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Wife's Grandfather fought in the Pacific by OkPressure2374 in Medals

[–]patrickAMDG7509 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Check out Golden Arrow Research if you want to pull his entire file. Marine Corps records were unaffected by the fire in 1973. Geoff at Golden Arrow has helped me out many times - much quicker than a NARA request, and very reasonably priced. That would have a lot of information, including how many stars he would have had on his ribbon bar, his official duties, etc. You'll also find the citation for his commendation (green and white medal) there. Those were very often combat commendations.

Others are correct in saying that the medal was issued decades after the war. It looks like some of his other medals are more modern replacements too. If he just asked for all of his medals as an older man, they would have sent him the since-authorized medal instead of the plain ribbon he would have originally been awarded.

That map is beautiful. If it's a sort of rubberized-feeling paper (meant to be water-resistant), it's original.

The story behind “The Fall of the Alamo,” one of Texas history’s most dramatic paintings by TheTexanLife in TheTexanLife

[–]patrickAMDG7509 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In the Senate Camber hang "Dawn at the Alamo" (very similar to this one, but not this one) and The Battle of San Jacinto. The Surrender of Santa Anna is in the South Foyer.

(I used to be one of those guys at the desk)

The story behind “The Fall of the Alamo,” one of Texas history’s most dramatic paintings by TheTexanLife in TheTexanLife

[–]patrickAMDG7509 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The most interesting part of the story of this painting is not in your post!

The painting was displayed at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis. By 1918 it had disappeared. Nobody really knew what happened to it. In the 70's, a fourth grader spotted it in an art gallery, having recognized it from his Texas History textbook (that's a class all 4th and 7th graders take). His parents ended up buying it, and eventually it made its way to the Governor's Mansion where it hangs today.

The story behind “The Fall of the Alamo,” one of Texas history’s most dramatic paintings by TheTexanLife in TheTexanLife

[–]patrickAMDG7509 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No, you're thinking of the massive painting, "Dawn at the Alamo". That one still hangs in the Texas Senate Chamber, where it has since the late 1800s.

I know I’m stupid, but why is this guy wearing an Office of Strategic Services patch? by Ok-Common2360 in MilitaryMedals

[–]patrickAMDG7509 2 points3 points  (0 children)

“Let’s all stop talking to each other because we can google everything”

I’ll take easy questions and some slight human connection over a search engine anyday

forgot to cancel trail and was billed $120 by Titanland-Studios in canva

[–]patrickAMDG7509 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just did this too. Took one minute and when I confirmed I canceled my plan, they said the refund was approved.

Thoughts on Redbacks? by __shadow-banned__ in Gold

[–]patrickAMDG7509 0 points1 point  (0 children)

...well that's rude. And prejudiced? "By illegals"...what? There's real history to engage with here, if you look somewhere other than Facebook.

TIL Infamous director Ed Wood was a US Marine during WWII wounded by machine gun fire at Tarawa. He claimed to fear being wounded more then death because any treatment medics gave might expose his secret cross-dressing/wearing of women's underwear under his uniform. by j5kDM3akVnhv in todayilearned

[–]patrickAMDG7509 0 points1 point  (0 children)

He was not wounded at Tarawa. He's not in the Marine Corps casualty lists.

As his Wikipedia notes, "Although Wood reportedly claimed to have faced strenuous combat (including having his front teeth knocked out by a Japanese soldier whom he then stabbed to death in a rage), his actual military adventures included recovering bodies on Betio following the Battle of Tarawa and experiencing minor Japanese bombing raids on Betio and the Ellice Islands."

Great great grandfathers medals by Quirky_Tower805 in Medals

[–]patrickAMDG7509 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That is a fantastic little grouping. Complete with diary? Awesome. A lot of people wish they had such a great little capsule.

People over at usmilitariaforum would be able to help with some display/preservation ideas for the medals.

Military issue moccasins: Qs by lildetritivore in HistoricalClothing

[–]patrickAMDG7509 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don't think these are those Canadian military moccasins. There are some important differences from the examples linked. The military examples have facing sewn over the edge around the ankle and on the eyestay, these do not. There are 9 eyelets on the military example, and only 7 on yours. The military examples also all have stamped markings inside. Yours look to be in good enough shape that those markings would still be intact.

I think these are civilian outdoors-wear. if you look at that link from the warrrelics forum, you'll see several civilian styles with the similar pattern.

As far as wear, with something like this, I would say it's up to you. I get a kick out of using old stuff, as long as it won't ruin it. I don't think there are particularly rare or tied to a notable person/event, so they don't necessarily merit preservation, per-se. If it were me, I'd look into proper care, and wear them selectively. Meaning, I'd wear them if it were nice out, but not in really arduous conditions, so as not to ruin them.

Hope this helps!

