A great family heirloom has been added to my collection recently.
My Uncle was a General in the U.S. Army and served as a field artillery battalion commander in WWII as well as serving in Korea and VN. He passed away in 1993.
In 1971 he retired from the Army as the second commanding general of the Army Materiel Command which provides everything a soldier needs from meals to munitions.
When he became a Brigadier General in 1961 he was given a package that included flags, license plates belt and holsters.
He was also issued a Colt's Model 1903 pocket hammerless .32 ACP general officers pistol.
From the research on the serial number I have found that this pistol was built in late 1944 and sent to Rock Island Armory.
As you can see this pistol is in near mint condition. The finish is black parkerized and shows only a few minor scratches. I also have the belt and matching holster.
The first picture shows his pistol with one of his Gold and Silver Bullion shoulder boards as well as his dog tags.
The second photo shows the U.S. Property roll mark.
The third photo shows the document listing the items a new General will receive.
The fourth photo shows my Uncle General F. J. Chesarek.
And the last picture is his Officers belt and holster.
Hope you enjoy looking at something a little different than normal. Bob

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	Belt & Holster.jpg (164.7 KB, 240 views)

I am sure that you will treasure it forever. Keep it in a safe place.

That is an awesome heirloom.
I've never seen a U.S. property-marked 1903 before...nice. Thanks for sharing.

All I can say is WOW!!!

God Bless him. Was he a West Pointer? No matter, just curious.

I love seeing historical items from 20th Century America, thanks for sharing.

My mom and dad, both now deceased, worked at Harry Diamond Labs, near DC, which was part of the Army Materiel Command. I recall them mentioning your uncle's name.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Thanks for the complements guys.
And yes, he graduated from West Point in 1938.
He was awarded the Silver Star and the Bronze Star in WWII and was wounded in action in Germany and given the Purple Heart medal. He had quite a career in the Army with over 32 years of service.

Wowzers. That is the coolest thing I've seen in many moons.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinand_J._Chesarek

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“What you got, ain’t new.”

Great collection your uncle left. I also have a 1903 .32 hammerless which was made in 1914. I got the Colt Factory Letter that cost $75.00, and well worth the money. Call Colt Archive Services at 1-800-2658 ext. 1343. Joe Canali or one of his staff will answer all your questions about the Generals sidearm. It takes close to 100 days to get the letter once you give them your serial # and credit card info. That is a great gun, get all the history you can.

Edit---Just read your uncles bio (thanks to sigp220.45). The General was a brave and honorable Soldier.

You know a lot of times we see posts that ask "What is it worth?", I know you did not ask because the answer is obvious. PRICELESS!!! That is one of the coolest things I have seen. I know we are all thankful for his service.

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Miss My Buddy crsides!!

That is about as cool as it gets. Wonderful heirloom you have there.

WOW! Very nice.

wyo-man

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Live free or die

Quite a treasure trove, commemorating a fine soldier.

I've wanted a 1903 for many years. That's a splendid one.

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Oh well, what the hell.

You should be very proud to have it and all the accouterments too!

While my .32 acp 1903 Pocket Pistol did not belong to any relative or Generals, I still treasure it and really enjoy shooting it once or twice a year. It's got an incredibly terrific trigger for a non target gun and the damned thing is so accurate despite the tiny sights. It's also never had a jam or malfunction with any hardball ammo I have ever sot from it. I also own it's big brother in .380 acp and it's smaller brother in .25acp. I heard tell that some Company has licensed the rights from Colt and will be releasing them soon. It's about time they produce that great gun again. Cherish and enjoy it!

I've occasionally seen the hammerless show up at a gun show but never in that nice of condition. What a great collectable.

Wow, you guys are too kind. Thanks again for all the complements on my Uncles service and his little Colt.
I am very proud of his accomplishments and I am sorry that he is gone now. This is a bit off topic but I thought I would post 3 of my favorite pictures of him spanning his career.
First picture shows the 2nd. Lt. fresh out of West Point. Circa 1938.
The next shot is a colorized version of a black & white picture taken in Germany in 1945.
The last photo shows the General a few years after retirement taken in his office at home. The scar above his left eyebrow was the result of a shrapnel wound that earned him the Purple Heart medal. You may also notice he is wearing a hearing aid. After years of exposure to artillery fire, he was kinda hard of hearing.
Bob

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	2nd. Lt. Ferdinand J. Chesarek.jpg (51.0 KB, 72 views)
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Great story. In the 1945 pic, I see a 1911 beavertail sticking up and out of that tanker holster. We owe our freedom to guys like him. Thanks for sharing.

I'm absolutely flabbergasted. Its extremely rare to find a complete set is such great condition and with paperwork to boot.
One hell of a set for one hell of a man.

You should share this info over on that other site that shall remain nameless that has a particular interest in all things like yours, Colts.

