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I work at a Veteran's nursing home. Which does a phenomenal job honoring veterans of generations past. In the main entry hall way are display cases dedicated to each branch. In the Army case hangs a uniform of a WWII/Korean War infantry soldier. The blue infantry cord is on the left shoulder and the brown braid (French word, can't remember exactly) is on the right. I have always seen and out my blue cord on the right shoulder, with the brown braid going on the opposite side.
Is this correct? I want to make sure I have the correct information about uniforms if a correction is needed.
Is this correct? I want to make sure I have the correct information about uniforms if a correction is needed.
Posted in these groups: 
Infantry
Infantry
Posted 2 y ago
Responses: 6
SPC Casey Ashfield - Those cords are called fourragères (fur-ah-zher) which is derived from the French for "Forage".
Early Infantry Soldiers would use the cord to set snares and catch small animals or even wayward junior officers for the evening meal (they usually didn't eat the officer and instead had them do the set-up and after meal clean-up).
Early Infantry Soldiers would use the cord to set snares and catch small animals or even wayward junior officers for the evening meal (they usually didn't eat the officer and instead had them do the set-up and after meal clean-up).
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When you view old uniforms, they don't go by the wear regulations of today. Some of the regulations for wear didn't exist, others were determined by the commander at the time, some just wore items the Army didn't authorize, like every beret ever before the 1960s.
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COL Randall C.
Very good point. For the WWII outfit, depending on the date, having an Infantry cord on it might be wrong. The Infantry blue cord wasn't awarded until 1952, so if it predates that, then something "ain't right". If it's the old WWII olive drab or 'revised Service Coat' pattern, it probably pre-dates that infantry cord (it IS possible for overlap since the Army green uniform didn't come about until 1954 ...but you'd have to compare insignia, etc. to make sure everything is reflecting "after 1952 but before 1954" ... otherwise, ditch the blue cord).
However, the other Fourragere would be correctly worn on the left shoulder* - "It is attached to the left shoulder by fastening the buttonhole thereof to the left shoulder-loop
button, under the shoulder loop, passing the fourragere under the left arm, and attaching the loop on the ferret end to the shoulder-loop button, allowing the ferret to hang down in front"
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* War Department AR 600-40 (1941), Wearing of the Service Uniform
- http://www.90thidpg.us/Research/Original/AR60040/AR%20600-40%20(Aug%201941)%20With%20Changes.pdf#page=25
* https://history.army.mil/html/museums/uniforms/survey_uwa.pdf
However, the other Fourragere would be correctly worn on the left shoulder* - "It is attached to the left shoulder by fastening the buttonhole thereof to the left shoulder-loop
button, under the shoulder loop, passing the fourragere under the left arm, and attaching the loop on the ferret end to the shoulder-loop button, allowing the ferret to hang down in front"
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* War Department AR 600-40 (1941), Wearing of the Service Uniform
- http://www.90thidpg.us/Research/Original/AR60040/AR%20600-40%20(Aug%201941)%20With%20Changes.pdf#page=25
* https://history.army.mil/html/museums/uniforms/survey_uwa.pdf
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SPC Casey Ashfield
COL Randall C. based on your information, the uniform was put together in 1954 or later. Blue cord on a green jacket. I added a photo of the uniform as a comment.
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COL Randall C.
Yep .. that picture is the old Army Green Class A jacket we (the Army) wore up until the mid-2010s.
That means the cord was "in use" at the time and the uniform regs for the branch cord always had it on the right shoulder (swap sides with the Aiguillette).
That means the cord was "in use" at the time and the uniform regs for the branch cord always had it on the right shoulder (swap sides with the Aiguillette).
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