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May 1943. Arlington, Virginia. "Sailor and his girl at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Arlington National Cemetery." 4x5 inch Kodachrome transparency by John Collier for the Office of War Information. View full size.
He's wearing the rank insignia of a Petty Officer 3rd Class, equivalent to an army corporal, so he's been in the navy for a while.
Further research shows that the crescent moon rating insignia means he was a commissaryman, in other words, a cook. That rating and insignia is now obsolete, replaced by "culinary specialist", and an by insignia that looks very different.
LOC mentions the girl's name but not the sailor's name. Shorpy sports some excellent genealogy detectives--who can tell us more about Margaret Mary McCloskey? And maybe something about her sailor friend--even in general? Might he be newly graduated from basic at Norfolk, or on furlough?
5/31: alexinv, Thanks for the additional information!
You couldn't stand where they are standing anymore. It is roped off and under the control of the Army honor guard. All visitors are kept behind the ropes.
Stands a snippet view of the sprawling new Pentagon, built in a rather amazing 16 months and freshly dedicated a few months prior to the date on the Arlington photo
Two issues this sailor will have with the shore patrol are folding his cuffs back and showing items carried in his breast pocket. His cigarettes are to be stowed in the top of his sock.
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