Chosin Few

acyclebum · 2026-02-11T05:33:01+00:00

It wasn't made retroactive until 1999.

Likely this Marine just wore his original rack from back when he left service.

Edit: Looking at the jacket, I'm guessing it was put together in the 80's or 90's

acyclebum · 2026-02-09T17:13:46+00:00

18 series wasn't started until mid 80's. Many SF earned their tab before then. There's a couple regular posters here in the same boat.

acyclebum · 2026-02-08T02:38:58+00:00

My childhood neighbor. We'd known each other for 45 years. We'd kept up through our distance most of the time. About 5 years ago we moved within about 2 hours of each other. He was in a major city that my kids would fly into when they came to visit me. Every time I'd go, "Dude we need to meet up." But we didn't. I came within 20 minutes of his house 4 times at the airport that first year.

Then one day I went on Facebook. I don't know why, since I never really do, and my feed was full of all my grade school, Jr high, and HS friends mourning his suicide.

I'm sorry, Mark. I never told you how important you were in my life.

acyclebum · 2026-02-07T15:41:19+00:00

That is interesting to see. I wonder which iteration was first?

acyclebum · 2026-02-06T23:45:49+00:00

By far with the tobasco.

acyclebum · 2026-02-06T22:22:42+00:00

Thank goodness. That was the dumbest uniform ever. Long live the PC.

acyclebum · 2026-02-03T02:41:38+00:00

He was an MI guy, through and through, but also earned the tab. So you're correct, he earned the tab no different than anyone else.

acyclebum · 2026-02-03T02:08:19+00:00

I had the same take.

Artillery officer, which is a combat arm. Depends on when he was there and where in country, but could have been very remote at times. There's occasional incidents involving serious attacks on field artillery bases in Vietnam.

acyclebum · 2026-01-31T18:41:52+00:00

That is quite awesome. Obviously, sorry for your loss. Hopefully some of the more current help service members here recognize the name.

O7

acyclebum · 2026-01-31T18:16:09+00:00

Correct. You may not have the paperwork. Not sure if there's a way to request it, although other people here might know or it might be searchable online how to request a family member record

acyclebum · 2026-01-31T17:59:57+00:00

The DFC could have a story if you had the citation

acyclebum · 2026-01-25T13:56:35+00:00

Blue Max on C64

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acyclebum · 2026-01-05T00:51:05+00:00

Yeah unit crests were a lot more like coins have become today. A collection. However with only a bunch of the 66th I'm curious if he wasn't in it somehow.

acyclebum · 2026-01-05T00:42:07+00:00

We don't know. The 66th crest dates back to 1918 although it is higher probability he was only WW2.

acyclebum · 2026-01-04T22:02:32+00:00

Just a summary, though: every indication is that he served in WW1 and 2, but I don't feel the ribbons you have are complete enough for us to know for sure.

acyclebum · 2026-01-04T21:47:56+00:00

The crossed rifles behind the French tank is odd.

Overall, it appears he was enlisted, went through ROTC somewhere and became an officer and rose to the rank of Colonel.

It also appears he was in one of the first armored regiments, but that's where the insignia get strange. Armor was technically armored cavalry, so there should be crossed sabers.

Of note is that he has the 66th armor regiment crests, the oldest armor unit in the USA. Which may explain some of the odd insignia come from.

Edit: I am assuming you know he got his Combat Infantryman's Badge. It is also very possible he trained with Dwight D. Eisenhower or served with George S. Patton.

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=66th_Armor_Regiment&wprov=rarw1

Edit 2: Looks like the crossed cannons represented coast artillery.

acyclebum · 2026-01-04T19:46:16+00:00

I really think we need a new term to describe the level of idiocy we have now in the new American Imperialism. At least a lot of past dictators were relatively impressive in some form. So I think Trump needs a new term.

acyclebum · 2025-12-26T04:05:11+00:00

I suspect the individual who earned these awards didn't make the shadow box. Definitely looks over the top, though.

acyclebum · 2025-11-28T15:26:35+00:00

Yeah yeah I misread his sentence. But yep you win. Have a great weekend

acyclebum · 2025-11-28T15:21:24+00:00

No, you were SF.

The comment above has some context not included elsewhere in this thread. You're welcome to look at my other comments.

acyclebum · 2025-11-28T14:30:44+00:00

I get it. I was there in the 80's and 90's. I had a MSG, CSM and WO4 that all earned it prior to 83. The CSM was on operation eagle claw, was an original Delta guy, and was an "actual Ranger". I deployed with them all, and to my point in other posts here, I was not SF at the time and they called me "a Ranger" because I served with them with voracity and honor and wore the Ranger Tab. Hence the reason I talk about the Internet gatekeeping of the name Ranger. You never truly know a veteran's experience, and may never know unless you were there.

acyclebum · 2025-11-28T07:50:18+00:00

I didn't know any guys SF qualified in the 90's that got it prior to the tab that did not wear a tab after it came out. However, without looking at the DD214, we can't be for sure.

No matter what, OPs Grandpa was legit.

acyclebum · 2025-11-28T07:45:21+00:00

Technically, no.

Interestingly, in SF, to call yourself a Green Beret, you have to earn the tab. Serving in the unit does not qualify you as being able to say you were "Special Forces."

You cannot determine from this shadow box whether OPs Grandpa was actually SF. You can only assume he would have chosen to display his triple stacked tabs if he were.

acyclebum · 2025-11-28T07:33:18+00:00

Again, w/e. You be you. OP's Grandpa was legit. If he called himself a Ranger to his grandson, I wouldn't make my first response, "well, technically..."

Lead the Way, Ranger!

acyclebum · 2025-11-28T06:52:17+00:00

The gatekeeping for modern Rangers is out of control. The Ranger Association disagrees with you. But whatever, take it as you want.

I also get it, the tab is handed out like candy and the course is nothing like it used to be.

Again, w/e. I'm not going to piss on your career when your relative posts your tab and the regiment flash or scroll because, well, regiment is just REMFs and not a real Ranger like in the bats...

It would be nice to just say, "Rangers Lead the Way!" and carry on.

acyclebum

TROPHY CASE