Description
Physical description
Single-breasted jacket of dark blue woollen cloth, featuring a stand collar with double hook-and-eye closure at the throat, button-down shoulder epaulettes, front fastening of seven buttons (the lowermost button is detached and held in place by a safety pin), a three-point 'slash flap' fitted with three decorative buttons to either cuff and a rear vent. The following elements of the jacket are edged in scarlet piping: top and bottom of the collar; shoulder epaulettes; front opening and bottom hems; outside of the 'slash flaps'. All buttons are of the brass USMC pattern.
Fitted to either side of the collar is a gilt USMC Eagle, Globe and Anchor badge. To either upper arm is sewn the chevron rank insignia of Staff Sergeant in yellow tape on scarlet cloth, while above the rank insignia on the left arm is sewn the diamond-shaped Ships Detachment badge, embroidered in yellow and blue on a scarlet backing. Sewn to the right forearm is the US Navy specialist insignia of Gun Captain, being a horizontal gun barrel embroidered in white on a dark blue backing, while between this and the cuff 'slash flap' is sewn a diagonal service stripe of yellow tape on a scarlet backing. An identical service stripe, facing the other direction, is sewn above the cuff 'slash flap' on the left forearm.
There are two tears in the fabric in the centre, on the back of the jacket.
History note
Staff Sergeant John M Egan, born 22 October 1922, joined the United States Marine Corps Reserve in 1938. Posted to the USS San Francisco (CA-38) in May 1940 as a Ships Detachment Marine, he was present during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, 7 December 1941. During the Battle of Guadalcanal (Naval), Egan was serving aboard the San Francisco as a Gun Captain and was wounded on 13 November 1942 while engaging the Japanese battleship Hiei.