Lot consists of COL Aarestad's Dress Mess White jacket and vest, OD 107 jacket with armor branch scarf, and mechanics coveralls. Mess jacket is in excellent condition with a few small stains and non-subdued branch insignia on the sleeves. Vest has a few more stains. Unfortunately no ribbon or medal rack. OD 107 jacket is in excellent condition, with sewn on insignia, still starched! Coveralls are again in excellent condition, no spots or stains, with sewn on rank and an uncommon cloth crest for the 33rd Armored Regiment, 3rd Armored Division.
 
Colonel US Army (Retired) James Harrison Aarestad, was a veteran of World War II, Korea and Vietnam, and died on January 13, 2022, in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. In World War II he served in the 502d Bombardment Group (B29's) of the 20th Air Force; in Korea, the Pusan Detachment of the Korean Military Advisory Group; and in the Vietnam War he commanded the 2d Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment (Blackhorse). In all, he soldiered in seven campaigns, was decorated five times for valor and served overseas two and a half years in theaters of war. His Army career of 33 years began in 1943 at Fort Riley in the Cavalry. From that time, except for WWII, he served as an Armor Officer, mainly in tank and armored cavalry units, commanding from platoon to brigade. His assignments took him and his wife Mary-Jo and daughter, Elizabeth, to Germany three times during the Cold War. Here he served in the 63d and 32d Armor; commanded the 3d Battalion 33d Armor ("The Pickles"); then, Chief of Staff, 1st Armored Division; and finally command of the 2d Brigade, 3d Armored Division.  Colonel Aarestad's military awards and decorations include the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit with three Oak Leaf Clusters, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star, the Air Medal with nine Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Vietnamese Gallantry Cross and two awards of the Presidential Unit Citation.