Every German soldier was a goose-stepping Nazi SS Officer (and other selling points)

It's true: every living adult male of German descent in the 1930's-40's goose-stepped everywhere they went in knee high leather jackboots adorned with metal plates solely (no pun intended) for the purpose of making loud, menacing nazi sounds as they marched. Not once in nearly two decades did anyone ever bend their knees. They even rode their bikes straight-legged, and the answer to every question was "Mein Führer!" with a straight-armed salute. When they weren't doing the wave in the stadiums at Nazi Party rallies with Hitler, they were all SS officers in concentration camps, shooting Jews for fun, and dancing New York Rockettes-style in synchronized swastika patterns out in the yards.

Out for a Sunday stroll.

At least, that is how all German soldiers are typically portrayed and viewed in the average public forum of antique stores, flea markets, estate and garage sales. In public, I can gauge how many of these stereotypes are going to be referred to by simply asking the price of an item and waiting for the seller's reaction. If it has a swastika anywhere on it, they'll make sure you know it, and most likely give you a lecture because you look under the age of 40 and therefore are probably stupid. Online is a bit of a different field, mostly because you aren't forced to be face to face with lecture dingbats, and because there are sites now dedicated to selling primarily German militaria, and they don't wrap the entire German armed forces into the single term of "nazi."

Wait--stop! You're ruining my perception of evil!

Outside of specialized stores, collecting German WWII militaria can be a risky business---fakes, inflated prices, misrepresentation, and people's sensitivity are the main pitfalls. Be prepared to constantly defend yourself for being openly interested in it. I say openly, because I think many more people are interested in it than they'll admit, usually condemning it while obviously wanting to see items for themselves. I only bring up the public mentality of German items because it dramatically affects how things are sold. The best way of approaching any interaction is to be knowledgeable of the basics of what it is you're looking at, of course. However, there are some extra hinderances with German militaria that can make collecting frustrating:

1. All Nazis, All the Time. Contrary to exclusively popular belief, the Nazis were a political party, and not everyone was a part of it. Being alive and residing within the boundaries of Germany did not make you a nazi. Being in the armed forces also did not make you one, but 99% of the time you find anything adorned with a swastika, it will be tagged or sold as "Nazi." Nazi Dagger. Nazi Canteen. Nazi Tube Sock. This is just a fact of life. The first thing I noticed about serious collectors was their lack of the use of the term unless they were actually describing something that was attributed to the Nazi Party.
2. Sensationalism. I wish I had a dollar for every time I picked something up at a store or show and the guy at the table puffed out his chest and said, "That's NAHHHT--ZEEEE, right there." While it is tied to my first point (in naming everything nazi), it's the way they say it, and it's meant to shock and awe you. Like you're supposed to gasp and drop it, overwhelmed by it's evil. Naturally, the intentionally dramatic delivery gets other people's attention, and suddenly you'll find yourself with many more sets of eyes beating down on you. Sometimes I just want to say, "Look, everybody needs to relax--it's a bread bag strap."
3. Social Stigma. Many people think collecting German items is inappropriate, morbid, and must mean you are a skinhead or Hitler worshipper. There are also people out there that believe it should all be destroyed. While I do not agree with these people, I have realized there really isn't any use arguing with them. You could give the most beautiful speech on the importance of historical artifacts, and they will still say you just hate Jews. Or that you hate America. I made the unfortunate mistake once of asking an old guy if some buttons he had (plain, non-descript uniform buttons) were German, and he freaked out on me, waving his arms and saying, "Why would I have those?! They're the other side! They're the enemy!" Fun fact: the buttons were German.

Taking those points into consideration, I'd like to describe (as before with the U.S. items) some of the most common German points of caution (I was going to say red flags, but you know, most of their flags were red *drum rimshot*):

1. Anything Attributed to the Waffen-SS --- The elite fighter's gear has suddenly not become so elite. The intense interest and demand for genuine SS items has made the market explode with fakes and reproductions. Camo gear, helmets, insignia, knives, uniforms, equipment--anything that could possibly bear an SS rune stamp is so highly sought after that fakers have literally just made stamps and started pounding on regular gear to make the price quadruple. As the quality of reproductions has risen, so has the probability that they are passed off as real. With careful study, many fakes are obvious, but you have to know what to look for. The best source of information: seeing real examples in person. If you're not sure how that is accomplished, you should try going to a thing called a museum.

