Original Item: Only One Available. This is an exceptionally rare set of GEMSCO manufactured Sterling Silver Airborne "HEAVEN TO HELL" jump wings with a pin back fastener. A nearly identical set of wings appears on page 157 of the book Heroes in our Midst by John Angolia.

The 674th Airborne Field Artillery Battalion (674th AFAB) (also designated the 674th Glider Field Artillery Battalion (GFAB) and the 674th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion (PFAB)) is an inactive airborne field artillery battalion of the United States Army. Active with the 11th Airborne Division and the 187th Regimental Combat Team from 1942–1957, the 674th PFAB saw action in the Pacific Theater during World War II and during the Korean War.

Here is an interesting story from a collector about wings he attained in the 1980s, courtesy of the U.S. Militaria Forum.

I'll add one other tidbit here- several years ago, I was able to pick up two Japanese made 674th PFA patches- one was the silk shoulder patch. The other was a much larger back patch. These pieces are also photographed in the Keller Brothers' airborne patch book. When I got these two pieces, directly from the vet, I showed him my "heaven to hell" wing. His eyes lit up like a Christmas tree as he hooted "That's the one!" It seems that a number of these pieces were made for unit members, but they were not widely available. The veteran only served in the 674th during the occupation and said that other guys had the wing, but he did not because he had gotten to the unit too late. Maybe another batch was made? I can't say. I can say with a great amount of certainty that these wings did exist in the immediate post war era and that every one that I have ever seen that I believe to be a real one was Gemsco marked.

Offered in crisp very good condition. Ready to display!

The Parachutist Badge, also commonly referred to as "Jump Wings" is a military badge of the United States Armed Forces. The Army's Basic Parachutist Badge is awarded to all military personnel of any service who complete the US Army Basic Airborne Course at Fort Benning, Georgia. It signifies that the soldier is a trained military parachutist, and is qualified to participate in airborne operations. The original Army Parachutist Badge was designed in 1941 by Captain (later Lieutenant General) William P. Yarborough and approved by the Department of War in March of that year. The Parachutist Badge replaced the "Parachutist Patch" which had previously been worn as a large patch on the side of a paratrooper's garrison cap. LTG Yarborough also designed the Senior and Master Parachutist Badges and the addition of stars to portray the number of combat jumps. The flash that is worn behind the badge is also a contribution of William P. Yarborough.