WWI Uniform Identification?

[florigander]

( I think that I accidently posted this earlier in the wrong section. Rookie mistake, I apologize. I have re-posted it here, which I believe is the proper place.)

Hello! I am hoping that someone can help me identify this uniform. I believe that it is a WWI uniform (or right before), but I'm really not sure and I haven't been able to come up with anything in my research. I believe that the next picture is the same man later in life, and he is wearing an upside-down horseshoe pin on his bowtie. I am also wondering if this has some sort of WWI significance? Following that picture, I have his military records that I have found so far. They are hard to read.

One other thing: it is possible that the picture is a different person, Alexander, who was part of the Polar Bear campaign. Or, this could be Alfred, who was only in the police force, and was never in the military. But like I said, I was thinking that this was closer to WWI territory. Or, this could always be two different people.

Thanks for any insight into these pictures!

[florigander]

Oops! I forgot the first picture! Sorry about that.

[Waddell]

Florigander,

That second photo looks like an American soldier (doughboy) of the First World War period.

Scott

[Tom W.]

The military records are for August Haack, born in Germany, enlisted in 1904, and discharged in 1914. He served four enlistments in what appear to be the 19th and 1st Infantry Regiments, as well the 6th Cavalry Regiment(?). As you said, hard to read.

The military photo shows the typical U.S. Army uniform from 1902 to 1917, when puttees replaced the canvas gaiters.

[florigander]

Thanks so much for the information, I really appreciate it. So, perhaps these two pictures do show the same person - August. The military records seem to match the uniform at the time. And if he was in the cavalry, perhaps that is why he has a horseshoe pin later on in life. (He looks older to me in the bowtie picture.)

The only other person that the uniformed man could be in my family is Wesley, which I have positively identified below. Wesley would have turned 18 in 1918, so maybe this couldn't be him if the puttees went out of style in 1917? (Or perhaps he was right on the edge of that style, and the uniformed man matches Wesley below instead of the bowtie man?) I have also positively identified the Navy man, and he entered the service around 1920.