"Psst, hey--hey man. I've been meaning to tell you--that camo looks good on you. Very slimming."
"Mehhhh. I dunno...too bad it's not going to be worth anything in the future."

2. Helmets with "Battle Damage" -- I know this is a super specific facet of the whole helmet genre, but it is something that has been gradually irritating me more over the years. While I don't remember ever seeing a shot up US helmet for sale in person, I have seen several German ones. It's very easy to see why: casually selling a US helmet with the implication of a soldier being KIA would be disrespectful and horrific; casually selling a German one is super cool--the quintessential "war trophy." You see them advertised online all the time, and usually at much higher prices. But here's the thing: bullet holes do not look the same as holes caused by age, deterioration, or simply punching a hole in it with a hammer. German helmets are made out of steel, and over time corrosion sets in, often leaving holes that have been rusted or broken out. Also, there is no way to tell whether a helmet has been shot 70 years ago in Russia or 30 years ago in a backyard. That doesn't deter people from waving them around claiming "battle damage." I came across this douche at a gun show once, walking around with a helmet in his hand. I think I asked him if he was selling it. He was laughing like a dick, "The guy wearing this had a bad headache---got a .45 caliber aspirin to fix it." I was like whatever dude, you're clearly not old enough to have the right to say stupid shit like that, but go ahead and keep waving that around like you're the one who pulled the trigger. I have seen pictures of genuine helmets that have been shot when still being worn, and even 70 years after the fact, they are not pretty: aside from the obvious enter and exit holes, the lining was still dark and stained from all the blood and gore. Something very bad obviously happened inside of it--you know, like someone's brains got blown out. If you are okay with owning something like that, or claiming you own it, where a man very obviously died wearing it, then more power to you, you're going to pay a lot more for a most likely unverified "battle damaged" helmet. Bottom line: shot helmets of any nationality are not cool---they are tragic, and at the very least should be handled with a measure of respect. If you think they are cool, like the prick I met, you're probably a douche that just fantasizes about how awesome killing people is. Even Audie Murphey's wife said that once, while watching a film newsreel about German orphans after the war, he broke down crying, saying he felt guilty and responsible for many of those children no longer having fathers.

I always wanted 29% of a helmet!

3. "Ground Dug Relics" from Europe -- If you've ever looked for a German helmet on eBay, I guarantee you've seen a reoccurring sight: deteriorating, rusted out, barely recognizable blobs being sold as dug up from famous battles across Europe. The Battle of Kursk, for example, is a popular one. In fact, most "relics" dug up and sold on eBay are from Eastern Europe, ranging anywhere from helmets to gun hardware to bits of planes. Anything that could possibly have been dropped on the ground can be bought as a true relic that witnessed every major battle that ever took place. That's not to say these things weren't actually found at battle sites--I'm sure most of them were, since every site in Europe was a battle site--but who is to say this person didn't just get an old post-war helmet and bury it in their backyard for a couple of years? Many times they're sold as being found by people who were on vacation and just happened to come across an SS helmet with chickenwire, decal, and Normandy camo perfectly intact while they were strolling along Omaha Beach. Don't get me wrong, if I were walking around somewhere and came across a rusty piece of crap that came into the world as a real German item, I'd probably crap myself I'd be so excited. Would I pay for it? No. And frankly, why go to the trouble of buying a nasty shard of whatever it supposedly was, and have to get a tetanus shot the instant after you touch it?

Listed as "German Paratrooper belt buckle found in Normandy"

4. "One of a Kind" Items Attributed to High Ranking Officials or Officers -- For being a rather small pool of people, they seemed to have quite a lot of crap that meticulously (and miraculously) stayed together and in immaculate

