Table of contents for November 2019 in Military Trader

JTAC NCO RECEIVES AIR FORCE CROSS Sgt. Daniel Keller, a combat controller in the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Special Tactics Squadron, received the Air Force Cross from Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein on Sept. 13. The Air Force Cross is second only to the Medal of Honor among USAF military decorations. Keller earned the decoration for his actions on Aug. 16, 2017, when he was a joint terminal attack controller in Afghanistan. Then a staff sergeant, Keller was part of a mission in Nangarhar province to clear the area of some 350 Islamic State group fighters. After 15 hours of sustained battle, the assault force was hit by an improvised explosive device that detonated inside a house, instantly killing four troops and wounding 31 others. Only 10 feet…

Look for more information in the advertisements in this issue of any show listings in bold and italics. Support our advertisers, they support the hobby! Confirm all information with show promoter before traveling. The time, dates, and/or location may have changed! SHOWS Oct 19, NY, Patterson. Militaria & Knife Collector Show, Patterson Recreation Center, 65 Front Street (I84/I684, I87, building adjacent to Metro-North Railroad). The Duffle Bag, Inc., P.O. Box 22, Patterson, NY 12563 845•878•7106, www. thedufflebaginc.com Oct 19-20, PA, Allentown. Forks of the Delaware Historical Antique and Modern Arms Show, Agricultural Hall, 17th St. & Chew St. Info: Forks of the Delaware, 2060 Northampton St., Unit I Easton, PA 18042; 610.438.9006; www.allentownshow.net Oct 19-20, PA, Monroeville. Pittsburgh Gun Show, Monroeville Convention Center. Info: Showmasters Inc., PO Box 10277, Blacksburg,…

PEACE MADE IN A RAILWAY CAR While most recognize November 11 as Veterans Day, this year, the day will mark the 101st Anniversary of the Armistice of 1918. This important agreement provided the foundation for ending WWI. Signed to go into effect on “the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, the armistice guaranteed no more fighting on land, sea, and air between the Allies and their opponent, Germany. Previous armistices had eliminated Bulgaria, the Ottoman Empire, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Although not a formal surrender, the Armistice marked an Allied victory and a complete defeat of Germany. ONE CAR: TWO ARMISTICES On November 11, 1918, Allied and German leaders signed an armistice ending the fighting on the Western Front. While some refer to the document as…

M29 Weasel Tracked Cargo Carrier & Variants (Images of War), by David Doyle (ISBN 978-1526743565, Pen & Sword Books Ltd, 47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S70 2AS; www.pen-and-sword.co.uk or direct from the author at www.DavidDoyleBooks.com. Soft cover, 146 pages, illustrated throughout, 2019, $22.95). Conceived as part of a Top Secret project to disrupt Nazi Germany’s atomic bomb program, the hastily developed Studebaker Weasel went on to one of, if not THE most successful of the wartime all-terrain vehicles. Designed with light weight to facilitate both air-dropping and efficient, high-speed operation in the snow, the vehicles were soon found to have excellent performance in the mud. Always amphibious, the later models were equipped with flotation tanks on each end and dual rudders in the rear for even more efficient operation…

The PIAT was actually involved in a battle that didn’t involve shooting at tanks. Rather, it was a fight over the name and compensation. In 1944, a press report actually credited the PIAT, as well as the Spigot Mortar, to British Army Major Millis Jefferis. Lieutenant Colonel Stewart Blacker of the Royal Artillery, who conceived the original design, took exception to this. According to the book, Britain’s War Machine: Weapons, Resources, and Experts in the Second World War, Blacker received £25,000 from the Inventions Board for his contribution to the PIAT gun — a sum that would be worth nearly one million pounds today. As for the name, even Prime Minister Winston Churchill asked why the name was changed from the Jefferis Shoulder Gun to PIAT. In the end, the…

USN LOGO ONLINE RESTRICTIONS In September 2017, I emailed you about the US Navy’s Office of Logo Enforcement forcing Etsy (and presumably Ebay, etc.) to remove all listings involving “US Navy” because of supposed trademark infringement. Recently, that very office established an account on Etsy. This, in and of itself, is fraudulent. Accounts are for buyers and sellers, not for sneaky investigators. They recently sent me a warning e-mail about an item related to the US Navy: a Blue Angels coffee mug! This is a complete waste of taxpayers money, especially considering that factories in China are turning out counterfeit items by the ship load every day, making pure profit as they do not have to pay royalties or license fees. — Steve in Arizona SIMULATION ISN’T THE SAME I…

Hope Hodge Seck began a eulogy for the Army’s pix-elated Universal Camouflage Pattern (UCP also known as ACUPAT or “digicam”) uniform in Military.com: “It blended in well with grandma’s couch, but had its drawbacks in the combat zone.” As of October 1, 2019, UCP is officially a thing of the past. Going forward, all US Army soldiers are required to possess and wear the green-and-brown Operational Camouflage Pattern uniform (OCP). Introduced in 2004, the UCP had been developed as a “universal camouflage” that promised to work equally well in all environments including desert, woodland/jungle, and urban. It promised to be a one-time issue to soldiers who would deploy to different geographical areas. The slate gray, desert sand, and foliage green pixel pattern becomes darker or lighter depending on exposure to…

“Snapshots” acknowledges that period photos can be the best form of primary information for collectors. Military Trader welcomes photo submissions from its readers of any soldiers displaying interesting uniforms, equipment, medals, or insignia. Send photos with a brief description to: Military Trader, Attn: Snapshots, 5225 Joerns Dr., Suite 2, Stevens Point, WI 54481. If possible, send clear copy prints or high resolution scans. All submissions become property of Active Interest Media and may be considered for inclusion (with proper credit) in other features.…

The following are some current market prices for basic assault badges: Silver infantry assault badge ...................... 125.00 – 200.00 Bronze infantry assault badge .....................175.00 - 275.00 Silver Panzer badge .................................. 225.00 – 375.00 Bronze Panzer badge ................................. 250.00 – 350.00 General assault badge .................................. 95.00 – 225.00 Luftwaffe ground assault badge ................. 275.00 – 375.00…