Original Group. One-of-a-Kind. This is a great suitcase grouping to Radarman 2nd Class Quinten Orphel Carpenter, who served aboard the USS Patuxent from 1943-1945. His rate is a very scarce one, with very little reference. It depicts 3 lightning bolts with an arrow through them. The suitcase is in rough shape, but the contents are great. 

The grouping includes:

• Carpenter’s suitcase. One of the metal corner pieces has come off, and the handle is gone. Rough condition, and measures 13½ x 25 x 7”. 
• Carpenter’s Navy Jumper with Radarman 2nd Class rating, Ruptured Duck honorable discharge patch, and a 5-place ribbon bar with the Navy Unit Commendation ribbon, the US WWII Victory ribbon, the American Defense Campaign ribbon, the Asiatic Pacific Campaign ribbon with one star, and the Philippine Liberation Ribbon with one star. Great uniform overall.
• Carpenter’s Navy Donald Duck cap with no tally, Size 7. Wrapped under the sweatband was the wrapping of a package sent to Carpenter by a family member in Flint, Michigan. Really nice addition. Under the sweatband, his initials are stamped, Q.O.C..
• White and gold armband, unsure of origin. 
• Four white sailor caps, all stacked together in the suitcase. Size 7 ⅛.
• Navy pillowcase with Carpenter written on.
• Navy apron.
• Two pairs of navy pants, one pair named to Carpenter.
• Half-pack of Ivoryne chewing gum. Really neat piece!!!
• Two navy blue sweaters
• Some other miscellaneous clothing pieces.

This is a really phenomenal and untouched WWII Navy grouping that requires a lot more research! Comes ready for further research and display.

USS Patuxent (AO-44)

USS Patuxent (AO-44) was a Kennebec-class oiler in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the second U.S. Navy ship named for the Patuxent River in Maryland.

The type T2-A tanker was laid down under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 159) on 5 March 1942 as SS Emmkay by the Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. (hull number 228) at Chester, Pennsylvania, for the Keystone Co. She was launched on 25 July 1942, sponsored by Mrs. W. H. Blanchard, acquired by the Navy from the Maritime Commission on 28 September 1942, converted by the Maryland Drydock Company, Baltimore, Maryland, and commissioned on 22 October 1942.

On 12 November 1942, Patuxent reported to the U.S. Naval Base, Norfolk, Virginia, for duty. On 17 December she sailed for Curaçao in the Dutch West Indies and on 27 December transited the Panama Canal. Steaming across the Pacific, she operated with Task Group 62.9 during February 1943 in the capture and defense of Guadalcanal. During this campaign she supplied aviation gasoline to the Guadalcanal airstrips.

She next sailed for the United States via the Fiji Islands arriving San Pedro, California, on 6 March. Following overhaul, she again departed for South Pacific. During the ensuing months, Patuxent fueled ships and airfields during consolidation operations in the southern Solomons. From 10 July to 20 November, she made runs between Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, and Guadalcanal and Florida Islands, with two cruises to Nouméa, New Caledonia.

During these runs she fueled the fleet in Purvis Bay and Tulagi Harbor, Florida Island, and pumped aviation gasoline to Henderson Field and other fighter strips on Guadalcanal. She departed Nouméa on 20 November and carried gasoline to Wellington, New Zealand. Patuxent next made fueling runs which lasted throughout the month of December. On 30 December she got underway from Purvis Bay for her first rendezvous with major ships of the fleet for fueling-at-sea operations. Supporting strikes off Kavieng, New Ireland on 31 December 1943 to 1 January 1944, she fueled two carriers and three destroyers. She sailed to Espiritu Santo on 10 January 1944 and steamed between Guadalcanal and the New Hebrides until 9 March.

On 8 April 1944, Patuxent proceeded to her second refueling-at-sea rendezvous. She then returned via Purvis Bay, to the States, reaching San Pedro, California on 10 May 1944 for overhaul. Departing the West Coast on 19 June, she joined the logistic support group in the Marianas campaign supporting the occupation of Saipan.

She returned to Eniwetok on 8 August and joined a large group of fleet oilers, cargo ships, tugs, escorts and, 12 days later, sortied from Eniwetok for maneuvers, proceeding to Manus Island in the Admiralty Islands group.

Departing Manus on 6 September, Patuxent steamed with the logistic support group for the Palau Island campaign. After a week fueling-at-sea, she returned to Seeadler Harbor. On the 18th she returned to the Palau area, fueled, and headed to rendezvous east of the Philippine Islands to fuel the fast carrier task force striking there on 9–24 September. She returned to Seeadler Harbor on 8 October.

On 13 October she followed the Philippine invading forces out of Seeadler Harbor and proceeded to the Philippine area once more, participating in the logistic support operations off the east coast. Patuxent was with the task group off Luzon when the Japanese sent their fleet to wipe out the Leyte beachhead. Orders arrived to head east at flank speed. The task group raced to the Western Carolines, arriving at Ulithi on 30 October, Patuxent's home port for the next ten months.

Returning to the Philippine area again 2 November, she operated with the logistic support group. Typhoon Cobra hit the fueling area on 18 December, sent three destroyers to the bottom and badly damaged several other ships. Although handicapped with a damaged boom, Patuxent fueled the storm-battered ships and then set course for Ulithi.