P08 presented to Hermann Goering (supposedly)

shape all these years. While everybody else was dumping their insignia and any damning evidence of higher ranks at the end of the war, these golden-gilded superstars were apparently donning their tassels and flair with grace, polishing their personally engraved, pearl-handled sidearms and making sure all of the fancy decorations in their offices were perfectly placed. And when the Americans and Russians came politely knocking on their doors, they neatly folded their uniforms (complete with medals and expensive custom insignia), put the guns back into their presentation boxes, took down the pictures of themselves shaking hands with Hitler on Christmas, and handed them over to their captors, saying, "Here. In about 70 years, you can sell these for $50,000 at an auction in Ohio." Mostly likely if you're reading this, you're not a high roller dealer that can shell out $100,000 on a gold P38 presented to a hero general on behalf of the Nazi Party. You're more likely to come across a random item that is still extravagantly priced, but sold as a "one of a kind," or super rare with only X number ever made. In the years since WWII, the hyped up cult of the Evil Nazi has produced "fantasy items," aptly named pieces people have created to satisfy the need for over-the-top, gaudy items bearing a swastika. I've seen these sold as the aforementioned one of a kinds, and unfortunately, many people fall for the hype spending hundreds of dollars on a dagger or medal they think belonged to a party leader, when really some 12 year old in Indonesia was paid a spoonful of rice to glue it together.

Hitler's desk set, taken home by a GI as a souvenir.

The desk set in use.

5. Concentration Camp Guard Items -- These are the epitome of all my points rolled into one. Physical representations of the incarnation of evil: shocking, offensive, and every stereotype of the murderous nazi together in one package. With the addition of some insignia and faked paperwork, a plain uniform belonging to a Heer (army) private can turn into one that spent time on an SS officer at Auschwitz. That wouldn't stop people from paying thousands of dollars to own it. This is the area of German militaria that is the most clouded for me, because I feel like genuine, identifiable and traceable items belonging to soldiers assigned to the camps don't belong in private collections--they should be in places of public education. Don't get too huffy: besides being impossibly rare, the likelihood of you coming across something that fits those parameters while digging around at an estate sale is literally a tiny shred of never. Unfortunately, for every collector with good intentions, there are dozens of creeps who have created the public image that those who collect WWII German militaria are only interested in glorifying ethnic-cleansing death camp guards.

*Holocaust "Artifacts" -- I'm adding this here because while it has ties, I want to clarify that I do not consider this a part of German militaria collecting. At all. Take a waltz around eBay, and see what is available to buy--fresh from Dachau! A star of David patch? Some wooden shoes? Toothbrushes "made from bone"? How about a prisoner's striped uniform, or their picture and some paperwork saying they died in the camp? All are available, and for only a few thousand dollars! Or tens! Let's put aside the insanely high probability of fakery here for a moment. Besides museums, educational and historical centers, I find the private purchasing of these things offensive. I do, and maybe that makes me a hypocrite or whatever, I don't care. But if you're not buying them for an institution (and I very highly doubt any established place is going to go trolling around on eBay for their collections) then what are you doing with them? Putting them on display in your house? Hanging up across the room from where you sleep? Sitting on a shelf where you eat breakfast? No matter what it is--every single thing, from an armband to an entire uniform, is tied to an actual human being's suffering, one of which I guarantee the buyer has never or will ever know. I know this entire blog is my opinion--but it is my sincere feeling that if you specifically buy items of prisoners of concentration camps and other victims of the Holocaust for your own personal pleasure--you are a sick fuck. Period.

Russian soldiers check out their prizes from the claw machine.

I feel a bit guilty this post on common generalizations and warning signs was so much bigger than the one on U.S. gear, but it seriously doesn't scratch the surface of either one. I just hear and see so much of the same crap from people, I just wanted to finger-paint a picture of what it can be like out and about in the real world. Fortunately, you get the joy of reading about my awkward and uncomfortable adventures in collecting without having to experience them yourself. The fun of collecting is in the hunt, and I admit that if there weren't all these crazy challenges, it wouldn't be much fun. Yes, there will be the occasional jerkface or intense situation (like the fateful Button Incident of 2012...) but you do come across people who are glad (and mildly surprised?) to see someone else appreciate these things for what they are. And aren't, you know, going to go home and chop everything up to make steampunk crap they'll lose interest in when that fad finally ends two years from now.

Everybody's grandpa landed on Omaha Beach, first wave (and other selling points)

It's true: everybody's grandpa landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day, was out on the first wave, fought his way through the lines with only a .45 and bayonet, and put a bullet in a nazi's skull to take his helmet as a souvenir. And not just any nazi--an SS officer. This was before he single handedly blew up a Panzer and won the Medal of Honor.
At least that's what it seems like everyone wants to tell you, especially if they're trying to sell you something. It sounds ridiculous, but trust me, I'm sure this story has been repeated somewhere, at some time, to get some schmuck to buy an overpriced reproduction. While I hate to admit it, knowledge really is power, and it can save you tons of heartache and grief when dealing with collecting militaria (or Precious Moments or Furbies or whatever your poison).