****A Presentation Case for the Generals Pistol!****
After receiving my Uncles service Colt, I decided it needed a comfortable place to live so I went to work designing and building a custom presentation case to safeguard this family heirloom.
I know my limitations on woodworking skills so I searched the web and found a company that custom makes boxes to your specs and will also laser etch the lids with anything you desire. The company is called Design Craft Industries and the owner is Mick Socall and you will not find a more friendly helpful and willing to satisfy business owner than Mick. I gave him the sizes I needed and told him that I wanted the box made out of American Cherry wood. I also told him I wanted the U.S. Army logo etched in the top along with the Generals name and I even chose the font for the lettering. Within two weeks I had a box exactly like I wanted and at a very reasonable price of $50.00.

Over the next couple of months, while I was staining and varnishing the box, I made a plywood bottom liner cut to fit the shape of the pistol, designed a walnut bullet block and made brass inserts to hold the cartridges.



When all of the wood work was done, I started on the fabric liners. I used a cloth that looked like suede and of course it had to be Army olive drab in color. Now believe it or not, I had never built a "french fitted" case before so this was a first but I am super happy with the end result.
The case finish was nice and smooth after many coats of clear, hand rubbing between each coat and the interior needed just a few finishing touches to make it something special.

I had one of my Uncles silver 4 star rank pins which I attached to the upper lid foam liner pad and had a custom brass plate made identifying the owner.

So here it is...my labor of love!

Outstanding. The old General would be proud you.

Thank you Sir!

Nice....Very nice and a lot to be proud of!
It seems that all of that went to the right member of the family and I hope it's passed down for many more generations to come!
Thanks for sharing this!

Mag-num:

Wow! Very nice work - thank you for sharing with us.

Please permit me to say that I think the only thing I would have done differently would have been to used red colored material for the top, inner face of your presentation case. In the US Army, General Officers are known as "Flag Grade" officers. As such, they are allowed to use a flag over their command:

http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Ca...med%20Services

I just think it would look much like a General Officer's flag if the General's stars were affixed to the lid of your case that was covered in the red colored cloth. This is in no way a criticism or knock against your work. It is obvious that a lot of thought and love were involved in the planning and execution of the presentation case.

Congratulations on a job well done.

Regards,

Dave

Hi Dave,
Thank you for the complements on the case and for your thoughts of representing the generals 4 star red flag. I actually own his original silk 4 star flag with gold fringe but unfortunately time has taken its toll and it is falling apart.
I will give some thought to trying an upper lid liner using your idea. Very unique! Thank you! Bob

WOW! That’s an beautiful and exceptional gun – conversation piece – heirloom – congratulations!

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John
S&WCA Life Member

Seriously way cool. Thanks for the great post.

Thank you very much to share all of this treasures with us.

Can the stars scratch the gun in that case? I prefer your green lining to the suggested red.

Thanks much for all the complements, it truly is an honor to be the custodian of these family heirlooms.

Thanks for your concern but not a chance! This was planned out in advance and they do not come anywhere near the pistol.

Funny but since most all presentation cases have a blue or red liner, even sometimes pool table green, I wanted something different and I like the contrast between the flat black parkerized finish and the soft green. Bob

I read your original post some time ago. This is just a fantastic follow-up on your heirloom. This is a wonderful treasure to pass on in the family, honoring the service of a family member, and preserving a significant firearm as well. Bravo!! Well done!!

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SWCA 3084, SWHF 495, PGCA 3064

What a wonderful package!

Absolutely Superb! For Military collectors a General Officer's Pistol is often the top of their collection , let alone having a close relative's issued pistol! Thank you very much for sharing both your good fortune and your family history of a good man who gave such great service to our beloved country. All my very best, Joe.

Very impressive all around! Thanks for sharing.

The articles you presented to us are great, and the appreciation of the forum members who took a look has been well spoken.

What I am most impressed with; over and above the man-made articles however, is the care , concern, and honorarium YOU exhibit for your uncle.......... My highest regards to you sir !

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wanna do right-- not right now

Happy Easter ROG and thank you for comments and service to our country.
Just two weeks ago, at the Army's request, I traveled to Huntsville to the Redstone Arsenal for the Army Materiel Command headquarters Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony where my Uncle was being inducted as the second AMC Commanding General. The whole experience was awesome and the Army treated my son and I with the utmost respect as we were representing the Chesarek Family. We were so honored!
Here is a link to a very short clip of the event.

MAG-NUM: I'm sure that I echo the feelings of other forum members when I say "well done!". I'm so glad that you were able to represent your Uncle at this event, and that the Army is honoring him. This has been an inspiring thread from the beginning.

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SWCA 3084, SWHF 495, PGCA 3064

Awesome story, pics, and history. The General appears to have the Distinguished Service Medal and Legion of Merit in addition to the Silver Star and Bronze Star. The man was a hero and served our country extraordinarily well. God bless him. You have a real treasure that is worth an amazing amount of sentimental value as well as dollars. Secure it well, or loan it to a museum so that it is a tribute to your Uncle. That is an amazing family heirloom. Thanks for sharing.

What can I say but thank you to all who have left such overwhelmingly sincere comments about my Uncle, I truly do appreciate it. Bob