet, so it was left as is.

Included with the group are several V-Mail and regular letters he sent home, a 101st Airborne unit history book and booklet, and recent photos of the vet holding the uniform pieces. Kriha’s overseas cap has an interesting para/glider patch variant.

Chris Hughes is a WorthPoint Worthologist specializing in 20th century militaria and the owner of Rally Point Militaria and Vietnam Uniform – Military Collectibles sites.