Lower Sleeve Stripes

[snakehunter]

What are those stripes on the lower sleeve of Army uniforms called and what do they signify?

[dave]

slang---hash marks. Danote time in service, angle ones and straight ones mean different time ea. I think maybe 3 yr and 5 yr. Someone will know for sure.

[Beachbumbob]

Angled ones on left sleeve signify 3 years of service for each stripe. The straight ones on the right sleeve signify 6 months service in a combat zone.

[alibi]

The insignia on the lower sleeve generally indicated the soldier’s service. Service stripes, half sleeve diagonal, were first authorized prior to the American Civil War and occasionally images of Federal soldiers wearing them during the War are encountered. These service stripes represented completion of an enlistment, (five years) and were in the branch color the soldier served in during the enlistment. Uniforms are occasionally encountered that have more than one color of service stripes, usually the soldier did service in the infantry, cavalry or artillery and then as age and infirmity set in went to a specialty branch such as quartermaster, ordnance or subsistence. The Army in 1851 authorized “war service” stripes that were simply the regular service stripe edged in red, indicating credit for service in war during the enlistment.

The half sleeve diagonal service stripes were generally only worn on the garrison and dress uniform, however after the uniform regulations of 1902 service stripes were only worn on the dress uniform. The half sleeve service stripes are still worn on dress and ceremonial uniforms, but the stripes are no longer in the branch of service color.

During the World War the Army and the Marines, both officers and enlisted, assigned to the American Expeditionary Force were authorized to wear on the lower left sleeve a gold lace chevron (point down) for each 6 months of oversea service. It is not uncommon to observe 1 to 3 of these chevrons, but a few individuals that stayed as part of the Army of Occupation have been observed to be wearing four oversea chevrons. The same chevron worn on the right sleeve represented a wound, which for many WWI soldiers was gas injury. (many WWI veterans were awarded the Purple Heart medal after it was authorized post War.) It was not uncommon for a soldier to be wounded before completing 6 months oversea service, and therefore be authorized a “wound chevron” but not the oversea chevron, not to mention the thousands of soldiers that served with the A.E.F. and shipped home after the armistice with less than 6 months oversea service. A blue chevron worn on the left sleeve was authorized for those soldiers that served less than 6 months overseas and also solved the dilemma of soldiers with wound(s) chevron(s) with no service chevron because they were “over there” less than 6 months.

Although your question regarded lower sleeve insignia it is notable the soldiers discharged were authorized to wear their uniforms for up to 6 months after separation. A red chevron was worn on the left sleeve (point up) to indicate that the soldier was discharged. (at this time the army only wore enlisted rank insignia on the right sleeve, so the upper left sleeve was used for the discharge chevron).

With the 1924 uniform regulations soldiers were authorized to wear an abbreviated version of the oversea service chevron and shorter service stripes on the left sleeve of the service uniform coat. During WWII the Army authorized both officers and enlisted soldiers to wear a bar on the left sleeve to indicate 6 months oversea service, that was in 1951 changed to the right sleeve, because long service soldiers had no room for rank insignia, oversea service bars and their authorized service stripes. Later all of the embroidered sleeve insignia: rank chevrons, service stripes and oversea bars, were authorized to be yellow gold.

It was common for soldiers that served overseas in both world wars to display service stripes, oversea service chevrons, oversea service bars, and World War I wound chevrons on lower sleeves. Insignia of grade was authorized on both upper sleeves in 1924, so by the end of World War II some of these veterans had stripes and bars nearly completely covering both sleeves.