Original Items: Only One Grouping Available. Technician 5th Grade Melvin M. Hancock (ASN: 35042893) enlisted on March 14th, 1942 out of Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana. Upon his initial training and schooling, he was assigned to the 325th Glider Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division. The group includes his Army jacket, garrison cap, a riker case with further patches & insignia, and a phenomenally-put together binder of his military service history with photos, printed documents, and more.

This great group includes:

- Hancock’s WWII Army uniform jacket with an 82nd Airborne Division patch on the left shoulder with a rocker, Technician 5th Grade chevrons on each sleeve, and five overseas stripes on the left cuff. There are US & Infantry collar discs, with DI pins for the 325th Glider Infantry Regiment on each side below the discs. Of note, the DI are marked as being made by N.S. Meyer, one of the most high-end & sought-after insignia makers. There is a Belgian Fourragere cord on the right shoulder, and a Dutch Order of the Orange Lanyard as Awarded to U.S. Paratroopers for Operation Market Garden attached to the left shoulder, with the hook attached to the left breast pocket. Above the right breast pocket is a Presidential Unit Citation with a frame and oak leaf cluster, and on the left breast pocket is a Sterling Combat Infantryman Badge. Above the pocket is a three-place ribbon bar with the Purple Heart with OLC, the Good Conduct Medal, and the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign medal with five campaign stars and an invasion arrowhead. Above this is a white and blue oval for the 325th Glider Infantry Regiment, with a Sterling set of Glider wings on top. There are two campaign stars attached to the front of the wings, which was done by many Paratrooper/Gliders. The oval is not sewn on, only attached with the glider wings. The name HANCOCK is written under the collar on the lining, next to the Size marking, 34S.
- Fantastic & extensive binder of research on Hancock’s service put together by Katherine Shafer in May 1999. The binder contains newspaper articles, some original photos from the war, a 9 page interview likely with his wife, and more!
- Hancock’s Garrison cap with a blue Paratrooper patch sewn to one side, with blue piping for infantry. 
- Hancock’s Army shirt and tie.
- A riker case with two 82nd Airborne patches (one with rocker), one of Hancock’s dog tags on a new chain, another 325th DI by N.S. Meyer, one of his invasion flag patches, his Purple Heart Medal, not engraved but numbered 208941, his Ruptured Duck honorable discharge patch, and an early ribbon bar with the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign medal with one campaign star and one invasion arrowhead, and the WWII Victory medal.
- Copy of “ALL AMERICAN” The Story of the 82nd Airborne Division, 4 x 5½”. Printed in Paris. 

Melvin Merle Hancock was born on January 24th, 1920 in Lafayette, Indiana. He first enlisted in the Army on March 14th, 1942 out of Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana. Upon his initial training and schooling, he was assigned to the 325th Glider Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division. He went overseas with the 325th and fought through every major campaign, being wounded three times. He returned to the U.S. and worked as a store supply manager at Purdue for 14 years. He passed away on February 15th, 2003, at the age of 83.

This is a tremendous 82nd Airborne group with tons of research to sift through. Comes ready for further research and display!

The 325th in World War II

Called to active duty again during World War II on 25 March 1942, the regiment formed under the command of Colonel Claudius M. Easley at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana. After initial training, the regiment was reorganized as a glider infantry unit when the 82nd Infantry Division was reorganized as the 82nd Airborne Division in August 1942, and the 325th was redesignated the 325th Glider Infantry Regiment.

After further training, the regiment deployed to North Africa under the command of Colonel Harry L. Lewis. The regiment was not committed to combat until they conducted a landing at Salerno, Italy, on 15 September 1943. It was not, however, by glider but by landing craft

After service in the Italian campaign, the regiment deployed to England and conducted further training in preparation for Operation Overlord. Conducting a glider-borne assault on 7 June 1944, the day after the initial Normandy landings, the regiment fought in Normandy for over a month, sustaining heavy casualties before being withdrawn to England. On 9 June 1944 the 325th earned its first and only Medal of Honor of the war, belonging to Private First Class Charles N. DeGlopper.

Committed to another glider-borne assault in September 1944, the regiment fought in Holland as part of Operation Market Garden and later saw service in the Battle of the Bulge under Colonel Charles Billingslea.