US Navy, Marines & Army.

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General Alfred Mason Gray Jnr. USMC.

General "Al" Gray Jnr. was the 29th Commandant of the US Marine Corps. and CO of 2nd Marine Division, as well as the 4th Marine Amphibious Brigade. A highly respected and beloved officer who served with distinction in Korea and Vietnam, renowned for his skills in communications, special operations and for promoting manoeuvre tactics in the Corps.
 
Alfred Mason Gray Junior was born in New Jersey on the 22nd of June 1928. After schooling he attended the prestigious Lafayette College in Pennsylvania, before enlisting in the US Marine Corps. for service in Korea. There he saw action with the reconnaissance platoon and was quickly promoted to Sergeant. On the 9th of April 1952 his leadership skills were recognised and he was made a Second Lieutenant. Sent stateside for a course in field artillery, he then found himself back in Korea with the 11th Marines, before transferring to the 7th Marines in late 1953, as a First Lieutenant. After the war he transferred to the 8th Marines, Second Marine Division, with promotion to Captain coming in July of 1955. His next posting was to the Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, on the Potomac River, for a course in communication. Specialised in special ops intelligence. In May 1961 he was stationed at Marine Corps. HQ in Washington DC as a G2 Special Operations and Planning Officer, before promotion to Major in February 1963. In 1964, as US direct involvement in Vietnam was hotting up, his detachment were the first marines posted in country, providing vital intel. 1967 saw him back in Vietnam, this time in command of a heavy artillery task force before assuming command of a battalion, with promotion to Lieutenant Colonel coming in October. From February 1968 he served stateside, once again at the nation’s capitol, as Chief of the Intelligence and Operations Division, for the Defense Special Projects Group. He was then posted back to Quantico on a team looking into the field use of sensor technology. However, in late 1969 he found himself back in Vietnam with recon and surveillance. Following that role he became Chief of the Intelligence and Reconnaissance Division at Quantico in 1970. Gray then attended Command and Staff College, graduating in 1971 with appointed as CO of the 1st Battalion of the 2nd Marine Division. The division was posted to Europe. In August of 1972 he was promoted full Colonel and in December was made the Assistant Chief of Staff for the division. In 1973 he studied at the Army War College before becoming CO of the 4th Marines, Third Marine Division, stationed in Okinawa before a last posting to Vietnam, during the evacuation of Saigon in 1975. In August he became Deputy Director of Training and Education at the Marine Corps. Headquarters, before promotion to Brigadier General in March the year later. From mid 1976 Brigadier General Gray Jnr commanded the Landing Force of Training Command Atlantic, as well as the 4th Marine Amphibious Brigade, until October 1978. Then followed a senior posting at the Education Command at Quantico. In February 1980 he made Major General and went on to command the 2nd Marine Division at Camp Lejeune, before his promotion to Lieutenant General in August 1984. He was then given command of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force. Gray was nominated for Commandant of the US Marine Corps. by President Reagan, becoming the 29th Commandant on the 1st July 1987, with promotion to four star General. This Dress cap dates to 1981 when Gray became  CO of 2nd Marine Division. The cap's unique embroidered "Commandant" gold  band, distinctive high top and overall short profile, showing a bulge under the anchor can be observed in a photo of him wearing it in May 1989. His appointment reflected varied commands in different specialities, as well as his utmost devotion to the Corps and his country. As such he was a member of the US Military’s Joint Chiefs of Staff; the board of senior officers who advise the President and Secretary of Defense on military matters. General Gray was also responsible for the overall command of the Corps. during his four year tenure, until his retirement in 1991. General Alfred “Al” Mason Gray Jnr passed away on the 20th of March 2024, aged 95 years old.

More information on General Alfred Gray Jnr can be found at www.washingtonpost.com, www.usmcu.edu, www.mca-marines.org, and www.reaganlibrary.org. 

Maker: Kingform Cap Company.
Tag: Coldwar USMC Commandant's Combination visor cap (Gray Jnr.).

General Alfred Mason Gray Jnr., the 29th Commandant of the Marine Corps, visor cap.

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Rear Admiral Jack Jestin Appleby, USN.
 
Rear Admiral Jack J. Appleby served in the Second World War and held key state side Supply Corps. commands during the Cold War. He was Deputy Commandant of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces and was the CO of the Naval Supply Center, playing a vital role in the postwar period.
 
Jack Jestin Appleby was born in Missouri on the 22nd of August 1915. He was educated at Santa Ana High School in California, before attending Berkeley University, which is where his naval career began. On the 21st of May 1938 he was commissioned an Ensign in the Reserves, transferring to the Supply Corps. in August, where he trained as a Supply Officer at the Naval Supply and Finance School. It would appear that Appleby specialised in aviation as he was then posted to the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga in May 1939 where he remained for two years before joining the Fleet Air Wing Four. In September 1942 he was posted to the Naval Air Station, Seattle, as Assistant Supply Officer as well as Naval Air Center Supply Officer. A year later he was on the Commander’s staff of Fleet Air Wing Sixteen, serving in the South Atlantic, for which he was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal. In January 1945 he transferred onto the Staff of the Commander Air Force, US Atlantic Fleet, however in July of that year he transferred again to the carrier USS Tarawa. During the war he saw action in the Atlantic, South Pacific and Aleution Islands Campaign. Post WWII Appleby was promoted and sent to Washington as Director of the Personnel Division, Bureau of Supplies and Accounts, Navy Department, before assuming the role of Supply and Fiscal Officer, Naval Air Station, Alameda, in October 1950. After four years he then attended the Naval War College before being posted to the Naval Air Force Commander‘s staff, Pacific Fleet, in mid 1956. In September 1958 he accepted a two year posting as Executive Officer, Aviation Supply Office, in Philadelphia. Now a Captain, his next assignment took him to New York in 1960, as CO of Naval Ships Store Office, Brooklyn, and at the start of 1963 he was also given the post of Assistant Chief for Resale Programs. By November 1964 Appleby had reached Flag Rank and was a two-star Rear Admiral, where he was serving as CO of the Navy Ship's Store Office (NSSO), until April 1965. On the 1st of May 1965 he assumed the role of Deputy Chief of Naval Material (Material and Facilities) at the Navy Department. RADM Appleby then become Deputy Commandant of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, based in Washington DC, in April 1966, for which he was given a Legion of Merit. After just over two years he became the Commanding Officer of the Naval Supply Center in Oakland, California, and by the 1st of February 1970 was Rear Admiral commanding the Naval Supply Office in Philadelphia. (A second Legion of Merit came in 1968). This was his last posting before retiring on the 1st of July 1971, just short of 33 years dedicated service. Admiral Jack Jestin Appleby passed away on the 24th of April 1986, aged 70 years old. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
 
More about Rear-Admiral Appleby can be found in www.history.navy.mil, www.idnc.library.illinois.edu, www.ancestors.familysearch.org, www.usni.org, National Security Seminar: Prospectus, 1968-69, and www.findagrave.com


Maker: Art Caps.
Tag: US Navy Admiral's visor cap (Appleby).

