Object Record
Images
Metadata
Accession number |
2015.059 |
Object Identification Number |
2015.059.008 |
Object Name |
Pin |
Donor |
Rasmussen, Merle |
Description |
Gold colored metal pin. Two rifles are crossed like an elongated "X". Barrels are up, stocks are down. Attached to the viewer's lower left and upper right is a pin with an attached backing. Those backings unscrew. No maker's marks on back of the pin. On the pin backs are imprinted letters. "PAT" is visible, but the rest is illegible. |
Dimensions |
W-0.875 L-1.5 D-0.325 inches |
Creation Date |
20th century |
Place Of Origin |
likely USA |
Owned By |
Rasmussen, Junior Marion |
Used By |
Rasmussen, Junior Marion |
Material |
metal |
Associated People |
Rasmussen, Junior Marion |
Search Terms |
Rasmussen, Junior Marion WWII World War II military 78th Division Association reunion rifles |
Given In Memory Of |
In Memory of Junior Marion Rasmussen |
Provenance |
This pin was acquired by Junior Marion Rasmussen at a reunion of the 78th Division, unknown date. RASMUSSEN: All of the materials in this donation belonged to the donor's father Junior Marion Rasmussen who served in the U.S. Army immediately following WWII, in the 78th Division, 16th Cavalry, Berlin Constabulary, in a Reconnaissance Unit. He served as a Private First Class in Berlin, patrolled the American Sector, befriended German civilians, and collected souvenirs which he brought home to the U.S. Rasmussen (May 22, 1924-May 17, 2015) was born in Council Bluffs, Iowa and was the son of Danish American parents Marion (1885-1969) and Maren Kristine (Steffensen) Rasmussen (b. ?) who were married on January 5, 1921. Maren died on May 31, 1924, just days after giving birth. In 1925, Marion remarried to another Danish immigrant woman, Marie E. Jensen, to help raise his son. Junior Rasmussen married Mary Elizabeth on May 19, 1956, and they had one son, the donor. Marion's parents were Lars Christian Rasmussen and Karen Marie Andersen Rasmussen. Lars was born in 1851 in Hjørring, Denmark, and died in 1934 in Neola, Iowa. Karen was born in 1843 in Voer, Hjørring, Denmark, and died in 1928 in Neola. The couple immigrated in 1882. Their son Marion was born in Weston, Iowa, south of Neola about 10 miles. 78TH DIVISION: The 78th Infantry Division was activated on August 23, 1917 at Camp Dix, New Jersey. In World War II, the 78th Division was reactivated at Camp Butner, North Carolina on August 15, 1942. After two years as a Training Division, the 78th embarked for the European Theatre. There, in combat in Belgium, France and Germany our men brought even more honor to an already proud name. The Siegfried Line, the Roer and Rhine rivers, the Cologne plain, the Remagen bridgehead, the Ruhr pocket - all lay along the road to Berlin, where after six months of occupation duty, the Division was officially deactivated in May of 1946. The 78th Division again responded to the nation's call in 1990 and 1991 during Desert Shield/Desert Storm. In 1992, the Division transformed into an Exercise Division under the Army's "Bold Shift" initiative. The new mission is to conduct small unit collective training (Lanes) and computerized battle simulation exercises for client units in the First Army East area. |
Images |
290\2015059008.JPG |
Date Received by Museum |
11/28/2015 |