Mexico weekly ledger., 1917-06-21
HOW CIVILIANS CA NDIs-
TINGUIsH ARMY OFFICERS

of the service.
How to distinguish the rank Of Of
ficers of various branches of the
army is outlined in the following
statement by an army officer:
All commissioned officers wear a
black and gold hat cord; this rule is
general. On the collar of his shirt a
Second Lieutenant will wear a small
bronze ornament; if he is an infantry
man, it will be crossed rifles with the
number of his regiment in the upper
angle; if engineer corps, a turned
castle; if signal corps, crossed flags
with a flaming torch; if medical corps,
a wand entwined by two wiggling
serpents; this is known as the "Cadu-
ceus" and is supposed to represent
the wand of Mercury. Quartermaster
corps, gold key crossed with sword
and surmounted by a wheel and ca
gle, ordnance officer, a bursting
shell.
If the officer has on his blouse,
these ornaments will be on the collar
and he will wear a one quarter inch
stripe around his cuff. This is gen
eral for all officers. If he is a reg
ular, he will wear the letters "U.
S." in addition to the above insignia
on his collar, and if a national guard
officer, the abbreviation of his State
instead of "U. S."
If he has on his overcoat, the sleeve
will be plain.
"a First Lieutenant will wear the
same insignia as mentioned above and
in addition will wear one single silver
bar on each side of his shirt collar or
on the outer edge Of the shoulders of
his blouse. On his overcoat he wears
a single scroll of narrow black braid.
A Captain wears two silver bars and
a double scroll of braid on the sleeve
of his overcoat.
Insignia of Field Officers
"Then we come to field officers.
They wear the same uniforms and in
sigma as line officers, but a Major
wear a gold oak leaf on his should
ers and three scrolls of braid on his
overcoat; a Lieutenant Colonel, a sill
yer oak leaf and four scrolls of braid
on his overcoat; a Colonel, a silver
spread eagle and five scrolls on the
sleeve of his overcoat.
"Then we pass to staff officers,
who may be Lieutenants, Majors or
Colonies. They wear the same insig-
mia of rank as line and field officers,
but wear their own corps insignia de-
vice; general staff, coat of arms of the
United States with star in center fin
ished in gold and silver; Adjutant
Generals Department, coat of arms
of United States and single star all
in gold; Inspector Generals De-
partment, gold fasces crossed with
sword and surmounted by wreath Of
gold; Judge Advocate Generals De-
partment, gold quill crossed with
sword and wreath.
eve have already explained the in
sigma of ordnance, engineers and
medical and quartermaster's depart
ments; then come general officers.
A Brigadier General, a silver star;
Major General, two silver stars; Lieu
tenant General, three silver stars;
General, two stars with a coat of arms
of the United States between. An
aid, coat of arms of United States
with the corresponding stars of his
General, in the field of the union.
"This finishes the commissioned
officers, who might be compared, in a
factory with the general manager
and superintendent and overhead"
Enlisted Mems Dress
"Now comes the enlisted men, or
men behind the gun All enlisted
men wear hat cords denoting their
arm of service or corps; infantry, light
blue; cavalry, yellow; artillery, scar
ct; signal corps, orange; engineer
crimson and white; medical
maroon and white. All en-
listed men wear, on the collars of
heir service coats or flannel shirts,
,ronze metal disks, with the arm of
insignia or corps insignia in
he center of one and the letters gu.
or State abbreviation in the 9TH
r; and this is the only way of tell
ng regulars from National Guards.
Enlisted men of infantry, cavalry,
r field artillery wear company let
err in the lower angle of the crossed
Weapons and the regimental number
the upper angle. Coast artillery
len wear the number of company in
he lower angle of the crossed n
he non-commissioned officers, who
re the straw bosses of the factory.
re recommended by the Captains OF
company and receive warrants
rom the commanding officer of their
espective regiments. They wear
hevrons above the elbow on their
to denote their rank. A cor
oral two chevrons; Sergeant, three;
company supply Sergeant, three
with a straight bar; a first
ergeant, or Top Sergeant, as he is
enerally known, and who, by the way,
the foreman of the company, and
eeps the records, and stands be-
veen the men and the Captain, wears
rec chevrons and diamond or loz-
lge in the center; a battalion Ser
sant-Major wears three chevrons
I'd a strap in shape of a bow, under
e point; a regimental supply Ser
sant wears three bars under the