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WWII 1943 Mira Loma Flight Academy GraduateCard, Merit Award & Moseley Presentation Wallet of R.E. Martin
Incredibly rare complete World War II set withDec. 5, 1943 wallet card, contact card, Gold Star Merit Award and original pulltab silk ribbons in gold and black. Remarkable condition. (Small tear and agetoning on contact card tucked behind graduation card)
Originally Polaris Flight Academy of War EagleField Lancaster, California, the name was changed in 1944 and moved to OxnardCA. Cards signed by Major Corliss C. Moseley, a WWI combat pilot and SouthernCalifornia aviation pioneer who operated the academy under contract for theU.S. Army Air Forces.
This may have been issued to Robert E. Martin,who enlisted in Los Angeles, California but cannot definitively say withoutmore research. 1943 was the absolute height of the Allied pilot trainingpush, and December 5, 1943, was the official graduation date forClass 44-B, putting R.E. Martin track-alignedto get his final wings in early 1944 after on the Vultee BT-13 “Vibrators,” StearmanPT-17 or Fairchild PT-19 biplanes.
The small ribbons were included in vintageWWII presentation wallets, especially the bifold and trifold document holderstyles, to function as mechanical pull-tabs so that when you pull the ribbonup, it smoothly lifts or "pops" the cards out of the slot for easyinspection because otherwise it could be difficult to pinch and pull the cardsout of the tight leather slots without bending the paper or tearing theleather.
Incredibly rare complete World War II set withDec. 5, 1943 wallet card, contact card, Gold Star Merit Award and original pulltab silk ribbons in gold and black. Remarkable condition. (Small tear and agetoning on contact card tucked behind graduation card).
VINTAGE: World War II, 1943.
SIZE: Approximately: 3-1/8” in height x 4-1/4”in width.
CONSTRUCTION / MATERIALS: Leather, plastic,paper, ink.
9-10 (EXCELLENT to NEAR MINT): The wallet shows no wear,and overall, it is in near mint condition.
