Life of Major Mark Daniel Noll

14. Major Mark Daniel Noll

My father was a career Army Officer. In this picture he is shown in his office in the Philippines during World War II. Major Noll began in the Coast Artillery and then the Quartermaster Corps. This picture is in bad shape because I carried it with me for the two years in Korea during the war there. My father had also served in Korea before the war. He also served in World War I. Sometimes when I stayed with him in Seattle as a small boy he would take me to Fort Lewis when he went there on army business. By the hash marks and Hershey bars we see he has spent 2 3-year terms of duty in the army and 4 6-months of duty overseas in a hostile fire zone.

Army "hash marks" are worn on the left sleeve and each mark denotes three years of service. "Hershey" or overseas bars are worn on the right sleeve; each represents six months overseas in a hostile fire zone. "Hershey" is a WWII designation referring to Selective Service Director Lewis B. Hershey. The Hershey bars are flat and the hash marks are chevrons.