Rear Admiral Jack Jestin Appleby, USN. Supply Corps. visor cap

Rear-Admiral Jack Jestin Appleby, USN. Copyright 2025.

Rear-Admiral Jack Jestin Appleby USN.
by Olivier Dorrell
Digital Media, 2025
Unofficial contemporary portrait.
11.7 in. x 8.3 in. (297 mm x 210 mm).
Copyright, the artist 2025.
Contact the museum to use this image.

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Vice Admiral Samuel Lee Gravely USN.
Historical Importance
 
Vice Admiral Samuel L. Gravely was an influential naval officer whose impressive career and leadership paved the way for a more progressive and equal service, regardless of race, inspiring future generations. He held various sea commands during the Vietnam War before commanding the US 3rd Fleet and becoming the Director of the Defense Communication Agency.

Samuel L Gravely was born on the 4th of June 1922 in Richmond Virginia. After schooling he attended High School, before enrolling in Virginia Union University. He left University early to join the army but unfortunately failed the physical, so took a stopgap job in a factory. After the outbreak of  the Second World War the opportunities for African Americans in the military were opened up and so Gravely enlisted into the Navy in the 15th of September 1942. He was commissioned in 1944, becoming the first African American navy officer to serve aboard a fighting ship, and would go on to serve during the Korean War and Vietnam War. In the 1960s he made another first by becoming the Captain of the USS Falgout, an Edsall Class Destroyer, as well as the USS Taussig. During the Vietnam War he took command of  the USS Jouett before promotion to Flag Rank and Rear Admiral in 1971, yet another first and a victory over discrimination and prejudice. As Commander of the 11th Naval District he inspected the USS Anchorage  on the 2nd of June 1976. In 1978 he took command of the US 3rd Fleet with promotion to Vice Admiral, and in 1980 became the Director of the Defense Communications Agency. On the 1st of August 1980 VADM Gravely retired. To discover more about this great man, it would be worth reading his biography "Trailblazer" (see our book reviews), taken from audio interviews recorded several years before he passed away on the 22nd of October 2004, aged 82 years old. The destroyer USS Gravely was named in his honour.

More about Vice Admiral Gravely can be found in www.aaregistry.org, www.vawarmemorial.org, www.usni.org, www.blackhistorymuseum.org

Maker: Kyoto.  A Binky Cap. New Era.
Tag: US Navy Admiral's Command Ball caps (Gravely).

USN Command Ball caps from Vice Admiral Samuel Lee Gravely USN.

Vice Admiral Samuel Lee Gravely USN biography "Trailblazer" and 1974 autograph.

USS Falgout Command Ball cap with "scrambled eggs" named to Adm. S. Gravely.

Command Ball cap belonging to Captain Samuel L Gravely Jnr., the Commanding officer of the destroyer USS Jouett.

US Navy Admiral's Command Ball cap belonging to Vice Admiral Samuel Lee Gravely, from the USS Anchorage, 1976.

Vice Admiral Samuel Lee Gravely. USN. Copyright 2025.

Vice Admiral Samuel Lee Gravely USN (circa 1970).
by Olivier Dorrell
Digital Media, 2025
Unofficial contemporary portrait.
11.7 in. x 8.3 in. (297 mm x 210 mm).
Copyright, the artist 2025.
Contact the museum to use this image.

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Rear Admiral Conrad Johnathan Rorie, USN.
Historical Importance

Rear Admiral Conrad "CJ" Rorie was an anti-submarine destroyer escort Captain during the Vietnam War. Postwar he became the Admiral in Command of Pearl Harbor and helped developed of the navy's Tomahawk missile and the Aegis missile defence  system.

Full biography coming soon.

More information about RADM Rorie can be found at www.sandiegouniontribune.com, www.nara.getarchive.net, www.usni.org, www.navsea.navy.mil, www.legacy.com, www.ussmissouri.org, and www.navsource.net.

Maker: Bancroft.
Tag: Coldwar era US Navy Rear Admiral's Garrison cap and photographs (Rorie).

RADM Conrad J. Rorie, USN's Garrison hat.

Period photograghs of the USS Bridget (DE- 1024) and LCdr C. J. Rorie, its commanding officer from 1965 to 1967, shown with RADM Rorie's Garrison hat.

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Admiral James Robert Hogg, USN.

Admiral James Robert Hogg served during the Vietnam War and held numerous sea commands, both as Captain and later Squadron and Flotilla commander. He commanded
the U.S. Seventh Fleet prior to becoming the Director of Naval Warfare. Upon promotion to Four-star Flag rank he became the U.S. Military Representative of the NATO Military Committee.

Full biography coming soon.

Maker: Decton. Art Caps.
Tag: Coldwar era US Navy Admiral's shirt and Garrison cap (Hogg).

Admiral James Robert Hogg, USN., uniform, worn when Vice Admiral of the 7th Fleet.

Vice Admiral Garrison cap. US Navy.

Surface Warfare Officer badge and medal ribbons of US Navy Admiral James Robert Hogg, showing (Top downwards, L to R): Legion of Merit with two gold stars (awarded 3 times), Meritorious Service Medal with one gold star (awarded twice), Navy / Marine Corps. Achievement Medal, Meritorious Unit Commendation Medal, Navy Efficiency Medal, Navy Expeditionary Medal, National Defense Service Medal with one bronze star (awarded twice), Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Sea Service Deployment Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal with 1960's device, and Pistol Marksmanship Medal with E device.

