im not sure if this is the correct forum to ask this but today i took out my great grandfathers WWII navy uniform. Its black with no insignia or other markings except for a golden eagle inside of a gold cirle on the upper portion of your right chest. I've searched all over the internet and have come up empty handed on what the symbol means and the significance of the black uniform. Previously my uncle back in the early 70's tried to find out information on what he did and it was classified. Does anyone know the significance to this uniform and/or the insignia?

If the uniform is a jumper style one (pullover top, bell bottom pants with a button front flap) then it is enlisted. Solid "black" (navy blue) is either the dress blue or undress blue (working) uniform. The gold eagle in a circle is a patch showing draftee status, that's all. Sounds like the uniform of a basic seaman.

Does it look anything like this?



If so, it is the Honorable Service Lapel Pin or "The Ruptured Duck" as it was dubbed by some of the vets who thought it looked more like a duck than an eagle. It was given to all servicemembers who were honorably discharged. The Ruptured Duck showed the MPs that the wearer was not AWOL.

That's probably the one on the uniform. If there is white piping around the cuffs and on the collar flap (enlisted) then this is the rank designation at the time. A plain jumper meant seaman recruit. There could be one to three white pipings on the cuffs and collar designating variously seaman apprentice, able seaman, etc. translating today into rank equivalents of E-1 to 3.

Do minesweeper crewmen's upper left sleeve patches differ from ship to ship? My dad was on a motor minesweeper, and I have been trying to find if his patch was unique to his ship, or if all had the same patch. The one I am speaking of has a light background, dark edge, and a mine in the lower center, along with a few other markings.
I found another minesweeper patch (1/3 each red, white and blue), but cannot find where it was worn. Could it have been on the right sleeve? It appears that my dad has something white on his right sleeve just above the cuff.