Help me ID this?

[AvavanBlythe]

I was hoping I could get some help from you all here. Below is a photo of my grandfather. I don't remember hearing too much about his time in the Army, but I do have a couple photos saved. I'm doing a father/son set of portrait paintings (head & shoulders), and being able to see the details on his uniform through other photos that exist out there would be very helpful. I'm very picky about accurate details in my artwork. I know it's a Dress uniform, but that's all I know. Any images I currently look up don't match what he has on perfectly. I do come up with this, but I like to double check my findings.

Thank you, in advance, for any help you all can give me.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

The pic looks to be from the late '50s or early '60s. And judging by the unit patch and the markings on the vehicle behind him, he was in Germany with the 3rd Armored Division. Your granddad most likely served around the same time Elvis was in the Army and assigned to the 3rd Armored Division.

 

[31 Model A]

Although his unit patch is hard to read, the vehicle he's standing in front is a 3/4 ton with the bumper marking 3rd Armored Div, Hdqs assigned. He has no rank or ribbons. Looks like it could be taken in the early 60s. Class As was not the dress uniform. Dress uniforms were Blues, Whites or Mess Dress. You could purchase these at your own expense but few did in the lower ranks. There was an amendment later that the Class A greens could be used as semi-formal wear if worn with a white shirt and bowtie.

I think Elvis was with the 3rd AD but don't quote me. They were clogging up the radbahns while I was there....use to see them all the time at Grafenwohr.

 

[AvavanBlythe]

V.C.: I think I remember hearing about him being in while Elvis was, when my dad talked about it.

31: Sadly, when looking it up, "dress" was the only thing that came up with the Class A's. So I mistakenly called it that. I'm not as familiar with Army as I am Marines.

If anyone else has something they want to chime in with, please do. For now, I'll look up the proper term to see what I come up with. Thank you for the quick response.

 

[31 Model A]

No worry. The army had also Class B's and C's. Class B's were heavy cotton khaki and C's were duty fatigues. I have reason to believe that the photo was taken during the winter months because khaki's were worn during the warm months. When one could afford them, both winter green wools that creased easy were replaced by double-knit at our own expense and khaki's were replaced with Tropical Wear (TWs) double knit khaki's.

I see he had very sharp creases in his trousers and it could have either been parade day or pay day. Once you put your trousers on, you didn't sit down until it was all over.

V.C.: I think I remember hearing about him being in while Elvis was, when my dad talked about it.

31: Sadly, when looking it up, "dress" was the only thing that came up with the Class A's. So I mistakenly called it that. I'm not as familiar with Army as I am Marines.

If anyone else has something they want to chime in with, please do. For now, I'll look up the proper term to see what I come up with. Thank you for the quick response.

 

[31 Model A]

One other item I notice is his cap. Stating in 1965 those hats without natural saddles were being issued. The new one resembled Marine caps, very flat with no saddle. When they started issuing those, the older ones became in big demand because no matter what one could do, a saddle could not be put into the new ones. Your dad's has the saddle................