Original Items: Only One Lot Available. The Eisenhower jacket or "Ike" jacket, officially known as the Jacket, Field, Wool, Olive Drab, is a type of waist-length jacket developed for the U.S. Army during the later stages of World War II and named after Dwight D. Eisenhower. Intended to be worn on its own or as an insulating layer beneath the M-1943 Field Jacket and over the standard wool flannel shirt and wool sweater, it featured a pleated back, adjustable waist band, fly-front buttons, bellows chest pockets, slash side pockets, and shoulder straps.

The Ike jacket is in beautiful condition, and the rear of the neck has a clear 38R tag. The front features a beautiful red, white and blue “oval” with paratrooper wings in the center. This color coordination was used by the headquarters element of the division. The left shoulder features an 82 Airborne patch with a “T-Corporal” chevron on each side, down on the lower sleeve are 5 Overseas Bars denoting 30 months spent overseas. Both shoulder boards have period DUI pinned on, and the right breast pocket has a Ruptured Duck Honorable Discharge patch above it. There is a 3-place ribbon bar with the Army Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, and European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal. There is a blue, white, and orange cord on the left shoulder which we have been unable to identify. There is some moderate mothing across the uniform as shown.

There is a tag on the interior pocket reading:

L.C. SMITH 74-5
631 N. HOLLAND

This identifies the uniform to T5 Leslie Clyde Smith, Jr. of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. We have found some starting information on Smith’s service, but it requires a lot more research. We see that he entered service on December 18th, 1942, and served overseas from April 29th, 1943 until December 21st, 1945 for 31 months overseas. His obituary lists him as having served in Italy, France, and Germany earning six bronze stars.

This is a fantastic identified 82nd Airborne uniform ready for further research and display!