This is my Uncle Jack, since passed. He served in the US Navy as a pharmacist's mate just post WWII. Later he went USMC and was in the Korean War. In the picture he has one rating chevron for PO 4th Grade, and one service stripe. What I can't identify is the symbol between the red cross and the eagle at the top of the rating insignia. It looks like an anchor with something gold on top of it. Any help would be appreciated. This is a screen shot of a home movie, so that's all I have to work with.

looks like it's just the eagle above the rating symbol (red cross). he's a PO3 / E-4 in the pic. one red service stripe, so he stayed out of trouble for at least 4 years lol. more pics...

I'm having a hard time IDing why the Crow seems to have some color behind it, but he's definitely a PO# (E-4) and it appears to me to be a cross / corpsman symbol.



http://www.uniform-reference.n...ww2_enl_special.html

It almost looks like a quartermaster rating over the pharmacists mate rating. Maybe he cross rated or he was part of a special group for small boat landings that he was qualified as both qm and pm.

Could he have been with the Merchant Marine?

It looks almost like an eagle placed above the USMS Pharmacist's Mate insignia.

I need to check on historical rating badges from the WWII era to be sure, but

1) That does not appear to be a Navy crow. Merchant Marine maybe?

2) Also, the Navy Corpsman rating symbol is a caduceus.

Edit for correction: Pharmacists Mate (vs. corpsman) is indeed a red cross. Crow is still wrong.

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Originally posted by PHPaul:
2) Also, the Navy Corpsman rating symbol is a caduceus.

Pharmacist's Mates used the Red Cross.

"...anchor with something gold on top..." sounds like a Coast Guard fouled anchor: shield superimposed on fouled anchor. No idea why it would show up on an enlisted rating badge.

Petty Officer 3rd class (E4), Merchant Marine, 4 year service stripe, Pharmacists Mate?

USCG?

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Originally posted by stoic-one:
Petty Officer 3rd class (E4), Merchant Marine, 4 year service stripe, Pharmacists Mate?

I'm beginning to think that you and RogueJSK may be on to something. The height of the eagle on the rating insignia does not match the USN\USCG style, but there are elements of the insignia that more closely match the Merchant Marine insignia.

Not USCG, during WWII, the CG used the same rating badges as the USN. Cover and dress uniform were slightly different from USN uniforms.

Might be merchant marines, but more likely the gentleman knew what rate he was and the displayed rating badge is for a pharmacists mate. All badgeratings have evolved over time.
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Originally posted by f2:
looks like it's just the eagle above the rating symbol (red cross). he's a PO3 / E-4 in the pic. one red service stripe, so he stayed out of trouble for at least 4 years lol. more pics...

The red service stripe on the wrist is a service stripe indicating at least four years of service. They increase at four year intervals, and chiefs wear gold service stripes. The good conduct award is displayed on the ribbon rack, not the sleeve.

The ribbon on his tunic is a National Defense ribbon, they are the same throughout all services and were issued during a war to all members wether they were in the war zone or not.

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The red service stripe on the wrist is a service stripe indicating at least four years of service. They increase at four year intervals, and chiefs wear gold service stripes. The good conduct award is displayed on the ribbon rack, not the sleeve.

In the Navy, service stripes change from red to gold for ALL enlisted ranks at 12 years, assuming you maintain Good Conduct. I've seen E5/E6 with gold service stripes and I've also seen CPO's with red service stripes.

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:

quote:

The red service stripe on the wrist is a service stripe indicating at least four years of service. They increase at four year intervals, and chiefs wear gold service stripes. The good conduct award is displayed on the ribbon rack, not the sleeve.

In the Navy, service stripes change from red to gold for ALL enlisted ranks at 12 years, assuming you maintain Good Conduct. I've seen E5/E6 with gold service stripes and I've also seen CPO's with red service stripes.

True.
Rank doesn't matter, 3 consective good conduct awards starting from initial service gets you gold stripes. In theory, you could be a 3rd class PO with 12 years of service, 3 good conduct awards (ribbon plus 2 stars), and wear gold service stripes. Seen it actually, and seen plenty of 20+ year chiefs with red service stripes... You should know that, GMC/MikeinNC.

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chiefs wear gold service stripes

Not all do.

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You should know that, GMC/MikeinNC.

I was in the CG not the USN, so not knowing another services intricacies is my defense.

(And the Chief is never wrong)

This message has been edited. Last edited by: MikeinNC,

Ever submit a records request to the govt? If his records were not destroyed in the Saint Louis fire they may be able to provide more detail.

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:

In the Navy, service stripes change from red to gold for ALL enlisted ranks at 12 years, assuming you maintain Good Conduct. I've seen E5/E6 with gold service stripes and I've also seen CPO's with red service stripes.

That's the kicker. Seeing a cpo with 3 or 4 red stripes. That means they had at least one captain's mast. But you have to admire them for still sticking it out.

I think I was partially lured towards the navy when I slept over my older cousin's house. In the morning, I woke up and he was coming down the stairs in his white and gold hospital corpsman chief uniform. He looked sharp.

quote:

Originally posted by JSB3:
Ever submit a records request to the govt? If his records were not destroyed in the Saint Louis fire they may be able to provide more detail.

I found out that Merchant Marine records were not part if the 1973 fire, so I may try that route. We have several photos of my uncle at the end of his time in the Marines so we know his awards and decorations.

I sent a link to this thread when it first came up, to my dad, retired from the USN, and active with the American Legion.

Best he could come up with was that the patch was part of the US Maritime Service (est. 1938), not to be confused with the Merchant Mariners (est. 1936). The USMS patches were an eagle sitting on an anchor, covering a shield of stars and stripes. He said it was sort of a fuzzy picture, but if someone cleaned it up, he was about 90% sure you would see the shield.

Hope that helps.