Original Items: Only One Grouping Available. This is a fantastic duo of items named and attributed to Sergeant First Class Raymond Henry Sieker (ASN: 37615790). Sieker first enlisted in the United States Army on June 7, 1943 and went on to serve until January 27, 1946 then reenlisting on June 21, 1947. He then served from 1947 until his discharge on February 28, 1979. Between WWII and the Korean War he conducted a total of 21 Jumps. He served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam, obtaining the rank of Sergeant First Class. We have not been able to locate a full service record for him, making for an incredible research opportunity!

The 11th Airborne Division ("Angels") was a United States Army airborne formation, first activated on February 25, 1943, during World War II. Consisting of one parachute and two glider infantry regiments, with supporting troops, the division underwent rigorous training throughout 1943. It played a vital role in the successful Knollwood Maneuver, which was organized to determine the viability of large-scale American airborne formations after their utility had been called into question following a disappointing performance during the Allied invasion of Sicily.

The 11th Airborne saw its first action on the island of Leyte in the Philippines, but in a traditional infantry role. In January 1945 the division took part in the invasion of Luzon. The two glider infantry regiments again operated as conventional infantry, securing a beachhead before fighting their way inland. The parachute infantry regiment was held in reserve for several days before conducting the division's first airborne operation, a combat drop on the Tagaytay Ridge. Reunited, the division participated in the Liberation of Manila, and two companies of divisional paratroopers conducted an audacious raid on the Los Baños internment camp, liberating two thousand civilians. The 11th Airborne's last combat operation of World War II was in the north of Luzon around Aparri, in aid of combined American and Philippine forces who were battling to subdue the remaining Japanese resistance on the island.

On August 30, 1945 the division was sent to southern Japan as part of the occupation force. Four years later it was recalled to the United States, where it became a training formation. One parachute infantry regiment was detached for service in the Korean War, but on June 30, 1958 the division was inactivated. It was briefly reactivated on February 1, 1963 as the 11th Air Assault Division (Test) to explore the theory and practicality of helicopter assault tactics, and was inactivated on June 29, 1965. The division's personnel and equipment were transferred to the newly raised 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile).

The Items In This Grouping:
- Patched Maroon Beret: In 1943, during the Second World War, Lieutenant-General Sir Frederick Browning, commander of the British I Airborne Corps, granted a battalion of the US Army's 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment honorary membership in the British Parachute Regiment and authorized them to wear British-style maroon berets. US Army advisers to Vietnamese airborne forces wore the Vietnamese French-style red beret during the Vietnam War.

The beret is in good condition but is sun faded on the top, signs of many years of proud wear and use. The items came together and the ribbons line up with his serve (with the exception of Vietnam) however, the top label is faded and unable to be read to see if his name was written on it.

Items Featured On Beret:
The beret features an array of items consisting of a cloth ribbon stack featuring (top left to bottom right) the following ribbons: Silver Star, Purple Heart (he is seen being hospitalized during WWII), Army Good Conduct, American Defense With Star, American Theater, Asiatic-Pacific With 2 Stars, WWII Victory, Army of Occupation, Philippine Defense With Star, Korean Service With Star and United Nations Service.

- 11th Airborne Division Patch WITH Rocker
- Presidential Unit Citation With 2 Clusters
- Philippine Department Shoulder Sleeve Insignia
- 759th Military Police Battalion Distinctive Unit Insignia: Approved on 2 October 1952, the 759th Military Police Battalion Distinctive Unit Insignia, or unit crest, highlights the organization’s World War II service in the European Theater with six fleurs-de-lis and a palm tree (for deployment to North Africa). On the right is an image of the “Luftbrucke,’ a monument erected in what was formally the Western Sector of Berlin to represent the Battalion’s participation in the Berlin Airlift. TENEZ LA PORTE, the Battalion motto, translates in English as "Hold The Gate” (or door or entrance), and is a reference to gateway found on the unit’s coat of arms that symbolizes fortified Europe during World War II.
The Distinctive Unit Insignia was approved on 2 October 1952.
- 60th Air Defense Artillery Regiment Unit Crest: The crest was first approved for the 60th Coast Artillery Regiment on 31 May 1924. Other designations for which it was approved included the 60th Antiaircraft Artillery Automatic Weapons Battalion, 60th Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion (Automatic Weapons), 60th Artillery Regiment, and of course 60th Air Defense Artillery Regiment.

An embattled horizontal line, representing defense, divides the shield portion of the insignia in half. The bottom half is red to denote Artillery, while the black and gold in the upper half denote the Orient, where the unit had its original combat service. A golden searchlight piercing the black stands for the unit’s vigilance in searching the skies for enemies. The star has two meanings: one is for the Lone Star State of Texas, where the unit was reorganized following World War I, and another is to denote the sky or heavens which is the unit’s battleground. COELIS IMPERAMUS is the unit motto, Latin for “We Rule The Heavens.”

The other item in this grouping is a very nice commemorative service plaque for Raymond H. Sieker. It measures 15 ½” x 13 ½” and does not have hanging hardware on the back. The plaque dates to at least 1947 and was more than likely made just before the Korean War. This would have been awarded to him just after he reenlisted in 1947 and has a ribbon display reflective of his WWII service with the 11th Airborne.

This is a wonderful grouping perfect for the 11th Airborne collectors. These are very unique and do not surface often, you do not want to miss out on the opportunity to add these beauties to your collections. Comes more than ready for further research and display.