Retired Sarge
Silver Member
Hello everyone, just an update, been MIA a bit, haven't been feeling well, so I took a step back from everything. Have had a ton of doctors appointments over the last few months. Been poked, prodded, had CT scans of this and that and everything in-between. Never know if I coming or going anymore it seems.
Now for a feel good story (Long read).
Back in 2017, we found a WWII made (Schlueter) M1 helmet, with a named WWII liner in it at a local antique store.
Initial research was a bit weird, as it had a pre WWII enlisted service number in it, plus I would also find a officers service number associated with the name. Would turn out this soldier served from Jan 1937 to Oct 1962. Went from E-1 to E-7 (Highest enlisted rank at the time). Then during the Korean War he would earn a Silver Star and a Battlefield Commision, so went from O-1 to O-3, reverted back to E-7 later, then went to E-8 and E-9.
Back in 2018 a great grandson reached out to me about a post of mine about the helmet on a militaria site. Right after reaching out to me, that site crashed and all posts for a week or so where lost, which included the PMs between us. I was never able to find him. End of story until Wednesday
Update on the story of this helmet and liner. I had the pleasure of talking with this soldiers youngest son (Yes his son) today. It was awesome talking to him and learning more about his father and his career. Great guy to talk to, and we talked about an even greater man.
This past Wednesday, the youngest son was researching some stuff on his father, before his planned trip to France/Normandy this coming year, he finds my post on a militaria forum and is floored. There's his dad's liner, his picture, etc. He PMed me and we connected by phone and chatted, like old friends, regardless of the age difference. Connected by one thing in common, a man I never met, his father. He shared some family pictures with me, that alone was something in itself.
I've been the caretaker of this helmet and liner and the narrator of this man's heroic story for about 6 1/2 years now. But it's time for its long journey to come to an end and for it to finally go home.
As hard as it is to let it go, we'll be sending the helmet and liner to the son, to display with his father's medals and mementos.
I haven't, will not, and can't ask for any monetary reimbursement/compensation. My wife and I discussed it and we're both on the same page on this, and feel it would be wrong in our opinion to do so. Besides she told me she'd beat me to within an inch of my life if I even thought it.
My wife and I are both military brats of career Air Force dads, and I'm also retired AF. So we both understand the connection to things like this.
But in all fairness his son is adamant that he wants to share something of his dad's with me.
I look forward to seeing the helmet displayed with his medals and picture. In a sense the Old Soldier Is Coming Home, although it might have been a long strange journey.
I know the helmet will be welcomed and cherished by them, and it will be a bittersweet day for me, by letting go of something from my collection. But I guess it never really belonged to me, I was just its temporary caretaker and story teller.
I will now be on the hunt for a WWII M1 shell and liner to add back into my collection.
Original post for the helmet.
www.treasurenet.com
Now for a feel good story (Long read).
Back in 2017, we found a WWII made (Schlueter) M1 helmet, with a named WWII liner in it at a local antique store.
Initial research was a bit weird, as it had a pre WWII enlisted service number in it, plus I would also find a officers service number associated with the name. Would turn out this soldier served from Jan 1937 to Oct 1962. Went from E-1 to E-7 (Highest enlisted rank at the time). Then during the Korean War he would earn a Silver Star and a Battlefield Commision, so went from O-1 to O-3, reverted back to E-7 later, then went to E-8 and E-9.
Back in 2018 a great grandson reached out to me about a post of mine about the helmet on a militaria site. Right after reaching out to me, that site crashed and all posts for a week or so where lost, which included the PMs between us. I was never able to find him. End of story until Wednesday
Update on the story of this helmet and liner. I had the pleasure of talking with this soldiers youngest son (Yes his son) today. It was awesome talking to him and learning more about his father and his career. Great guy to talk to, and we talked about an even greater man.
This past Wednesday, the youngest son was researching some stuff on his father, before his planned trip to France/Normandy this coming year, he finds my post on a militaria forum and is floored. There's his dad's liner, his picture, etc. He PMed me and we connected by phone and chatted, like old friends, regardless of the age difference. Connected by one thing in common, a man I never met, his father. He shared some family pictures with me, that alone was something in itself.
I've been the caretaker of this helmet and liner and the narrator of this man's heroic story for about 6 1/2 years now. But it's time for its long journey to come to an end and for it to finally go home.
As hard as it is to let it go, we'll be sending the helmet and liner to the son, to display with his father's medals and mementos.
I haven't, will not, and can't ask for any monetary reimbursement/compensation. My wife and I discussed it and we're both on the same page on this, and feel it would be wrong in our opinion to do so. Besides she told me she'd beat me to within an inch of my life if I even thought it.
My wife and I are both military brats of career Air Force dads, and I'm also retired AF. So we both understand the connection to things like this.
But in all fairness his son is adamant that he wants to share something of his dad's with me.
I look forward to seeing the helmet displayed with his medals and picture. In a sense the Old Soldier Is Coming Home, although it might have been a long strange journey.
I know the helmet will be welcomed and cherished by them, and it will be a bittersweet day for me, by letting go of something from my collection. But I guess it never really belonged to me, I was just its temporary caretaker and story teller.
I will now be on the hunt for a WWII M1 shell and liner to add back into my collection.
Original post for the helmet.
Named M1 Helmet
Here's a named M1 helmet from my collection. He served with the 79th Infantry Division during WWII and the 2nd Infantry Division during the Korean War. His Silver Star action during the Korea War earned him a battlefield commission. His promotion to officer status was not permanent, when he...
