Ribbon Adventure

Ribbon Adventure

04/04/2020
Bill Kilgrain of Canada made this up
What are your thoughts or comments ?????? bkilgrain@shaw.ca

Civil Air Patrol Ribbons , How they got started and their evolution.

CIVILIAN DEFENSE AWARD FOR SERVICE: United States. 1943-1945.

Established 8 May 1943 by Operations Letter Number 127, signed by James M. Landis. This ribbon award was intended for volunteer members of five organizations: the Administrative Staff of the Office of Civilian Defense, the United States Citizens Defense Corps, the United States Citizens Service Corps, the Forest Fire Service, and the Civilian Evacuation Service. Qualification for the awards was based on time spent in initial qualification training, participation in exercises, regular meetings, and other activities authorized by the local Defense Council.

Service was recognized by military pattern service ribbons. The woven ribbon bars were defined by regulation as being ½ inch high and 1 ¼ inch wide, and were issued without a means of attachment. Inspection of actual bars shows height dimensions consistent with the regulation, but a width of 1 3/8 inches. Centered on the ribbon was a Civil Defense blue disc with white triangle and red letters CD.

Service Hours	Ribbon Description
500 hours	white ribbon with broad red stripe on either side of the disc
1000 hours	white ribbon with broad dark blue stripe on either side of the disc
2000 hours	white ribbon with two narrow red stripes on either side of the disc
3000 hours	white ribbon with two narrow blue stripes on either side of the disc
4000 hours	white ribbon with one blue and one red narrow stripe on either side of the disc
5000 hours	gold (yellow) ribbon - the triangle may have been yellow in color

Sources: United States, Office of Civilian Defense, Operations Letter No. 127 (Supplement No. 1 to Operations Letter No. 90), Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America, Office of Civilian Defense, 8 May 1943. Weber, Mark T. and Charles P. McDowell, "From the Council of National Defense to the Federal Emergency Management Agency: Ribbons and Medals," The Journal of the Orders and Medals Society of America: The Medal Collector, Volume 47, Number 7, August-September 1996, pages 12-21. Items 01-2-US-03 and 01-2-US-04, ribbons, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America, University of Richmond, The Physical Archive of Civil Defense.

U.S. Awards To Civilians During WWII

Office of Civilian Defense

The Office of Civilian Defense was an emergency war agency set up 20 May 1941 to supervise functions such as blackouts, special fire protection and also created the Civil Air Patrol. The agency was closed on 4 June 1945.

Service Ribbon Award May 1943 - 1945
Awarded to recognize 500 hours of meritorious volunteer service on Civil Defense duties.

Service Ribbon Award May 1943 - 1945
Awarded to recognize 1000 hours of meritorious volunteer service on Civil Defense duties.

Service Ribbon Award May 1943 - 1945
Awarded to recognize 2000 hours of meritorious volunteer service on Civil Defense duties.

Service Ribbon Award     May 1943 - 1945
Awarded to recognize 3000 hours of meritorious volunteer service on Civil Defense duties.

Service Ribbon Award     May 1943 - 1945
Awarded to recognize 4000 hours of meritorious volunteer service on Civil Defense duties.

Service Ribbon Award     May 1943 - 1945
Awarded to recognize 5000 hours of meritorious volunteer service on Civil Defense duties.

Other Ribbons id'ed as Civil Defense

Assistant Air Raid Warden Service Ribbon

printed on stiff silk ribbon with "stamped" edges*

Air Raid Warden Service Ribbon
printed on stiff silk ribbon with "stamped" edges*

Workers Service Ribbon
printed on stiff silk ribbon with "stamped" edges*

**A long time collector said he got the above three ribbon rolls in the mid 1970s when he managed the "B. Pasquale Co." (uniform / insignia supplier) in San Francisco from their dusty "old stock" shelves. The ID was on the center of the roll.

My thoughts on the CAP ribbons with white edges

White Edges no White edge

Formed 1 Dec 1941 as part of the Office of Civilian Defense, transferred to the War Department on 29 Apr 1943, transferred to the U.S. Army Air Force on 4 May 1943 and became an official USAF auxiliary on 26 May 1948.

1. The CAP was part of the Civil Defense until transferred to War Department on 29 Apr 1943.
      The Civil Defense approved their service ribbons on 8 May 1943.

2. Could the CAP possibly have used Civil Defense ribbons with the CAP design in center of ribbon added as
      a temporary design until the CAP ribbons were approved in Jan 1944 ???

3. When the CAP ribbons were approved they changed the narrow stripe with white edge
      to a wide strip to distinguish them from the Civil Defense awards ???

4.   This would explain why early CAP ribbons with white edges are so hard to find ???

03/03/2020

How it started!! An email

Sir,
I have been researching this mysterious ribbon for quite some time without success.
Ribbons are not my area of expertise but I had thought the unusual horizontal banding and aircraft (B-29 ?)
should have made it easy to spot among the incredible number of ribbons to sort through.
I have been told by local Militaria vendors it is obsolete Civil Air Patrol, but they could not say when it was awarded or what it represented.
It is a pin back with two prongs. 1.375" x 0.525"
Do you recognize it?
Can you point me toward someone who might be able to identify it?
Thank You for you attention and consideration.
Appreciatively yours,
Karl Esch

My Reply
HI,
This is what as known as a sweetheart ribbon that Families with members serving would wear in support of them.
I have it labeled as a WWII B-29 Crewman Combat Service Ribbon.

see chart for examples-http://www.frontiernet.net/~ericbush/US/S_pribs.html

There are many others that I do not show on my web site.
I had one of these with 2 stars that I got in Portland, Or. many years ago but downsized what I collect so no longer have it.
Eric

Hi Reply
Mr. Bush, I have received a more complete history of the red and white ribbon with a B-29 silhouette I inquired about. See the very informative reply from the Director of the Center forCivil Air Patrol History below. His information also explains why these ribbons are prevalent in Oregon and Washington. I thought you would appreciate this information also. Yours, Karl Esch Portland, Oregon Good Evening Sir, I have identified this ribbon for you. This is a Boeing employee merit ribbon awarded quarterly for attendance at 96.5% or better, given out quarterly at the Seattle and Renton plants. The aircraft portrayed is the B-29. The program was announced in Boeing News newsletter, May 3, 1945 (attached). The silver stars were issue for successive quarter of good attendance, and gold stars for perfect attendance. Very Respectfully, Frank Col Frank A. Blazich, Jr., CAP Director, Col Louisa S. Morse Center for CAP History National Historian Emeritus PhD, History 202-750-1943 (Morse Center) U.S. Air Force Auxiliary gocivilairpatrol.com history.cap.gov See web site for further information, as of 02/2020 http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/288796-odd-ribbon-set-found-in-seattle/