Hi, I have been putting together some info on a US Infantry Company and I have struggled to find info on the rank Private First Class, was there two to every Squad similar to the Lance Corporals in a British Company, I have found out that the Armourer in the Company HQ was a PFC, How many were in the mortar and machine gun platoon, last question, was the PFC in charge of the BAR or did the US split its Infantry Squad into three sections, HQ/BAR/Rifle with the Squad Sgt at HQ, and the other NCOs in charge of the other sections with the PFC as there assistants. Regards Yan.
PFC was not a notable rank in the US Army and not equivilant to a Lance Corporal. PFC was not an NCO rank which started at Corporal. The rank was more to note seniority among equals.
Odd question. A PFC is the most common rank in the Army and Marines. You got one stripe on your shoulder. A PFC could be a jeep driver, in the artillary, a cook, a rifleman...nearly anything below the rank of Corporal (and no, a Corporal is not an NCO - you're not an NCO until you're a buck sergeant: 3 stripes with no rocker). When you enter boot camp you're just a Private. That's it. No stripe at all. For most men, making PFC is easy. Hell, I've even seen fire team leaders that were PFCs. We even had a Corporal that was a drill instructor. But, there's nothing special about a PFC. He's a common rank. He could have many jobs. Sterling G. Mace
I have to back up Brad on this one Mr. Mace. I thought he was correct but to double check myself I went by my dad's house today (I needed to check on him anyway) because I knew he was in the Corps when the rank structure changed. I asked him and he said that a corporal E-3 was an NCO. I explained what Mr. Mace had written and said are you absolutely sure? Mr. Mace was a K/3/5 vet from WWII and he sounded pretty sure about it. He said, "I was a corporal E-3 when the Marine Corps changed it's rank structure. Corporal E-3 was an NCO, blood stripe, NCO priviledges and all". Because E-3 became Lance Corporal the Marine Corps made me an acting corporal until I picked up E-4 corporal (old sgt.) so I wouldn't lose my NCO priviledges. So yes I am sure." Another interesting tidbit he told me. When the Corps changed the rank structure they added crossed rifles to the chevrons (which I knew). Because money was, and usually is, short in the Marine Corps they issued out the old type metal chevrons until they were used up (no crossed rifles) so you wore the chevrons of the corresponding E-rank. Example: The new Corporal E-4 was the old Sgt. E-4, so the corporal would wear the old Sgt. Chevrons without the crossed rifles if none of the new corporal chevrons with crossed rifles were available. He showed me a picture to illustrate, his highest enlisted rank before picking up Warrant Officer was Sgt/E-5, (three stripes with crossed rifles under the new structure) in the picture he is wearing Staff Sgt chevrons without the crossed rifles the old Platoon Sgt. E-5 insignia. Confusing ain't it!
