Norwich bulletin., 1917-07-20


 black soutacffe. five rows for colonel four for a lieutenant coIon1, three for major, two for a captain, one for first lieutenant, but none for the sec ond lieutenant, who has to depend on the difference in the finish of his sleeves from those of the enlisted men.
 Long Established Designs. The forms of the insignia of rank of commissioned officers have not changed to any marked extent during the past half century. A general officer Is indi- cated by five-pointed stars, in number according to his grade. This was es- | tablished in the army regulations Of 1913. one star for a brigadier general two stars for a. major general These are worn on the shoulder strap of the service uniform coat or on the collar of the field service shirt. The common type of shoulder strap, peculiar to the dress uniform, was introduced by asl army order in 1885, and this form is still in use, varied only in the detail of materials and finish.
 Whether this war will produce gen eral officers of the two higher grades l Is not known. If it should happen created by congress he would wear | one large silver star one and quar- l ter inches In diameter, between two silver stars each 15-16 inch In diam | eter. Should the exigencies of the situation require the creation of a general his insignia would be the | coat of arms of the United States be- tween two silver stars each 15-16 inch l in diameter.
 The stars of both the major and l brigadier generals are the small type. l 15-16 inch in diameter. an appear l on the shoulder strap or shirt collar. l For the field and line officers the l insignia are as follows. worn on the | strap or collar: Solonel, silver | spread eagle three-quarters inch high and two inches between the tips of the wings; lieutenant colonel, a silver 1 leaf one inch high and wide: major the same size and pattern of leaf. | but of gold instead of silver; captain, l two silver bars, one inch long. one | quarter inch apart; first lieutenant, l one silver bar: second lieutenant has no bar; chaplain, beside the insignia 1 of line ranw, usually that of captain. | a Latin cross of silver, one and three | tighths inches high.
 A somewhat fanciful interpretation 1 of the significance fthees marks of l rank Is this: The second lieutenant ! still being at the foot of the ladder 1 of promotion has not touched the rung, so has no mark. The first lieu l tenant has risen one rung above the | second; the captain has further ad- | vanced on the ladder. He has risen 1 sufficiently that the step of the major | has landed him among the leaves of | the tree of military life, but he is still | among the shaded ones. hence. his | has climbed further. to where the | light has frightened the leaves. and
 from there on the wings of the eagle | of the general officer.
 The insignia of the enlisted men
 who have attained the position of
 non commissioned rank are simple
 yet full of meaning. They are in form of "chevrons" on each sleeve l On the dress uniforms the color of | these chevrons is that of the branch | of the service represented, but the | O. q. uniform bears them of almost similar share. indicative but very in-
 conspicuous. and at distance almost | indistinguishable.
 The chevron has come down from the dark ages. and it's origin is traced to the time when a property holder l was allowed to indicate by "chevrons'
 or "rafters" the number of houses
 which he owned. So as the standing 1 of a sergeant is greater than that of ! a corporal the former wears more | chevrons. Tn the case of the higher
 non- n-commissioned officer in a regi- | ment, the regimental sergeant major
 he wears chevrons on each sleeve, just | inverted V-shaped bars, with three
 arc-bars below the open side of the | chevron. The battalion sergeant ma l ior has three chevrons with two ac- | bars. The regimental supply sergeant | is indicated by three ties or straight
 bars below the chevrons, with two
 for the battclion and one for the com 1 pany sergeant of that duay.
 In the company the first sergeant
 has three chevrons with a diamond in
 the included angle below. All duty ser geants, three chevrons: corporals. two
 chevrons. and lance corporals, one Color Serseant's Star.
 The color sergeants have a five pointed star in the included angle of l the chevron. A sergeant of the com | missary service has crescent below his chevrons. A chief trumpeter has
 one arc below the three chevrons with the form of a bugle inclosed. The
 drum major has three chevrons with
 crossed batons in the included angle. Beside these definite insignia of rank
 are several arbitrary signs to indicate special service or peculiar duty as all the men rated as first class privates | in the hospital service wear on the | sleeve the caduceus. which insignia is l worn by all officers, in gold or bronze
 finish, in the appropriate position or
 the coat or shirt.
 In the same way the first class pri- yates of the signal companies wear a | device of crossed signal flags with a
 burning torch between. The master
 forked lightning at top inclosing cross
 ed flags.
 In all cases where the chevrons of
 the non- commissioned officers are worr
 the special device of the service is in
 cluded in the angles or set just below l Several other duty men are indicated by appropriate devices. The cook ] wears a cooks cap on his sleeves; a first class gunner, pro5ectile, point
 up. with a bar below a horseshoer, a | horseshoe. point up; a mechanic and
 srtificer, two crossed hammers; a me
 chanic farrier, a horses head a me
 chanic saddler, a saddler's skivine
 knife. The coast artillery corps, having
 a number of special duty men. has a
 series of devices peculiar to that ser
 vice. but those already given are the
 most common, and are generally found
 in all branches of the service
 It is comparatively recently that the
 United States army restored the cheV- l ron to it's original and proper position
 with the point up. As the army and
 navy of this country inherited many oi
 it's customs and traditions from the
 British service, so the position of the
 chevron was initiated and the British