December 16, 17, & 18, 2025 Firearms & Militaria
Lot #3416:
WWII ERA US MARINE CORPS OFFICER INSIGNIA SET ID'D TO R.A. MERCHANT.
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/18/2025
1940s Hilborn Hamburger USMC officer commissioning insignia set named to Robert A. Merchant. Merchant was a 1938 graduate of V.M.I., and one of the only Marine officers to come from that class. Early in his career. Merchant was the commander of the MarDet (Marine Detachment) aboard the USS Phoenix, and was present aboard the ship during the Japanese attack on Dec 7th, 1941. He served throughout the pacific, ultimately winding up as a Colonel and Commanding Officer of the 16th AAA Battalion. The battalion would be stationed on Tinian, and then land on D+2 on Okinawa. By the end of June of 1945, over 1,547 Japanese planes had been destroyed in the Okinawa area and 75% of the planes that sortied for Okinawa never returned to Japan. The 16th under Col Merchant, destroyed or damaged more planes than any other AAA unit. As an interesting side note, his aide-de-camp was the famous baseball player, Brooklyn Dodger, and later MLB manager and Hall of Famer, Gil Hodges. The set is everything a newly minted officer would need for uniform and hat summer and winter service and dress; buttons, wings, bars, EGA devices, etc. Cover has custom brass "RAM" initials on the lid, and a embroidered nametape "R.A. Merchant". CONDITION: Excellent.
Item Dimensions: 20" X 8" X 3"