R. DiFlorio Collection
Colt Model M .32 ACP serial number 568467 - Military
Model M .32 ACP pistol, arsenal refinished finish,
parkerized trigger, thumb safety and grip safety, with
U.S. PROPERTY mark on right side of frame and ordnance
wheel on left rear of frame behind thumb safety. Pistol is
documented as having been issued to Brigadier General Irving
R. Obenchain and is pictured with its canvas foil lined Vietnam
era bag numbered to the gun.
Brigadier General Irving R. Obenchain was an Honor graduate from
West Point with the class of 1942.
Colt 1903 Pocket hammerless .32 ACP - serial number 568467
right side showing U.S. PROPERTY mark on frame.
Gen Irving Rock "Jim" Obenchain, Jr
May 23, 1921 - Aug. 8, 2010
Brigadier General Irving R. Obenchain was born in
Birmingham, Alabama. He was a 1942 Honor Graduate of the US
Military Academy at West Point, New York. His military
schooling includes the Signal School at Fort Monmouth, N.J.,
the Command and General Staff College, and the Industrial
College of the Armed Forces (1958). He earned his master's
degree in electrical engineering from Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1951. General Obenchain is
listed in Who's Who in America. He had been an amateur radio
operator (W2SMA) since 1942, and held a patent for design of
a Digital Telephone Switching System. He had served in the
U.S. Army during World War II, as commander of the 295th
Joint Assault Signal company (JASCO), (15 June 1943 - 6
February 1945) then to the Army's Test and Evaluation
Command as Director of Electronic Testing, at the Aberdeen
Proving Ground, Maryland. He was then assigned to the
General Staff, US Army as Chief of Operations Division G-4
(Logistics) Section, 8th Army, Korea, then assigned to the
Signal Agency of White Sands Proving Ground (1959) and the
Office of the Chief Signal Officer, Washington DC. Then as
Chief of Technical Staff, U S Army Signal Research and
Development Laboratory, Fort Monmouth, New Jersey. He then
went to GHQ, Southwest Pacific Area eventually rising to the
rank of Brigadier General. He served in three wars, World
War II, Korea and Vietnam. He was awarded The Legion of
Merit and Distinguished Service Medal. He retired from U.S.
Army in 1972. After retirement from the Army, he worked for
Technology Service Corp, and TRW until 1987.
BRIGADIER
GENERAL IRVING ROCK "Jim" OBENCHAIN |
23 May 1921 |
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Born, Birmingham, Alabama |
1942 |
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Honor Graduate of the US Military
Academy at West Point, New York |
|
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Legion of Merit |
|
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Bronze Star Medal |
|
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Distinguished Service Medal
|
1968 |
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Engineering Division, North Atlantic |
1972 |
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Retired from the Army |
8 August 2010 |
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Died, Fairfax, Virginia |
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