It's true.

Now, I'm not saying everyone who tells you a crazy unbelievable tale is lying, but for your own sake, it's best to err on the side of caution...and sensibility. If someone is trying to sell you a genuine SS knife, and it has "Made in Germany" printed on the blade, it is not real. I'm sorry, I know you really want to believe everyone in the world speaks and labels their things in english, but it just doesn't happen--especially in a country where english is not a primary language. This sounds like an absurd thing to disregard, but it happens. Next thing you know, a dude is lighting up messageboards trying to see if anyone can give him good information on this genuine German knife he bought for $500. "But it says 'Made in Germany'! What do I tell my wife?!" What, indeed.

There will always be instances where you come across an item that you have never seen before or know anything about, and it's just so tempting to trust everything a seller is telling you. However, there are certain particular subjects/stories seller's often use that they know will bring in big money. I'll break these up into US and German topics, since that is what I am most familiar with. These are instant red flags:

U.S.----

1. Anything D-Day, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, or Battle of the Bulge related. Collectors can't help themselves if they think they have a chance to own something that was at one of these battles. Obviously there are tons of other known battles, but these are the Big 4 that the general public can remember (and really only if there was a movie) and therefore make them the easiest bait. 

fork used to raise the flag on Iwo Jima: $5,000,000

2. Paratrooper items. Thanks to Band of Brothers, suddenly a plethora of 101st and 82nd Divisions equipment appeared, and the prices for every tiny thing deemed paratrooper-able has skyrocketed. If you are interested in paratrooper items, do some serious research. Anyone can take an ordinary M1 helmet, paint an ace of spade on the side, switch the chinstrap, and say it jumped into France.

a paratrooper vet bring-back? Commence mass stroke-out

3. "Vet Bring-Back." This is a constant grey area. On one hand, you have the legitimate items that were brought back from returning vets that have been sitting in a closet or attic untouched for 60 years, and only recently found (usually after their death). These are the things collectors dream of: a real item with a real provenance that no one else has messed with, and other than the guy who actually brought it home, you're the only one who has owned it. It isn't an uncommon occurrence, but with the advent of collecting and pawn television shows, many family members see this stuff and only see dollar signs; however there are also those that don't care at all, and just want to get rid of their dad's "old army stuff." On the other hand, there are the unscrupulous sellers that find an item and claim it's "estate fresh" (which, by the way, is the creepiest term to me), that it was owned by a B-24 pilot or POW or Pearl Harbor survivor and you're just supposed to believe it's true because "His widow told me." They'll pull at your heartstrings, or worse, your patriotism, like you're some flag-burner if you show the least amount of skepticism. 

"Everybody say, 'Future grandchildren's smart car fund'!"

4. Leather flight jackets. When you think of a WWII pilots and bomber crews, what do you imagine them wearing? A leather jacket, painted with nose art and kill marks. Original painted A-2 jackets sell for hundreds, even thousands of dollars, and the odds of getting your hands on one cheaper than that is slim to none. Sellers will take original jackets and paint insignia on them, passing them off as originals, and swear it's genuine. Unless it has some sort of documentation (or in the rare case, pictures), it is highly suspect.

"I'm sorry, how much did you say inflation is going to be?"

5. Medals for Valor. This is the area of collecting in any era of militaria that demands the most respect, but lines become very blurred among collectors. The Silver Star, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart are, like the Big 4 Battles, the ones most likely to catch the attention of the general public, and therefore get "WWII" easily slapped on to sell at a premium. Medals, to an unfortunate extent, glamorize and romanticize war to those who have not experienced it, and get the starry-eyed jonesing to own a "medal of a real war hero." And so, sellers will attribute a particular medal they're selling as belonging to soldiers killed in action, or veterans of major battles, and may add a "V" device to the ribbon (for Valor, meaning it was awarded for combat-related reasons). Many people believe selling and purchasing Purple Heart medals is illegal (including eBay)---it is not. The only medal that is illegal to sell, purchase, or reproduce is the Medal of Honor. Which, do I even have to mention that? Yes, because there are dopes out there that would buy a Medal of Honor in a heartbeat. Well, FYI, its a federal offense, and the feds will track you, and all the selfies you posted on Facebook wearing it, down.

