WWII US M1942 Coat 37th Inf 117th Combat Engineers

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World War II - US Army M1942 Class A Four Pocket Coat 117th Combat Engineers Battalion / 37th Infantry Division / Pacific Forces Technical Sergeant - Invasion Arrowhead! The Coat : The coat is a nice enlisted model 1942 dated from November of 1942. It is a size 37S. This coat features machine sewn Pacific Forces and 37th Buckeye Infantry Division SSIs, discharge eagle (ruptured duck), early technical sergeant chevrons, three overseas bars (1.5 years overseas), and one federal servce stripe for 3 years of service. The collar brass is WWII period stamped clutchback with US and Engineering Corps disks. Concerning ribbonry, this soldier earned the Good Conduct Medal, the American Campaign medal, and the Asiatic Pacific Theatre medal with two battle stars and one invasion arrowhead. The coat is in excellent condition (All buttons are t- I just forgot to button up the nomenclature pocket) - T is one single pencil tip nip on the back that I can find. Although unnamed, the ribbonry and shoulder sleeves tell a very specific story about this soldier. The TSgt who wore this piece served with the 117th Combat Engineers who were assigned to the 37th Infantry Division from 1942-1945. The 117th Combat Engineers Battalion arrived in Fiji 10 June 1942 linked up with the 37th Infantry by June 11, 1942. The next station was Guadalcanal by April of 1943 and the Solomons by June of the same year. They then went to Bougainville on 8 November 1943 and landed in New Guinea by December of 1944. The battalion assaulted Lingayen Gulf, Luzon on 9 January 1945 as part of the Luzon campaing (hence the invasion arrowhead). They stayed on Luzon until deactivated in December of 1945 under Pacifc Forces Command. This sergeant, initials marked inthe coat "E.J.," was credited with participating in the Northern Solomons campaign and the Luzon Campaign with invasion arrwohead (one of the first attackers to the island). This man would have easily been a squad or platoon leader. For More Information on the 37th Buckeyes: The 37th Infantry Division arrived in the Fiji Islands in June 1942 to fortify the islands against possible invasion. The division continued its training on the islands. With the end of ground fighting on Guadalcanal, the division moved to that island in April 1943, continued training, and staged for the Munda campaign. Two battalions joined the Marines on New Georgia, 5 July 1943, while the remainder of the division landed, 22 July, and assisted the 43d Infantry Division in taking Munda airfield in heavy fighting. After mopping up on New Georgia, the division returned to Guadalcanal, 9 September 1943, for rest and rehabilitation.The division's next assignment was Bougainville. Relieving Marine units, 8-19 November 1943, the 37th took over the perimeter defense of the area, constructed roads and bridges and engaged in extensive patrol activity. In March 1944, two Japanese divisions made eight major attacks, but division lines held. In April patrols cleared the Laruma Valley area of major enemy units. The division remained on Bougainville and trained for the Luzon campaign. Landing with the Sixth Army on the beaches of Lingayen Gulf, 9 January 1945, the 37th raced inland against slight resistance to Clark Field and Fort Stotsenburg w fierce resistance delayed capture of those objectives until 31 January. The division continued to drive to Manila against small delaying forces, and entered the city's outskirts, 4 February. Upon crossing the Pasig River, it ran into bitter Japanese opposition, and it took heavy street fighting to clear the city by 3 March 1945.After garrison duty in Manila, 5-26 March, the division shifted to the hills of Northwest Luzon, w heavy fighting culminated in the capture of Baguio, 26 April. Rest and rehabilitation during May were followed by action in June in the Cagayan Valley against deteriorating Japanese resistance. With the end of hostilities, 15 August, the division was concerned with the collectio... read more

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