Admiral James Robert Hogg, USN. Copyright 2025.

Admiral James Robert Hogg USN (circa 1983).
by Olivier Dorrell
Digital Media, 2025
Unofficial contemporary portrait.
11.7 in. x 8.3 in. (297 mm x 210 mm).
Copyright, the artist 2025.
Contact the museum to use this image.

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Vice Admiral Jerry Owen Tuttle, USN. 
Historical Importance

Vice Admiral Jerry Owen Tuttle was an innovative and highly decorated senior US Navy officer, who distinguished himself flying combat missions during the Vietnam War. He is recognized for bringing the Navy firmly into the digital age and pioneering command and control. He was the Flag Officer commanding of Task Force CTF-60 in 1983, and previously took the helm of the USS John F. Kennedy aircraft carrier.

Jerry Owen Tuttle was born on the 18th of December 1934 in Hatfield, Indiana. After schooling he joined the US Navy in February 1955 aged twenty, as a Seaman Recruit, and proved an exceptional student being awarded the prestigious American Spirit Medal. He was commissioned Ensign on the 1st of July 1956, before earning his wings in October of that year. Then followed a posting at the Naval Air Station Miramar, with the rank of Lieutenant confirmed in December 1957. In 1960, with promotion to First Lieutenant he was at the United States Naval Post Graduate School before a staff posting to Washington DC. Promotion to Lieutenant Commander came in June 1964. He then served in Fighter Squadron VF44 “Hornets” before transferring to Attack Squadron 15, with whom he went to Vietnam in April 1966 and again in 1967, flying from the USS Intrepid and clocking up combat hours on the A4 Skyhawk. In 1967 he made Commander. After two tours in Vietnam he returned state side and attended the Naval War College in 1968, prior to becoming Flag Lieutenant to the Admiral John J. Hyland Jr., the Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet Hawaii, in July 1969. The following year he served as Executive Officer and commanding officer of two squadrons, before assuming command of Carrier Air Wing 3 with promotion to Captain in July 1974. His next assignment was the command of the new replenishment support tanker USS Kalamazoo. In August 1976 he took command of the super-carrier USS John F Kennedy. From 1976 until his promotion to Flag rank he held senior staff positions. In August 1980 he reached Rear Admiral two star. In 1981 he commanded Carrier Group 8, until April 1983 when he became the commander of Carrier Group 8, with Task Force 60, 6th Fleet, which included his previous command the USS John F. Kennedy, (which is when he acquired this cap). In 1984 RADM Tuttle then became Inspector General of the Navy prior to being made Deputy Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief, Atlantic Fleet. With promotion to Vice Admiral in May 1987 he was appointed Director of J6 - Command & Control (Communications), on the Joint Chief of Staff. Then from May 1989 until his retirement he was the Director of N6 (Communications), Office of the Director of Navy Command and Control. VADM Tuttle retired in January 1994, after just over 38 years of dedicated service. His contribution to the military command system changed the face of the military, and was recognised with the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross, and Legion of Merit, as well many others. After a long retirement Vice Admiral Jerry Owen Tuttle, passed away at the age of 83 years old on October the 30th 2018.

More about Vice-Admiral Tuttle can be found in www.epnaao.com, www.navintpro.org and www.moneyandking.com.

Maker: New Era.
Tag: 1983 US Navy Admiral's Command Ball cap, CTF-60 (Tuttle).

Vice Admiral Jerry Owen Tuttle, USN, Command Ball cap.

Vice Admiral Jerry Owen Tuttle, USN. Copyright 2025.

Vice Admiral Jerry Owen Tuttle USN (circa 1983).
by Olivier Dorrell
Digital Media, 2025
Unofficial contemporary portrait.
11.7 in. x 8.3 in. (297 mm x 210 mm).
Copyright, the artist 2025.
Contact the museum to use this image.

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Vice Admiral Diego E. Hernández, USN. 
Historical Importance

Vice Admiral "Duke" Diego Hernández was a decorated Vietnam War pilot with over 140 combat missions, postwar he held key commands, including Admiral of the U.S. Third Fleet and Deputy Commander-in-Chief of U.S. Space Command, as well as NORAD. During that time he was the highest ranking Hispanic American naval officer.

Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on the 25th of March 1934, Diego Hernández was awarded a navy scholarship in the reserves from Illonois Insitute of Technology before comissioned Ensign. After training and active service as a fighter pilot, including two tours in Vietnam.  he assumed command roles, most notably the carrier USS John F. Kennedy CV 67. Hernández was promoted to Flag rank and Rear Admiral upon appointment to Chief of Staff of  the Commander Naval Air Force Atlantic (COMNAVAIRLANT) in September 1981 and became CO of the U.S. Third Fleet in August 1986, assuming the Flagship USS Coronado AGF-11 (Auxiliary Command Ship). After 36 years of dedicated service he retired on the 1st of  February 1991. His awards include the Silver Star, Purple Heart, Distinguished Flying Cross, and the Distinguished Service Medal (Navy). Rear-Admiral Hernández passed away on the 7th of July, 2017, aged 83 years old. He did much to improve relations between the USA and Latin America and following his death was inducted into the Puerto Rican Hall of Fame.

More about Rear-Admiral Hernández can be found in www.iit.edu, www.epnaao.com, www.seattletimes.com, miamilaker.com, www.legacy.com, www.wearethemighty.com, www.opv.pr.gov, and valor.militarytimes.com.

From this Flag Officer’s distinct Command Ball cap style and 1988 period photos showing such caps in wear aboard USS Coronado, it points to having belonged to Admiral  Hernández, whose Flagship it was from 1986 until 1989. Incidentally the Coronado briefly became the Flagship of the US Middle East Force, from January 1988 until November 1988, for Operation Praying Mantis, under the flag of RADM Less.

Maker: California Headgear. Vanguard. Various.
Tag: 1980s US Navy Admiral's Command Ball cap (Hernández).

Vice Admiral Diego E. Hernández, USN Command Ball cap.