Audie Murphy's profile pic

There are scads of other ridiculously untrue histories given to WWII collectibles, but I think these are the most common ones you will come across in the average antique store or online. I'll continue the absurdity with German items in the next post, as the shenanigans get more pumped up than your grandpa wielding two flamethrowers and waving an American flag in his teeth, running head-on into machine gun fire on Omaha Beach.

the Aleutian Solution

I have a terrible addiction to collecting photographs. They are the ultimate poor man's collectible: small, easy to store and display, cheap, and everywhere. If I'm out at an antique store and see a box of photos, I can't help myself. I've spent literally hours digging through boxes, breaking my back, looking like a total creeper to the employees, to find some of the best snapshots and portraits. I prefer to find them this way as opposed to buying individual ones online or from fancy photo people because a) they are cheaper, b) the sellers usually don't have any sort of attachment to them, and c) it's more fun. It's much more satisfying to find something out of a gigantic box that you had to sift through literally an entire generation of photographed life than to point and click a Buy It Now on ebay.
The standard types of WWII photos commonly found in antique stores and flea markets can be grouped into three categories:
1. the Posed Snapshot--soldier is standing by himself, with family, or his buddies
2. Formal Studio Portraits--individual, wedding, or family
3. Candids--these are not as common as you may think; generally, everyone would at least make an attempt to stop and pose
While they all have great aspects to them, I have an affinity for formal portraits. Often you find them still in their cardboard frames, a popular design being one that you could fold backward to make it stand. They are the quintessential tool in making the connection that these men were, in fact, real people who had individual faces and lives. Sometimes they're personally signed, or their name is written on the back. Or, more often, there is nothing, and the only remaining identification in the picture is their uniform. Usually it's the standard uniform with a division patch, but sometimes there is more, including ribbon bars, insignia, and (more rarely) distinctive unit insignia (DI).
The other day I was rifling through a box of photographs in a store and came across this portrait, about 3x5," securely still in it's original frame (the fold-back style). I paid $1.80 for it (it was $2, but there was a sale, ooooh).

There is no name or date, but his visible insignia sent me on a wild research hunt that nearly drove me mad. I started off with his collar insignia, crossed cannons with a bullet in the middle. At first I didn't notice the bullet, or could barely tell what it was. So that was a start.

Coastal Artillery collar discs

(online photo)

He wears a Pacific service ribbon (I have to brag, even though it's black and white, I can tell, ayoo), with a single campaign star, so it was narrowing down to coastal artillery with Pacific service. That's only like...everywhere in the Pacific, right? What was driving me crazy was the distinctive unit shield on his cap and lapels, because you can see it, yet not see it from the lighting and, you know, it being a 70 year old photograph. I couldn't decipher the writing on it, or else that would have made it easier. No, instead, I had to track down every coastal artillery unit insignia looking for it. Finally, I came across an image of it in some giant pdf of coastal artillery unit history. I couldn't believe it--I'd found it! And it only took like three damn hours!

It turned out to be the insignia of the 206th Arkansas National Guard Coast Artillery (CA) Regiment, which participated in the Aleutian Islands campaign in Alaska. They fought in the Battle of Dutch Harbor in 1942, and take credit for shooting down the infamous "Akutan Zero," the first flyable Japanese Zero captured by the US. It was used to devise tactics to defeat the Zero, and is described as one of the greatest prizes of the Pacific war (it was destroyed in a training accident in 1945).

the only image I could find of original insignia

Here you can see the shield, as well as the Good Conduct ribbon and Pacific service ribbon. The Aleutian Islands qualified for a campaign star.

The Asiatic-Pacific Campaign medal

Obviously this is not this particular soldier's medal (the service ribbon was created early in the war, and so was worn throughout), it is the one in my collection, but I'm including it here as an example. While they were all made after the end of the war, you can tell which ribbons are older by how they feel: the older (I guess you could say original?) ones are silk, and are very soft and flexible, where newer reproductions are stiff and ridgy (the tween in me would say stiff and...ribbed?). The red, white and blue stripes down the middle represent the US, and the red and white stripes represent Japan.

