I would let it be as it looks pretty good the way it is, I would be overjoyed to get one like this.

Welcome to the forum! I’m sure someone can help you out and the edged weapons section has tons of references.

Lots of references, just new here. 

Just read I need 30 posts to place a want add. So will be posting quite a bit here. 

Recently received this early Naval Aviator wing from eBay and was very pleased to get this wing.    While looking closer I noticed there appears to be a marking removed from the anchor stock. Has anyone seen any type of engraving in this area before??   I tried to take some decent pics and I hope these will show what I’m seeing. Looking for thoughts and opinions. Thank you.    Chris    

Picked up this Mk2 at the flea market. Pretty good shape but for some surface rust. Is there a safe way to remove the rust without affecting the paint, or should I just leave it alone? Any problem with applying Ren Wax?   Also, does anyone have an appropriate fuze they would part with? I have a spoon, so don’t need that. 

The photo documentation is great!!

"7MMS" is USAF 7th Munitions Maintenance Squadron (Carswell AFB, TX).

I seem to recall that the purpose of the Ruptured Duck (honorable discharge patch) was a practical one:  During WWII, enlisted soldiers who were "on duty" either traveled in groups, under command of an officer or NCO, or they were on orders, which they carried with them.  An officer or even a policeman who saw an enlisted soldier by himself out in the civilian world might very well wonder if the soldier was AWOL and demand some kind of "proof" that the soldier was authorized to be where he was and was not trying to shirk his duty.       The purpose of the discharge patch was to show anyone who saw the soldier (or sailor or marine) that he was technically a civilian, no longer under military control and therefore they did not have to inquire as to his status.  Since most of the soldiers stationed overseas (and many in CONUS) didn't own civilian clothing, their military uniforms were the only clothing they had, so the ruptured duck essentially transformed their military uniform into "civilian clothing" for the purpose of proving that they were not in the armed forces anymore.     For officers, this wasn't really a concern since officers were "professionals" and if someone saw an officer walking around in the civilian world they would simply assume he was on some official duty.     Again, this is from my vague recollection, so I'm not sure how accurate it is.  

There is another thread or Ruptured Ducks that seems to show there were soldiers receiving them as late as the Korean war.     My guess is that the soldiers were released from active duty at a specific demobilization station and whoever was in charge there either never got the memo that they weren't needed, or believed that they should be on there regardless of a lack of DoD specific guidelines (since it would have been DoD by this time and not the War Department.)       23 years in the Army taught me that just because something is in the regulations doesn't mean people will do it and just because something is NOT in the regulations doesn't mean people WON'T do it.