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Rear Admiral Ray R. Sareeram, Supply Corps., USN.
Historical Importance
 
Rear Admiral R. R. Sareeram was an inspirational and talented Supply Corps. officer who had a distinguished career, holding key state side commands which allowed the USN to maintain a high level of readiness during a period of reform, earning the Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) and the Defence Superior Service Medal (DSSM), as well as a Bronze Star during the Vietnam War. He is also noted as being the first American of Indian descent to reach Flag rank Rear Admiral (UH).
 
Ray Rupchand Sareeram was born on the 16th of February 1938 in California. He attended Sacramento Junior College before studying at Sacramento State College. In 1961 he was drafted into the US Navy and attended Officer Candidate School, commissioned Ensign in 1962, when he was sent to sea, earning the Surface Warfare Supply Officer badge, serving aboard the WW2 vintage Gearing Class destroyer USS Kenneth D. Bailey. By 1966 he was had been posted to Naples in Italy, aboard the Mars Class Combat Stores ship USS Sylvania, part of the United States 6th Fleet, Strike Force South, based in the Mediterranean Sea. During the Vietnam War he was in Saigon, responsible for Construction Contracts, where he earned four campaign stars and was awarded the Bronze Star. A specialist in logistics we was then posted to the 7th Fleet and Commander Task Force 75 (73/CTF) as Deputy Chief of Staff Supply, before assuming the role of Fleet Supply Officer at the HQ US Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbour. During the 1970s he also served at the HQ of Naval Supply Systems Command and at the Naval Ships Parts Control Center. In 1979 he became Supply Officer on the newly commissioned Submarine Tender USS Emory S Land. During the 1980s, now a Captain, he assumed command of the Defense Depot Ogden, an inter-branch support and logistics installation in Utah before becoming CO of the Naval Supply Centrer Oakland, California, wearing the Navy Command Ashore pin. Prior to promotion to Flag rank Sareeram became Fleet Supply Officer for Operation Desert Storm from August 1990 to February 1991. On the 14th of May 1991 he reached Flag rank with promotion to Rear Admiral (Lower Half). By July 1993 he had been promoted to Rear Admiral (Upper Half) and was Director of Supply Programs and Policy Division for the Chief of Naval Operations. In the course of his career his unit /ship was awarded the Navy Meritous Unit Commendation medal on no less than three occasions and his valuable service to the United Staes Navy was recognised with the prestigious Navy Distinguished Service Medal, the Defence Superior Service Medal, and two Legion of Merit awards. After thirty three years of decicated service, Admiral Sareeram retired on the 1st of October 1995 to take up senior logistical posts in B & J Wholesale Club. Following a long illness RADM Ray R. Sareeram USN SC (Retired) tragically passed away at the relatively young age of 69 years old, on the 29th of August 2007, and was buried at Arlington Military Cemetery. A memorial scholarshop from the Navy Supply Corps. Foundation is in his name.
 
More about Rear Admiral Sareeram can be found at www.legacy.com, nara.getarchive.net, www.usni.org, www.vlm.cem.va.gov, www.congres.com, and www.prabook.com.

Maker: Bancroft. Various makers.
Tag: US Navy Admiral's visor cap, insignia and medals (Sareeram).

Rear Admiral Ray R. Sareeram, Supply Corps. , USN. visor cap

Rear Admiral Sareeram's medals (not in order of precedence). L to R: Distinguished Service Medal (Navy), Legion of Merit (awarded twice), Defense Superior Service Medal (Named), Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal (awarded four times), Navy Expeditionary Medal, National Defense Service Medal (awarded twice), Vietnam Service Medal (four campaigns), and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.

Rear Admiral Sareeram's Surface Warfare Insignia (Supply Corps.), Command Ashore Insignia and visor cap USN device (worn when ranked to Captain).

Rear Admiral Sareeram's incomplete medal ribbons and commemorative coins, L to R: Vietnam War veteran, Navy Supply Corps., Bicentennial 1795-1995 and United Sates Sixth Fleet, Strike Force South, 20th anniversary 1948-1968.

Rear Admiral Ray R. Sareeram, Supply Corps., USN. Copyright 2025.

Rear Admiral Ray R. Sareeram, Supply Corps., USN.
by Olivier Dorrell
Digital Media, 2025
Unofficial contemporary portrait.
11.7 in. x 8.3 in. (297 mm x 210 mm).
Copyright, the artist 2025.
Contact the museum to use this image.

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 Rear Admiral Don W. Baird, USN.
 
RADM Don W. Baird was the Chief of Operations and Readiness at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (NATO) during the 1990s. A naval pilot who later commanded carriers before assuming command of the Anti-Submarine Warfare Wing of the US Pacific Fleet.

Donald Wilson Baird was born on the 14th of April 1940 in Pennsylvania. He was educated at San Jose College before becoming a USN aviation cadet, aged twenty years old in 1960. In September 1962 he earned his wings and was then posted to California where he gained hours on the Lockheed C121 Constellation transport aircraft and C130 Hercules. He then transitioned to carrier aircraft on the WW2 era USS Bennington, going on to see action during the Vietnam War, earning three campaign stars. Prior to attending the Naval Post Graduate School in 1968 he served as an instructor pilot. In 1970 he was posted to the Sea Control Squadron 21 on anti submarine duties, aboard the Essex Class carrier USS Ticonderoga. After this tour Lieutenant Commander Baird attended the College of Naval Command & Staff, with a posting to the Bureau of Naval Personnel upon graduation in 1974. A post he held until 1977. He converted to jets and became the XO (Second in Command) of Sea Control Squadron 38 aboard the carrier USS Enterprise in the Indian Ocean, later becoming CO. Promotion to Commander followed and a tour on the Kitty Hawk class supercarrier USS Constellation with Carrier Air Wing 9. He was then posted to the US Pacific Fleet on the Commander‘s Staff of the Anti-Submarine Warfare Wing. From 1982 to mid 1983 he commanded Carrier Air Wing 2 on the supercarrier USS Ranger (a vessel he was later to Captain). With promotion to Capatain, Baird was given command of the USS New Orleans helicopter carrier in 1985. In late 1986 he became Force Readiness Officer of the Naval Air Force, again at the US Pacific Fleet, prior to the USS Ranger in 1987, where he remained until 1988. Deploying to the Pacific and Middle East. He was then selected to be a member of SSG VIII (Strategic Studies Group) as its aviation expert. The group explored new ideas and concepts that could advance the service’s fighting capabilities. In 1991 he reached Flag Rank and Rear Admiral Lower Level, with command of the Anti Submarine Warfare Wing of the US Pacific Fleet, on the 1st of August 1991 to the 1st of September 1993. For which he was awarded the Legion of Merit, making it his third, on the 18th of October 1993.