We'll never know the name of this man, and like all unnamed photos like this, it leaves me with nagging questions when I see it. Did he survive the war? Who did this photo belong to? How did it wind up in a dirty box at an antique store? Regardless of his fate, his portrait has become another representative of the thousands of names listed on memorials across the world. Remember--for every name you see on a wall, there was a photo just like this one that belonged to it, casualty or survivor. Now, rather than being discarded and forgotten in a box, this photograph can bring a soldier back to life, wearing a shield with the fitting reminder: "Never Give Up."

Like throwing holy water at the first automobiles...

I wasn't really aware that the mobile version of the blog was so bland, and also so annoying. So for those of you that scorn the desktop--too bad. You get the ye olde person-with-poor-eyesight version now, just like everybody else.

The original mobile version.

How bout some good ol' flashy flash-ems-if-yous-gots-ems!

Allies' greatest ally: BOOBS

"The M1 in my pants does my talking."

The most risque cardigan ever.

"I don't think you're ready for this jelly."

No pressure.

Famous nose art-ist Don Allen painting "Miss Dallas"

So shady.

Every girl crazy 'bout a Sharp Dressed (Enlisted) Man

Hats are one of the most personal items of any uniform. They are ideal for collecting as they vary widely in price, styles, and are easily available. Even a hat that has been neglected or damaged can, with care, be reassembled or formed back into shape and look great on display. While the majority of hats out there don't have any sort of identification, sometimes you will be lucky enough to come across one with a name written or stamped inside, or, in higher quality caps, have a name card inserted into the lining. Understandably, the nicer caps I have seen have always belonged to an officer, as they had the funds to privately purchase tailored uniforms. But the other day I came across an anomaly that I hadn't seen before.
I was at an outdoor antique fair and came across a guy who was selling his recently-deceased friend's 30+ year militaria collection. On a table he had a few hats, and there this one sat on top of another. I am  familiar with the early war uniforms that were made in what they call "chocolate brown," as opposed to the olive drab. I actually own a couple, and they are very nice, but I had never seen a hat that was in the same chocolate brown shade. But here was this hat, in brown, and not only that, but with an enlisted man's insignia, not an officer's. It was in incredible condition, no moth holes or tears or rotting leather. To my surprise, I was holding a privately purchased, tailor made Army enlisted man's hat.

"All eyez on me."

The leather just by itself is amazing. It shines almost like it's plastic, with only a few scuff marks on the bill, which could have happened during transport (I think the guy had to bring it in from another state). There isn't any name inside, which is a shame, because I would have liked to know more about the guy who sported this thing. He obviously had a sense of style, because this hat is no joke. It must have cost a fortune on his salary, and you know you can't have a good hat with a sub-par uniform. I bet that was tailored as well.

Even the inside is pristine, so either it saw very little use or was very well taken care of. Either way, it tells a story in itself. Just the multi-colored label is a great representation of American patriotism in commercial advertising and labeling of the time, and the innumerable ways they managed to work a "V" into everything.

V for Victory!

So no surprise, I had to have it, and the guy dropped his price for me to $25, which was a gift in itself. I ran home and (carefully) put it on a head form on display in a bookshelf behind glass. When I look at it, I just try to imagine how sharp this soldier looked walking down the street or heading into a USO dance, the envy of his buddies in their issued garb, on a mission from god to snag the eye of every lady he passed. I mean, let's be honest, why else would a guy put that much effort into what he wears?

Return of the WAC

Yesterday I went to a gun show, primarily rooting around for military things. I have been trying to find more dog tags, as the information out there is more accessible now to do further research, but it seems their prices skyrocketed the instant I decided to do so. I finally came across the table of a guy I have purchased from in the past, and he had a small pile of tags in one of his display cases. I asked how much he was asking, as I noticed there were a few that were WWII, and he said, "Oh, I don't know, a couple dollars or so, I have so many of them." He let me see them, and I rifled through, finding a woman's tag. Now, I rarely come across women's dog tags, and all the ones I have seen are dated from the 50's, at the earliest. Every dog tag, including the early ones, has the date the soldier had their last tetanus shot, marked by a T[year], so one that says "T50" would mean they got it in 1950. Anyway, this woman's single tag (I could not find the other) had not only T43-44 on it, but her serial number was A-906701, meaning she was in the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC), which was shortened in 1943 to just the Women's Army Corps (WAC). Their serial numbers always started with an A, where the men's has no letters. When I saw this I tried not to show how excited I was. I've never actually seen a legit WAAC dog tag, as women's items are rather hard to come by, and I had to have it. I picked out a couple other tags as well, and asked how much for all of them. He said, "Ehhh, gimme $3 for each of these and," he picked up the WAAC tag, "eh, gimme a dollar for that one." I very calmly said okay, and wound up paying $10 for four tags (lately it seems people want $30 and up for a set). I ran off like Charlie waving the Golden Ticket.
   I got home and looked up the information on her on the National Archives site. I've been going here first when I find soldier's names and especially serial numbers. They have a database to look up WWII draft cards, and while it doesn't explain everything they did during their service, it gives a basic picture of the person: where they're from, what their occupation was, their level of education, where and when they enlisted and what branch, etc. So this is the information I got from there:

