22 years for me and and agree with you. Lot's of "locally approved" stuff goes on. I wonder if the using it up until exhausted policy was in effect.

Hi. I found this in my father's estate. He joined the USN in 1945 at the age of 17. I try searching the internet for any info on this specific buckle but I couldn't find anything that looked the same. Any insight would be gratefully appreciated. Thanks, Celia 

Love the history behind your PH! Congrats!   Kurt

Since this is a reproduction (or at least I'm exceptionally certain of it) I decided to take the eagle to the buffing wheel. It came out pretty well. It looks like a thin plate of something over brass. I may nickel plate it the next time I'm doing a plating run.   

This thread has been around for while and I've been able to accumulate a reasonable collection of right facing eagles. :)  This is all that I collect anymore.    What I recently found is a confirmed reproduction. Well, I don't have a letter from the maker or anything like that, but it appears to be relatively new and that's what I'm basing this off of. I am even more convinced now that I was wrong thinking the Viking/Gemsco pattern was a reproduction.         

I am not really sure WHY ? i suspect it was to get Away from family turmoil (Brother became Sister)  and my world got turned upside down Volunteered at 16 (1974) and placed on the delayed entry until my 17th birthday, Started basic training Ft Polk 1 month after my 17th birthday That was 1975 3 years Infantry and Artillery FO then 3+ as 67n Crew Chief UH-1H Huey until dec 80 1975  was a very interesting time in the Military NO WAR and the NEW ALL VOLUNTEER ARMY i watched as all the VIET NAM SOLDIERS were getting out We went from breaking starch to Permanent Press and a major Vacuum for promotion just about everyone was ETSing Anyway I considered it the Pretend peacetime army and I am really lucky to have joined during those years The MEDICAL Benefits were worth the cost of admission and the Education Benefits were icing on the cake we have still not considered the VA HOME LOAN or other great benefits  Oh Army Aviation during peace time is the BEST Pilots need flight time so any given day I would fly up the California coast following migrating whales or flying to the Barstow McDonalds for lunch. Then of course all the NOE Field training  Yes the second half of the 70s was a turning point in my life

Could you provide a close-up of the base? Something is going on there, as is the opening has been filled. Maybe not but a close-up could tell.

As I mentioned previously my reasons for joining, you will have to make that decision for yourself and know why you want to join.....But saying that most people join because they don't have purpose or other career options is not accurate and a bit insulting. For myself, I had plenty of career opportunities in graphic arts, and photography but I chose to better myself by joining the Army and be better prepared to go to college after I matured a bit, rather than go to college right out of high school and not be prepared academically only to waste hard earned money. I had no regrets waiting to earn my college degree when I was ready, and through the Army and VA, it was paid for in full, and I paid the Army and VA back by showing my appreciation by graduating Suma Cum Laude in my career field, something that most likely would not have happened had I gone straight to college out of high school. The Army taught me discipline and how to prioritize.    I think you have plenty of time to decide if a career in the military is right for you. You can only find out for yourself and although your relatives may have had bad experiences with the VA, not everyone has had bad experiences through the VA system and if you are going to rely solely on their thoughts and input about the military you may never know the real enjoyment one can have from joining the Armed services. I have been very fortunate with the medical care and treatment I have received through the VA and the benefits they have provided me. We are very fortunate to have the VA system in place and an organization that is a voice for Veterans, and granted there may be issues within the system, just think if there was no VA healthcare system for our veterans? Unfortunately, I do see in today's society a feeling of entitlement from some who have served in the military wanting 100% disability for twisting a knee jumping off a tank, whereas I know combat veterans who have lost limbs that don't rate 100%, so yes, the system has issues, but to take the earned benefits from an amputee and give them to someone who was not in combat is pure entitlement and it's something that angers me with the mindset of some of the folks I meet daily. Based on what you have said I think you are a little bit jaded about the VA. What you hear about the VA and what you actually experience are two different things, and since your experiences are from word of mouth through your own family experiences and not through real world experience, until you know, you don't know. Take a trip to a VA center and have a talk with someone outside your family and get a different perspective on what the VA can do. You may get a better appreciation or understanding about the VA.    Sorry to hear of the experiences that your uncle went through in Iraq, but you can't presume that you will face the same scenarios and end up like him. People deal with and cope with trauma in many different ways and how they cope is on a personal level and you shouldn't assume his bad experiences are something you will experience and that you will end up like him.      We are in different times from when I grew up in the 60's and 70s and like many other forum members of my age group and generation, so the mindsets are also going to be different as to why one would make the choice to serve in the military. I was fortunate and got to see the world, and as a 17-year-old leaving home for the first time, it was one of the most memorable adventures and I have no regrets doing what I did and what I had to do and I am very grateful for the organizations in place today that take care of myself and my family.      Leigh 

Yes, it’s her daughter Fiona‘s sword. She’s an outstanding Florida representative.

Maybe the other way around...her daughter attended the USNA and her son-in-law did as well. I know this because her son-in-law was one of the midshipmen in my company. A great guy. I only met her daughter a few times (can't date within the same company) but I've been friends with the two of them post-Navy. Her daughter serves in the Florida legislature.