After 32 years of dedicated service, specialising in Anti Submarine warfare, Rear Admiral Don Baird retired from the US Navy in 1993. During his distinguished career he was awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Honor and Meritorious Service Medal, for his outstanding dedication and devotion to duty. Settling down in San Diego with his family, he wasn‘t to enjoy this retirement for long, sadly passing away unexpectedly on the 9th of June 1994. He was buried at sea with full Military Honours.

More information of Rear Admiral Donad W. Baird can be found at www.uss-ranger.org,
www.history.navy.mil, www.aad.archives.gov, www.cia.gov,  www.cdnc.ucr.edu,   www.cna.org, and www.nara.getarchive.net.

Maker: Bancroft.
Tag: US 1991  Navy Admiral's visor cap (Baird).

Rear Admiral Don W. Baird, USN visor peak cap.

RDML (lower half) Don W. Baird, USN (covered). www.catalog.archives.gov

RDML (lower half) Don W. Baird, USN (covered)
NAID: 6474782
Local ID: 330-CFD-DN-SC-92-01492.jpeg
Photographs and other Graphic Materials 
Produced: September 30, 1991

Scene Camera Operator: PH2 Guzman
Release Status: Released to Public

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United States Navy Flag Officer's visor cap.  

This rather stylish cap is from an unknown Flag Officer who was promoted to Rear Admiral Lower Half (RADML) during the 1990s. While we are unable to identify who he was at the moment, he perhaps served at some point early in his career in the US Coast Guard, retaining his side buttons through into his regular naval career. He would have been commissioned around the late 1960s / 70s. 

Maker: Bancroft.
Tag: USN Flag Officer's visor peak cap (1990s).

Flag Officer Admiral's visor peaked cap, dating to the 1990s.

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Major General Joseph D. Caldara, USAF.

Major General Caldara had a unique military career, from flying biplanes in the 1930s to VIPs in wartime, to B29 jets. During the war he served in the South Pacific, rising to Major General postwar and Chief of the Joint US Military Group, prior to Assistant Chief of Staff for Mutual Security.
 
Joseph “Smokey” D Caldara was born in Fairmont, West Virginia on the 13th of May 1909. After schooling at Hutchinson Central High School in Mount Savage he attended the University of Maryland, studying Art. He graduated aged twenty two and joined the Army Reserve, commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the 12th Infantry Division in June of 1931. However, his desire to fly was soon realized in October of that year when he transferred to the Air Corps., learning to fly on the Boeing P-12, Curtiss PW-1 Hawk, Consolidated PT-3, and Douglas BT-2A, at Randolph Field in Saint Antonio Texas. His daring reckless flying antics there earned him the nickname “Smokey” and nearly ended his career before it had properly taken off. To complete his training he was moved to Kelly Air Field, flying fighters and bombers, in particular the biplane Keystone and Boeing P-12, with which he buzzed his old high school! Caldara was confirmed a 2nd Lieutenant in 1932, having gained his wings, and was stationed at Barksdale Field in Bossier City in Louisiana, now Barksdale Air Force Base, which incidentally showcases an impressive selection of historic aircraft, including a British Nuclear Vulcan Bomber. From 1934 until the outbreak of World War II he concentrated on civilian life but was still flying with the Air Reserve, making 1st Lieutenant on the 23rd of October 1935 and then Captain on the 9th of October 1940.
 
In early 1941, prior to the attack on Pearl Harbour Caldara returned to active duty as a VIP pilot in Washington DC, based out of Bolling Field. His main duty was flying senior officers and important politians. (Similar to AVM Whitley). There he clocked up flying hours on a mix of Curtiss Hawks and Warhawks, Lockheed Lightning, and the North American Texan trainer. His experience of flying most models of pre and early WWII US aircraft was impressive. In February 1942 he reached Major and then Lieutenant Colonel on the 24th of July. He was then posted to the South Pacific, based on New Caledonia, as Major Assistant Chief of Staff for Air Operations at the Headquarters US Armed Forces, as well as the VIP pilot for Major General Millard Harmon. It was there where he was involved in a particular precarious landing in bad visibility, with Admiral Nimitz and Admiral Halsey on board. (I recommend you read the account here). In February 1943 Lieutenant Colonel Caldara and his B17 were the first aircraft to land on Guadalcanal after the Japanese defeat. In late 1943 he returned to the States to take up the important post of Chief of the Pacific Plans Branch, as well as Executive to the Assistant Chief of Staff for Plans, back in Washington DC at US Army Air Force HQ. It was in this role that he was made a full Colonel on the 11th of March 1944.
 
Postwar saw a variety of important postings both stateside and aboard overseas, as well as confirmation into the regular USAF. After War College he was posted to the Alaskan Air Command, where he flew B29 bombers and became Chief of Staff. In 1949 he was posted to the Office of Joint Chiefs of Staff before representing the USAF interests on the Joint Strategic Plans Group, Emergency War Plans Team, before assuming a key role at the Strategic Air Command in early 1952. However, by mid year he had become Commanding Officer of the 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, first in Puerto Rico then back stateside. On the 3rd of December 1952 Caldara was promoted to a one star Brigadier General and was given command of the 21st Air Division. After another two years in that post he was sent to Japan to take command of the Far East Air Forces Bomber Command, moving to Guam and the 3rd Air Division. He then accepted a posting in California as Director of Flight Safety Research. A vital position during the early Cold War helping to prevent and reduce the aircraft accident rate. On the 5th of August 1957 he reached Major General. Which lead him to become Deputy Director Inspector General of Safety in 1959, A year later in July of 1960 he was posted to Spain as the Chief of the Joint US Military Group, where he was in charge of the US military presence in Spain, as well as providing local training and support. In 1963 he returned to the US and was appointed Assistant Chief of Staff for Mutual Security. After a 32 year colourful career Major General Caldara retired from active service in March 1964. He passed away at the age of 86 years old on the 15th of January 1995.