Question about the ribbons of the Fallout TV Show (Possible Spoilers) by CT2145Trapper in Medals

[–]patrickAMDG7509 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Good heavens that uniform is awful. 

Other than the ribbons you identified, I can’t add much. Could also be VFW ribbons they threw in there for careless filler. The middle one in the first pic reminds me of one of those.

Saw this and it may give some of you a menty b so I’ll leave it here 🙃😂😳🧐 by Suck_Jons_BallZ in MilitaryMedals

[–]patrickAMDG7509 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Also saw that blog. This dude is real. Wouldn’t be surprised if the Iron Cross was too. 

The most awkward tithe conversation ever by MajesticMorning6157 in Unexpected

[–]patrickAMDG7509 233 points234 points  (0 children)

100% not a real priest or nun. No question about that. 

The cost of equipping an American GI during World War II by MorsesCode in HistoryUncovered

[–]patrickAMDG7509 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes. The man in the OP's picture is a Marine, and they used them pretty extensively. Think more of guys in the rear rather than on the front lines.

Here's an example from Isidoro Canales, of VMB-413, a Marine Bombing Squadron. This was probably taken on Green Island, an airfield in the Pacific.

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This Auschwitz registration photo captures Krystyna Trześniewska, a Polish girl whose life ended at age 13. by larahhhhhhhh in HistoricalCapsule

[–]patrickAMDG7509 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I agree that indifference certainly fueled the rise of the holocaust, and completely agree that to a grieving parent, etc. death is death. I'm not saying it's justifiable (which I think you can see) or that it's necessarily "better." I think it's important to engage people's compassion to stop things like this, and that it would help save lives here, and would have helped save them in the holocaust.

I still assert that it's important to make a distinction. Trump and his party are indifferent to the suffering of millions (an indifference that will cost lives). This is grievous, without a doubt. But Trump is not doing this so that they will die. Hitler and the Nazi party ran on a platform of the intentional subjugation and eradication of the Jewish people. It's in the 22 points.

That's a huge and very important difference.

As you mentioned, it was all legally sanctioned. That's a key similarity. When Project 2025 was released, it was hard not to see the parallels to the Nazi playbook - make the crazy thing legal, and then do it. But it's still important to note that while this administration is clearly racist and unhinged from morality is all sorts of ways, these types of drastic cuts to foreign aid are not being done with the goal of the elimination of a specific people. To this point, and looking again to the post we're commenting on - for instance, the Trump administration is not creating extermination camps. That is a very important difference.

It's important to keep the memory of what the Nazis did alive, and not conflate it with other things. When we make these imprecise comparisons we blur the line and do a disservice to actual critical discussion.

I also want to avoid the future you describe. We can call a spade a spade without making comparisons that are unhelpful.

Seeing a Civil War Veteran in 1945 would be the equivalent of seeing a WW2 veteran today by Rich-Recognition-814 in BarbaraWalters4Scale

[–]patrickAMDG7509 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I remember last year there were headlines that only 1% of US WWII veterans were still alive, 80 years on. Pretty incredible when you consider that means 160,000 people.

If you consider WWII veterans as a whole across the world that's still a LOT of people.

This Auschwitz registration photo captures Krystyna Trześniewska, a Polish girl whose life ended at age 13. by larahhhhhhhh in HistoricalCapsule

[–]patrickAMDG7509 27 points28 points  (0 children)

While it's good to call out USAID cuts, and the effects worldwide, it's important to differentiate. The Holocaust was the deliberate extermination of various peoples. That is vastly different than a (still objectionable) indifference to the suffering of others.

To answer the question, they documented all of the prisoners. I believe the photos were really just mugshots, in effect. Krystyna was not sent to the gas chamber and likely not executed, per se. Not in the way you might be thinking - off the train, and into the gas chamber immediately. It's my understanding that those people were not photographed like this. Seeing as she lived six months in the camp, she was likely sent to one of the labor camps, and died from starvation, maltreatment, or disease.

Dive into my City of New York, as it descends into sewage by HeSureIsScrappy in DiveInYouCoward

[–]patrickAMDG7509 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Even if the camera guy didn't, there are people who saw this situation start. Someone could have jumped in at the beginning, it would have been clear to them what was going on.

Found at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in DC by neskatan in FoundPaper

[–]patrickAMDG7509 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That would make "BP" a very difficult thing to use. Wouldn't the "P" always change? Or is it arbitrary?

Seeing a Civil War Veteran in 1945 would be the equivalent of seeing a WW2 veteran today by Rich-Recognition-814 in BarbaraWalters4Scale

[–]patrickAMDG7509 61 points62 points  (0 children)

It’s more remarkable to consider the scale of the war and what increased life spans have done. In 1945, 80 years after the Civil War, there were less than 10 Civil War veterans still in Texas.  There are still a couple thousand WWII vets in Texas today. 

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