JENNIE I CLARK
Born 1904
From Portland, Oregon
Enlisted April 23, 1943 as a private in the Women's Army Corps, Inactive Reserve
White, single, no dependents
Education: post-graduate
Civilian occupation: Teachers (secondary school) and Principles

So just from this info, we've got a 39 year old single, highly educated, high school teacher. What is she doing joining the army at 39 years old?! You have to admit that even by today's standards, that is pretty steep. In 1943, your life was 75% of the way over. I believe the cut off for joining the WAACs was 41, but still. I hopped back online and ran her name through google, and miraculously, with very little effort, a rather large obituary appeared---two slightly different ones on three different sites. I was shocked, because usually I spend hours trying to find anything on a name. However, it appeared she had married, and her middle initial wasn't I, it was C, which at first made me think I had the wrong woman. But here is the obituary posted on gazettetimes.com, originally published in 2002:

Jan. 26, 1904-Aug. 1, 2002

Jennie Clark Austin, a former longtime resident of Corvallis, died Thursday. She was 98.

She was born to William C. Clark and Jennie F. Evans in Portland. She was a third generation Oregonian. She loved discovery and learning and her family enjoyed camping trips on the Sandy River and trips to the Coast.

In 1926, she earned her bachelor's degree from Oregon State College. Her first teaching positions were in Grangeville, then Wallace, Idaho. After a few years, she returned to Portland to teach at Jefferson and, later, Grant high schools.

She returned to college, earning a master's degree at Columbia University in 1942.

During World War II, she served in the U.S. Army in the South Pacific between 1943 and 1945. After the war, she was appointed an assistant professor at Oregon State and served as the county Extension Service agent for 4-H and home economics in Hood River County from 1947 to 1956.

She married Kirby Austin, a widowed friend from her college days, in 1956. For years they lived in Tuckahoe, N.Y., while he worked in electronics.

They retired and moved to Corvallis in 1969. They were active in the Methodist Church, two garden clubs, a photography club and community service. In addition to gardening, she enjoyed traveling, including cruises and staying at elder hostels. She also belonged to Kappa Delta Sorority, St. Mary's Order of the Eastern Star and the American Home Economics Association.

In 1990, she moved to Hillside Manor in McMinnville.

In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her brother, Floyd Austin of Boise, Idaho; and her stepson, Clifford Austin of Indio, Calif. Survivors include many distant relatives and friends.

This was posted on findagrave.com

When I read that, and especially saw the picture posted of her grave, I was pretty floored. I mean, who knows where this tag has been the last 11 years, if it was even still with her until her death. And here it is, a little flat piece of metal, what's left from the life of a remarkable woman who lived a pretty incredible life. Just looking at it in context of the times, this woman received a college education in the '20s, and then just went back to Columbia to get a Master of Arts (this was noted in another obituary) in the '40s. That's not exactly what the average woman was doing at the time. To top it off, she joins the military during the war and goes to the South Pacific theater when she's 40--because she wanted to. Remember, women weren't drafted, it was completely voluntary. She definitely sounds like a woman who did whatever the hell she wanted to. I never did find anything on why her middle name was listed as I in military records but C on her headstone. It's too bad there isn't any more information on what she did during the war. I couldn't find a photo of her either, and I definitely want to see what this lady looked like.
   This is exactly what validates collecting, for me. Here is a little thing, a misplaced dog tag in a box that a guy sells to me for a shrug and $1, and it represents so much more: a life. Jennie Clark was 98 years old when she died 11 years ago--is anyone who knew her still alive? Do her "distant relatives" even remember her? I am going to guess no to both. But now here's a chance for someone to remember her as more than just another tag in a pile.