More about Major General Caldara can be found at www.mountsavagehistoricalsociety.org, www.af.mil, www.wingsovercumberland.com, and www.dafhistory.af.mil.

Maker: Unknown.
Tag: 1960s USAF Maj. Gen Command Ball cap (Caldara).

USAF Command Ball cap from Major General Joseph D. Caldara.

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Brigadier General Richard F. "Earthquake" Titus, USAF.

Brigadier General Richard F. Titus was a Korean War and Vietnam War fighter ace, test pilot, record setter, and USAF Project Officer for the McDonald Douglas F15 Eagle. He also served as Inspector General of North American Air Defense Command and held various senior commands.

Robert “Bob” F. Titus was born in Orange, New Jersey, on the 6th of December 1926. After schooling he joined the US Army and 82nd Airborne, aged 19, just prior to the close of World War Two in 1945, taking part in the victory parade. In 1946 he was demobbed and briefly returned to civilian life until September 1948 when he enlisted in the USAF as a Cadet. A year later he earned his wings and promotion to Second Lieutenant, set on becoming a fighter pilot. Due to his build however Titus was put on bombers. When the Korean War kicked off he was quickly posted to fighters and flew combat missions in the famous WW2 P51 Mustang, as well as the F86 Sabre single seater swept wing jet fighter interceptor. He was to quickly prove his metal, flying over one hundred sorties. Once he had to ditch his P51 over hostile territory, just forward of the US lines, under fire and about to be overrun he was directed back to friendlies just in the nick of time. An account of which can be read in his excellent biography by William B. Scott, “Earthquake - Brigadier Robert F. Titus - Fighter Pilot - Test Pilot - Leader” (https://www.robertftitus.com). After a daring ground attack Lt Titus was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross on the 3rd of March 1952. After the war he returned stateside and was tasked with flying fighters to European bases, including the F84 Thunderjet. His next assignment was to California and Edwards Air Force Base, where he became a test pilot evaluating and flying all the F100 series fighters prior to going operational. A vital job yet hazardous to say the least, not to mention rocket propelled variations. In 1959 Captain Titus was given a special mission by BGen Charles Blair (codenamed Operation Julius Caesar) to see if fighters could resupply Europe from the US over the North Pole. They set a world record and the operation proved successful with Titus given a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster to his DFC for his part. He then attended the University of Chicago before a posting to Europe. His next post was at the HQ of Tactical Air Command, in charge of fighters. In 1966 as the Vietnam War was hotting up Lieutenant Colonel Titus was given command of a unique trial squadron of F5A Freedom Fighters, known as the Skoshi Tigers, 10th Fighter Commando Squadron testing the USAF’s advantages of the lightweight fighter in combat. He earned a DFC on the 9th of July 1966, for his close ground support action. A year later he took command of a F4 Phantom Squadron, 366th Tactical Fighter Wing, racking up another 3 kills to his ace score and a Silver Star for his selfless bravery in aerial combat, on the 20th of May 1967. Just two days later he was given an Air Force Cross for another mission in heavily defended territory, for air to air combat. Two months later a third DFC was awarded for another ground attack action on an enemy supply depot, dated the 1st July 1967. In Vietnam he racked up an impressive 400 plus sorties. Later that year Colonel Titus return stateside becoming the USAF’s Project Officer at McDonald Douglas for the F15 Eagle, where he was instrumental in pushing the cause for the fighter to receive cannons. This proved a controversial victory that damaged his promotion prospects but was based on his extensive combat and test pilot experience which was to prove valuable. At the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, for Research and Development, he was made Commander of Advanced Tactical Systems. In December 1972 he was promoted to one star rank and Brigadier General. After just over thirty years of dedicated service his illustrious military career came to an end when BGen Titus retired on the 1st of August 1977. However, the general still remained active with associations and supporting cadets, right up until he passed away at the ripe old age of 97 years old on the 8th of September 2024.

More information about Brigadier General Titus can be found at www.veterantributes.org, www.af.mil, www.valor.militarytimes.com, www.vintageaviationnews.com, www.robertftitus.com, and www.youtube.com.

Maker:  
Tag: US Army Air Force Brigadier General's Garrison cap 1972 (Titus).

Brigadier General Richard F. "Earthquake" Titus, USAF, Garrison cap.

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General Clyde D. Eddleman, US Army.

General Clyde Davis Eddleman was the Vice Chief of Staff of the US Army during the 1960s, (2nd in Command). He was also a decorated WW2 General who went on to command the US Army in Europe, at a key period of the Cold War.

Clyde Davis Eddleman was born in Orange, Texas on the 17th of January 1902. After attending Lake Charles High School he enrolled in the United States Military Academy “Westpoint“, graduating in the class of 1924 as a Second Lieutenant. During the interwar period Eddleman rose steadily up the ranks and was a Lieutenant Colonel by the outbreak of WW2, serving as Chief of Training Division for the US Third Army. He would later become Assistant Chief of Staff, G3 Staff Officer, with promotion to full Colonel coming in July 1942. In January 1943 he was assigned to 6th Army in the same role, initially based in Australia, then New Guinea and the Admiral Islands. His complete disregard for his own personal safety visiting front line positions, to obtain vital intel on offensive tactics and enemy strength on Biak Island, Leyte and Luzon, as well as in Manila helped shaped the successful offensive outcome. Clyde in fact received a battlefield promotion to Brigadier General at the Leyte beachhead and was awarded the Silver Star, Legion of Merit and Distinguished Service Medal for his vital contribution. In January 1946 General McArthur personally chose Eddleman to be part of the Joint Operations Review Board, prior to becoming Assistant Commandant of the newly created Armed Forces Staff College, in June of that year. In June 1949 he was appointed Commanding General of TRUST (the US Troops in the Free Territory of Trieste, now Italy) as well as Director-General of Civil Affairs, Allied Military Government, in the British-US Zone. In April 1952 General Clyde took part in the “United States-British Politico-Military Meeting”, concerning the future of Trieste, in Washington DC. That year he also became the Assistant Chief of Army Staff of G–3 Operations, until early 1954 when he took command of the 4th Infantry Division, holding that post to May 1955. Clyde was promoted to Lieutenant General in 1956 and in 1958 was given the vital of command of the US 7th Army in Germany. In April 1959 he was promoted to four star General and became the Commander in Chief of US Forces in Europe. That month he was also the guest speaker for the US Air Force Day Parade at Berlin’s Temple Hof Airport, (wearing the cap exhibited) as shown in this British Pathé newsreel. However, in November 1960 he was appointed Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, the second most senior position in the US Army, overseeing the running of the army as well as advising President Eisenhower, and then President Kennedy. He was also on the Board of Directors of the Army and Air Force Mutual Aid Association. In this position he was a member of the Joint Chief of Staff. After around 38 years of dedicated service General Eddleman retired on the 31st of March 1962. In retirement the General served in various senior corporate roles and positions, including the Army & Air Force Mutual Aid Association. General Clyde Davis Eddleman passed away at the age of 90 years old on the 19th of August 1992, receiving full military honours at Arlington.

