WORCESTERSHIRE MILITARIA MUSEUM
  • Worcestershire
  • Worcestershire & Sherwood Foresters
  • Mercian
  • Queen's Own Worcestershire Hussars
  • Behind the Uniforms Exhibition
    • Previous Exhibits
  • Behind the Uniforms Exhibition - USA
  • Education Resources
  • Gift Shop
  • Research
  • Book Reviews
    • Things to Read
  • About
    • Terms
    • Links
    • Donate to the Museum
    • Contact
  • Local Attractions

THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE UNIFORMS EXHIBITION - USA

Picture
Scroll down the page to find out about some interesting and important individuals
During the First and Second World Wars Great Britain fought side by side with the United States  and remain staunch Allies to this day, especially through NATO. The following biographies and exhibits highlight the important role the US military plays to maintain peace
across the globe and during the last 80 odd years.


​This gallery is dedicated to their service and memory.

(If you would like to donate a uniform or item of headdress
to this gallery, please visit this page).

The Worcestershire Militaria Museum proudly boasts an impressive selection of senior officer
headgear and uniforms, from WW2 and the important post-war years.

Picture
click the flag to see the British & Commonwealth exhibits!​

US Navy, Marines & Army.


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 promotion Maneuver Warfare 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 recognized 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, specialized in special ops intelligence.


Full Biography coming soon.

This Dress cap dates to 1981 and most probably belonged to General Al Gray Jnr when he became the CO of the 2nd Marine Division in mid 1981. The distinctive high top and short profile, showing a bulge under the anchor certainly match to the cap he wore in May 1989 whilst Commandant.

On an interesting note:  The Commandant of the US Marine Corps. is a four star General and 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. The Commandant is also responsible for the overall command of the Corps. and holds this position for around four years. He wears a distinctive cap with goldwire bullion peak and woven band.

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

 peaked visor cap US Marines Commandant General hat. General General Alfred Mason Gray Jnr. USMC. 29th Commandant
General Alfred Mason Gray Jnr., the 29th Commandant of the Marine Corps, visor cap.

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).
U. S. Navy Flag Officer peaked visor cap. Vietnam era. RADM Appleby USN
Rear Admiral Jack Jestin Appleby, USN. Supply Corps. visor cap
US Navy Flag Officer,Supply Corps. USN. RADM J. J. Appleby,. 1965
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.


Vice Admiral Samuel Lee Gravely USN.
 
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).

Vice Admiral Samuel Lee Gravely navy visor baseball bal caps.l
USN Command Ball caps from Vice Admiral Samuel Lee Gravely USN.
Vice Admiral Samuel Lee Gravely navy visor baseball bal caps.l
Vice Admiral Samuel Lee Gravely USN biography "Trailblazer" and 1974 autograph.
Vice Admiral Samuel Lee Gravely navy visor baseball ball cap.
USS Falgout Command Ball cap with "scrambled eggs" named to Adm. S. Gravely.
Vice Admiral Samuel Lee Gravely navy visor baseball ball cap. From 1970.
Command Ball cap belonging to Captain Samuel L Gravely Jnr., the Commanding officer of the destroyer USS Jouett.
Vice Admiral Samuel Lee Gravely navy visor baseball ball cap.
US Navy Admiral's Command Ball cap belonging to Vice Admiral Samuel Lee Gravely, from the USS Anchorage, 1976.
Admiral Sam Gravely
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.


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, Important US Navy Flag officer.
Admiral James Robert Hogg, USN., uniform, worn when Vice Admiral of the 7th Fleet.
Admiral James Robert Hogg, USN.
Vice Admiral Garrison cap. US Navy.
Admiral James Robert Hogg, USN.
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.
US Navy Flag Officer (O-10). USN. ADM J. R. Hogg
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.


Vice Admiral Jerry Owen Tuttle, USN.

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 the Task Force CTF-60 in 1983, and previosuly took the helm of the USS John F. Kennedy aircraft carrier.


Full biography coming soon.

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).

US Navy Admiral's baseball cap. Orignal. RADM Tuttle Jerry. .
Vice Admiral Jerry Owen Tuttle, USN, Command Ball cap.
US Navy Admiral's baseball cap. Orignal. RADM Tuttle Jerry. .
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.

Vice Admiral Diego E. Hernández, USN.

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, insignia and medal ribbons (Hernández).

U. S. Navy Flag Officer original baseball visor cap Coldwar Era. 1980s. VADM Diego Hernández.
Vice Admiral Diego E. Hernández, USN Command Ball cap.

Rear Admiral Ray R. Sareeram, Supply Corps., USN.
 
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).

U. S. Navy Flag Officer peaked visor cap  RADM Sareeram USN
Rear Admiral Ray R. Sareeram, Supply Corps. , USN. visor cap
R. Admiral Ray Sareeram full sized medals, minatures and pins.
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.
US Navy Supplu Corps. insignia. USN
Rear Admiral Sareeram's Surface Warfare Insignia (Supply Corps.), Command Ashore Insignia and visor cap USN device (worn when ranked to Captain).
R. Adm Sareeram medal ribbons.
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.
US Navy Flag Officer (O-8). USN. Rear Adm Ray R. Sareeram, Supply Corps. RADM
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.

Rear Admiral Don W. Baird, USN.
 
Rear Admiral Don W. Baird was a naval aviator who later commanded aircraft carriers, before assuming command of the Anti-Submarine Warfare Wing  (Pacific Fleet), as well as Chief of Operations and Readiness at SHAPE. 

Biography coming soon.

More about Rear Admiral Baird can be found at


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

U. S. Navy Flag Officer peaked visor cap  RADM Baird USN
Rear Admiral Don W. Baird, USN visor peak cap.
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
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

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).

U. S. Navy Flag Officer peaked visor cap. ADM RADM RAML USN 1990s
Flag Officer Admiral's visor peaked cap, dating to the 1990s.

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).

US Air Force General's Command baseball cap. Maj. Gen Caldara.
USAF Command Ball cap from Major General Joseph D. Caldara.

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: WWII US Army Medical  Department visor cap (Manwell).

 peaked visor cap US Army Doctor. Lt R. D. Manwell.
Second World War US Army Medical Department officer's visor cap.

Exhibits of similar interest


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).
Austrian Army Major General' visor peaked cap.
ÖBH Generalmajors Tellerkappe. 2er Republik.

Picture
click the flag to see the British & Commonwealth exhibits!!
VISIT THE WORCESTERSHIRE MILITARIA MUSEUM
Contact​          Disclaimer          Terms & Conditions          Privacy Policy      
This website and its content is copyright ©Worcestershire Militaria Museum 2012-2025. All rights reserved.
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Worcestershire
  • Worcestershire & Sherwood Foresters
  • Mercian
  • Queen's Own Worcestershire Hussars
  • Behind the Uniforms Exhibition
    • Previous Exhibits
  • Behind the Uniforms Exhibition - USA
  • Education Resources
  • Gift Shop
  • Research
  • Book Reviews
    • Things to Read
  • About
    • Terms
    • Links
    • Donate to the Museum
    • Contact
  • Local Attractions