So, as stated previously the original recepient of this knife was de-tabbed, but it does not say if he is still on active duty. Anyone know if he is still on active duty?

Perhaps part of revocation should be return of the issued property.

He does not show up in the Army system, so I would say he is out. The only reason that he wouldn't show up is if he went to a SMU. I'm pretty sure that didn't hapen based on his losing the tab and having his 18 series MOS removed.

It's true we can't do anything to him now that he is gone but there are measures that we can initiate against a "business" that will sell the knives. Working on that now.

This was a potential scenario and one that will probably occur, if it already hasn't. Also, as we get older, more of us will be headed to that final RP. It is important that we give specific instructions to our loved ones on what to do with these blades. Some family members, sadly, will not place any sentimental value on them and may be tempted to sell or just give them away. After all, you see Silver Stars and Purple Hearts turn up at flea markets and yard sales all the time. So if your next of kin has no interest in keeping it, have them donate it to a local military museum or send it back to JFK Museum. You may want to do that yourself if you reach a point that you feel that you can't be a good custodian of your blade. Basically, we need to be as proactive with what we want done with our knives as we are with our life insurance policies, etc. In this case, it was a dirt ball looking to make a buck. That's a really sorry scenario. But a really sad scenario is one in which our loved ones do something out of ignorance!

Well thought-out and well said, beef.

Thanks, man.

I regularly attend estate sales in my area looking for guns and inexpensive furniture to refurbish and and at least half of the time I will come across Military decorations and uniforms (large retired mil community). I will usually try and purchase Valor awards (Bronze Stars/Purple Hearts being most common). I've been meaning to destroy them but everytime I look at them I put it off. I wish there was a way to reuse them or an organization that would dispose of them honorably. I always chicken out, too much history attached, last remembrence of the sacrifice of service. It's a shame they have ended up in a stranger's possesion.

Down here in ANZAC land, it is fairly common for descendants of those who earned medallic recognition to wear the medals of their ancestors on the RIGHT side of the chest on appropriate clothing during ANZAC Day services, while living veterans who earned them wear them on the left.

The National Army Museum in Waiouru, NZ has a substantial collection of medals, particularly the "racks" of soldiers who served with considerable distinction like Captain Upham VC(Bar).

I've always thought it would be cool if there was a way for families to donate medals of their serving ancestors, and a place/space to hang them all if possible, or more likely rotate them in/out to maybe better recognize the service of all, rather than just the justified recognition of those who served with distinction.

That would probably take the biggest warehouse in NZ to achieve that, and the State of Texas to fit them all in the US.

I vaguely remember reading somewhere, that there have been traditions of handing down Officer Cadet numbers from one Officer Cadet to another. It may not have been a US military tradition?

The job was given to each new Officer Cadet to continue to develop the "biographical" history of that number and all the Officers that bore it before him.

In this an Officer cadet was given the job of maintaining the honour of the number given to him in trust, or restoring said numbers honour should it have been discoloured in some way.

The handing of a numbered Yarborough knife from one retired SF soldier to an SFQC graduate would be a powerful Esprit de Corp. Also in this way the knife would be held in trust by each QP, this perhaps positioning it for better legal protection.

I imagine such a process must have been discussed already, but it's sobering to think of the power of such a process.

AFTER THOUGHT: I realize now this is a foggy memory of my Fathers stories from his time at the Australian Military College - Duntroon, and their cadet numbering system.

S