More about General Eddleman can be found at www.generals.dk, www.valor.militarytimes.com, www.militaryhallofhonor.com, www.4thinfantry.org, www.history.state.gov, www.transportation.army.mil, www.nsarchive2.gwu.edu, www.senate.gov, www,apps.dtic.mil, and www.inss.org.il.

Maker: Berkshire De Luxe
Tag: US Army General's Dress cap 1950s (Eddleman).

General Clyde Davis Eddleman, Vice Chief of Staff of the US Army Dress cap.

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Lieutenant General Lawrence Joseph "Little Abe" Lincoln, US Army.

Lieutenant General Lawrence Lincoln was the Commanding Officer of the US 4th Army. He was a decorated Planning Staff and Engineer Corps. officer, who served on Lord Mountbatten’s planning staff during WW2 and held key commands postwar.
 
Lawrence Joseph Lincoln was born on the 2nd of January 1909 in Harbor Beach, Huron County Michigan. After schooling at Ferris Institute and Western State College, he enrolled at George Washington University before accepting a place at the US Military Academy Westpoint, vacated by his older brother (Brigadier General George Lincoln), graduating in the class of 1933. He was then commissioned a Second Lieutenant into the Corps. of Engineers, serving as Company Leader of B Coy, 2nd Engineers in Colorado. During the next few years Lincoln went to study at Princeton University, leaving with a degree in Civil Engineering in 1937. By 1938 he found himself back at Westpoint, but this time as an Instructor, where he remained for the next four years, through the outbreak of the Second World War. In 1943 Lieutenant Colonel Lincoln was posted to the planning staff of the Supreme Allied Commander, South East Asia, Rear Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten, in India and Ceylon. With a promotion to Colonel he was sent to the War Department as Chief of the Asiatic Theatre Section of Operations Division. For his war service he was given a Distinguished Service Medal and Legion of Honor. Following the end of the war in 1946 he was specifically chosen for the joint US Soviet Commission, concerning the status of Korea. As a senior engineer officer his expertise were called upon again when he was appointed the Deputy Chief of Staff for the Joint Task Force 7, preparing the Enewetak Atoll for Operation Sandstone, the US’s third set of atomic bomb tests in 1948. Following this he was made the District Engineer for the US Army Pacific Command. Then a year later he was posted to Denver as District Engineer, before assuming the same role in Kansas City in 1950. After attending the Army War College he became 4th Army’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, from 1954 to 1956. Next followed promotion to Brigadier General and a posting to North Africa and Europe, as the US Army Engineer Division Mediterranean’s senior Engineer. Two years later he returned state side to the Army Department, as Director of Plans and Material Office, then later Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics. Now a Major General, Lincoln became the Commandant of the United States Army Engineer School at Fort Belvoir, from 1962 until 1963. A year later he became Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics before becoming the Commanding Officer of Fort Sam Houston, receiving a 15 gun salute as he assumed the post on the 3rd of July 1967. At the end of that month he reached Lieutenant General. For his dedicated service in these commands he was awarded two stars to his Distinguished Service Medal, retiring on the 1st of August 1968 after over thirty years of service. Lieutenant General Lawrence Lincoln passed away at the age of 91 years old, on the 27th of June 2000, and was buried with full military honours at Arlington.
 
More information on Lieutenant General Lincoln can be found in the Hearings
United States. Congress. House. Committee on Armed Services, Jan 1965, www.valor.militarytimes.com, www.newspapers.com, www.researchworks.oclc.org, and www.findagrave.com. 

Maker: Bancroft
Tag: US Army Lieutenant General's Dress cap 1960s (Lincoln).

Lieutenant General Lawrence Joseph "Little Abe" Lincoln, US Army Full Dress visor cap.

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Major General Elwyn D. Post. US Army.

Major General Elwyn Donald “Eddie” Post was a decorated WW2 General and Westpoint graduate and instructor, who fought at the Battle of Okinawa and held senior staff commands both during and post WW2. He was awarded the Silver Star twice in Korea and helped record the US Army’s official World War Two history.

