101st Airborne Archive of Keith V Organ with his WWII Paratrooper Jump Jacket

World War II

Archive includes Keith V. Organ's 1942 Jump Jacket with 101st Airborne shoulder patch, and jump wings, accompanied by his display of medals, period photographs, and his veteran's cap. The display includes both medals and appliances, including a Presidential Unit Citation, Purple Heart, Belgian Fourragere, Dutch Lanyard, WWII Victory Medal, Bronze Star, Good Conduct Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign, and the American Campaign Medal. Also included in the lot are a Paratrooper's wrist compass, post-war shoulder patches, a copy of "D-Day Plus 20: 1944-1964", a photo album including a tribute to President John F. Kennedy, and "The Epic of the 101st Airborne: A Pictorial Record of a Great Fighting Team". These older documents are joined by some commemorative stickers and flags attesting to a pride in his unit that never faltered.

Born on Christmas Day, 1925, Keith Verniel Organ registered for the draft in 1943 at the age of 18. On March 15, 1944, he enlisted with the United States Army, eventually joining the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. Dispatched to Camp Mourmelon, France, in 1944, Organ's first contact with the enemy came during the Battle of the Bulge, where he fought to the north of Bastogne until he was seriously wounded by enemy fire in January of 1945. After the end of World War II, he relocated to Michigan, and worked as a truck driver. In 1954, he married Neva Ilene Wahley, in a union that was to last until his death in 2010 at the age of 84, and after 56 years of marriage. He was survived by his wife, three children, ten grandchildren, and seventeen great grandchildren. He now lies in Fort Custer National Cemetery in Augusta, Michigan.

The Collection of Jonathan Liebrandt

This lot is located in Cincinnati.