Model 1917 Pattern Wool Service Coat of Corporal John Nelson
date: label: associated dates
content: 1917 00 00+ / 1917 00 00+, 1918 00 00- / 1918 00 00-
name: label: wearer
content: Nelson, John
label: wearer
content: Nelson, Corporal John
notes: label: Description
content: U.S. Army Model 1917 pattern service coat as worn by Corporal John Nelson of Company C, 306th Machine Gun Battalion, 77th Division from December 1917 to May 1919. A native of Farsund, Norway, Nelson entered the Army from Brooklyn, New York on 6 December 1917. Arriving in France on 13 April 1918, Nelson would first enter the fighting of the Western Front in July. For caring for wounded comrades under enemy fire while in action at the Vesle Front on 22 August, the Army awarded Nelson received a Silver Star for valor. Promoted to corporal on 21 October, he survived the war without any wounds. Returning to the United States in May 1919, he would be honorably discharged on the ninth.
label: Description
content: The coat is constructed of olive drab wool with a single row of five subdued brass U.S. Army eagle buttons along the center front closure. Smaller eagle buttons close four patch pockets on coat front, each of which have pointed flap closures. Two smaller eagle buttons also attach the shoulder straps. Two hook and eye closures are located at the standing collar, which features a left-side tab extension. There is also one hook and thread eye set below the bottom closure button.
label: Description
content: On each side of the collar opening is a single subdued brass collar disc. The right collar disc has the letters "U.S." with the numerals "306" below. The left collar disc has Infantry branch crossed rifles with the letters "MG" in the upper angle and the letter "C" in the lower angle representing Company C, 306th Machine Gun Battalion. Two darts extend from bottom collar to the top of the breast pocket flaps. French darts on each side extend beneath the base of the breast pockets and the flaps of the bottom pockets. On the right mid-sleeve are olive drab Corporal's chevrons, point up. On the upper left mid-sleeve is a single red honorable discharge chevron, point up. On the left shoulder is a blue roughly rectangular 77th Infantry Division patch featuring a white embroidered Statue of Liberty outlined in black. On the lower left sleeve are two metallic tape service chevrons, point down. The coat is lined with brown cotton twill, and the sleeves with olive green cotton. There is a cotton twill loop for hanging at the back of the inside collar. Sewn inside the right side of the collar is a tag reading, "Coat Size 6 1/2 Long, Inches: Breast...38, Waist...33, Length...29 1/4, Sleeve...33 1/2, Collar...17, Phila. Depot Q.M.C.".
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: associated place
content: United States
setName: label: See more items in
content: Military and Society: Armed Forces History, Military
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: R. Stanley Nelson
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1991.0378.01
label: catalog number
content: 1991.0378.01
label: accession number
content: 1991.0378
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Coat
label: Other Terms
content: Coat; Uniforms; Man; Army; Enlisted; Service
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wool (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: olive drab (overall color)
label: Physical Description
content: brass (subdued) (buttons/collar discs material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 31 in x 16 in x 27 1/2 in; 78.74 cm x 40.64 cm x 69.85 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall (padded): 31 in x 17 in x 4 in; 78.74 cm x 43.18 cm x 10.16 cm