These shoulder straps are the regulation insignia for an infantry lieutenant colonel, showing silver oak leaves on a background of deep blue background, a branch of service color for infantry. The centers show some light wear and oxidation toward brown, but little moth damage to the base fabric, just one tiny hole, but there are some gaps in the strands of the bullion borders exposing the underlay and some looseness from missing stitches to the jacqueron wire borders, which are also missing across one short edge of each strap. The silver oak leaves preserve much of their color. The bullion borders, originally gilt, have oxidized to a matching silver gray.

The reverse of each straps is open, showing the underlying web base and threads of the embroidery, which is correct for wartime straps. The edges are folded under and stitched across, which is usual. The fabric shows some losses and is ragged along the edge, indicating the straps were probably on a frock coat at some point and removed.

These straps could be improved a bit with careful realignment of the bullion strands and reattachment of the loose ends of the jacqueron wire. Given the ratio of field to line officers, about one to ten, field grade officer’s straps of any rank or service are scarce and infantry field officers served under fire in the forward lines of battle.    [sr]

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