Elwyn Donald Post was born in Shelby, Ohio on the 20th of November 1899. After schooling he attended the US Military Academy “West Point”, excelling at sport, graduating in the class of 1923. He was subsequently commissioned a Second Lieutenant into the infantry, based at Fort Body. From 1925 to 1928 he was stationed with his wife in Hawaii at Schofield Barracks. On the 24th of March 1928 he was promoted to First Lieutenant. During the next five years he went from post to post in Maryland, Ohio and Georgia, before returning to Westpoint in May 1933, as an instructor in the Department of Tactics, which quickly turned into becoming the Assistant Commandant of Cadets. On the 14th of August 1935 he made Captain. He left the USMA in June 1936. His next assignment was to the Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, where he stayed from 1937 to June 1938. After graduating he joined the Infantry Board as a Test Officer at Fort Benning until July 1939, when he transferred over to the 29th Infantry Division. On the 3rd of July 1940 he was promoted to Major and became a G3 Staff officer in the role of Assistant Chief of Staff for Alaskan Defense Command. Just after the outbreak of WW2 and the attack on Pearl Harbour, he reached Lieutenant Colonel. In April of 1942 he was made full Colonel and was appointed Chief of Staff for Alaskan Defense Command in June of that year. Temporary Brigadier General came on the 25th of March 1943 before he was transferred to the newly formed US Tenth Army as Chief of Staff, in June 1944, where he then participated in the Battle of Okinawa in April 1945. It was the largest seaborne assault of the war. His command in the battle helped save native dwellings, which were made available as  future billets for his forces, and went a long  way to restoring local relations. For his key role at 10th Army he was awarded the Legion of Honor as well as the Distinguished Service Medal. He was then attached to the General Staff of the War Department’s Operations Division until 1946 when he reverted back to Colonel on the 12th of June. Then followed a posting at the Command and General Staff School, as Chief of Staff. However, on the 7th of December 1950 Post was officially reinstated as a Temporary Brigadier General of the Yokohama Command, Japan, where he had the pleasure of meeting the famous baseball player and former beau of Marilyn Monroe, Joe DiMaggio. Brigadier Post then became Assistant Commanding General of the 1st Cavalry Division, with which he saw action during the Korean War. His bravery under fire and devotion to duty earned him two Silver Stars and another Legion of Honor. In June 1952 he was made Chief of Staff for Operations, at the Office of the Chief of the Army Field Forces at Fort Monroe. In November of that year he lead an Inspection Team for the United States Forces Trieste, evaluating it and making recommendations on training, organisation and equipment. (Incidentally, the inspection took place three months after General Clyde D. Eddleman left as CO of TRUST, see above biography). In May 1953 he was confirmed Brigadier General and was part of the Advisory Committee for the US Army’s official history of the Supreme Command ETO in World War Two. As part of the committee he also participated in other official WW2 histories for the US Army. By the 1st of May 1954 Post had been promoted to Major General and was a G3 Staff Officer, now overseas at the US Army Europe, based out of Heidelberg, Germany, in the role of Assistant Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations. No doubt when he commissioned his Full Dress visor cap from Luxenberg in London. He then assumed command of Western Area Command based in  Germany, in December 1955, as well as becoming Deputy Chief of Staff for the US Army’s European HQ a year later. In August 1957 until his retirement from the military , he served a term as Chief of the US Army Military District of Georgia, from 1957 to 1958. His vital contribution to the US’s Coldwar army and helping to record its war history earned him a third Legion of Honor. After a long and decorated 35 year career Major General Elwyn Donald Post retired from active service in 1958. However, his retirement was too short as he passed away on the 29th of September 1961, aged 61 years old. On an interesting side note his son, Colonel Elwyn D. Post Junior, was also a graduate of Westpoint, and followed in his father’s footsteps. 

More information on Major General E. D. Post can be found in the www.nytimes.com, www.gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu, www.ibiblio.org, www.apps.dtic.mil, www.govinfo.gov, www.usarmygermany.com,  www.newspapers.com,   www.archive.org, www.usmalibrary.contentdm.oclc.org, www.ia801606.us.archive.org, www.www.congress.gov, www.history.army.mil, vwww.valor.militarytimes.com, www.ancestors.familysearch.org, and www.generals.dk

Maker: Luxenberg (Made in England).
Tag: US Major General’s Full Dress cap (Post).

Major General Elwyn Donald Post. US Army Full Dress visor cap.

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First Lieutenant R. D. Manwell, US Army Medical Department.

Dr R. D. Manwell was a noted Professor from the University of Syracuse, New York. He authored various medical and research journals on topics such as Malariology and Toxoplasmosis. During the Second World War he was in Washington D.C. on vital assignment researching tropical diseases. We are honoured to display this US Army Medical Department officer’s cap to an individual who made an important contribution, not only to the war in the Pacific and later conflicts in Southeast Asia, but medicine as a whole.

This chocolate-coloured World War Two officer’s service cap has the typical russet brown leather peak and chinstrap. It even displays its original price tag of $7.50!

More about R. D. Manwell can be found here

Maker: Bancroft.
Tag: Al-So WWII US Army Medical  Department visor cap (Manwell).

Second World War US Army Medical Department officer's visor cap.

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Exhibits of similar interest

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Luftwaffe Sergeant's Summer peaked visor cap.

This beautiful summer cap belonged to a Sergeant who served with the Luftwaffe during the Second World War, returning to Austria in 1945. It is interesting that he served in the Flak  Artillery, perhaps training at Gottingen in Germany,  yet was attached or transferred to the Signals Corps. at some point during the war. The cap dates to around 1936/37 from its blackened peak, cover and badge detailing. 

Maker: Rothfischer.
Tag: Al-So Luftwaffe NCOs Summer peaked cap (WW2).

Second World War Luftwaffe NCOs Summer visor cap.

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Österreich Bundesheer Generalmajors Tellerkappe. 2nd Republic.

As the Austrian Army is small in number, so too is the number of its General officers, past and present, making such caps quite rare indeed. Unfortunately the name tag in this particular cap has been removed and so we cannot tell at present who it belonged to, but the unusual combination of the metal cap badge and Major General's rank may make identification possible. It was found in an area close to the Maria-Theresien-Kaserne in the 13th District of Vienna, situated next to the Imperial Schonbrunn Summer Palace, so perhaps the officer had a connection to the barracks or was even a former Commandant of Vienna, during the 1980s / 1990s. Three such officers match the time frame of the cap, Divisionär Karl Schrems,  Divisionär Karl Majcen and  Generalmajor Karl Semlitsch.  This entry will be updated when new information comes to light.

To learn more about Austrian army caps visit this page.

Maker: Marie Slama  & Sohns.
Tag: Austrian ÖBH Major General's peaked cap (1990s).

ÖBH Generalmajors Tellerkappe. 2er Republik.

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Österreich Luftstreitkräfte Colonel's Tellerkappe. 2nd Republic.

This unknown officer served from around the 1990s through to the 2000s retiring at that rank. As the Austrian Air Force is significantly smaller than the army, so too are the number of senior officers .

Maker: Marie Slama  & Sohns.
Tag: Al-So Austrian Air Force Colonel's peaked cap (2000s).

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