For completing the picture for me with even more knowledge and info than I could have hoped for, as I was pretty sure it was from the WW2 era, which you have confirmed. You should add Private Investigator to your resume. I appreciate your brilliant insight on military details and for taking the time to respond. Thanks again.

I will try to answer OTY’s questions about these 3 Shipmates. As tterrace tells us, the negative is reversed so insignia and ribbons are mirror image as well. My impression is that the date is early in 1945. They are wearing blue uniforms so they are not in a warm weather area and I’ll bet they are on the Pacific Coast in one of the innumerable Pago Pago Clubs that dotted the ports and Navy towns.

Old Salt on the right is a Petty Officer 1st Class, a Yeoman (administrative); the guy on the left is a Petty Officer 1st Class, a Pharmacist’s Mate (now called Hospital Corpsman). The middle guy is a mystery but he is a Petty Officer of some sort because a wing of the eagle is visible on his sleeve.

The ribbons tell us quite a bit. Our Old Salt on the right has a Good Conduct Medal ribbon (3 years service) on the top; he appears to have an American Defense Service Medal ribbon with star (for service during 9/8/1938 to 12/7/1941), an American Campaign Medal ribbon, and an Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal ribbon with 4 battle stars. He has clearly been in the middle of it!

The middle Swabbie has the American Campaign Medal ribbon and Asiatic Pacific Campaign medal ribbon without stars. He may not have seen as much service as the other two but he does look like he could be the Fleet Boxing Champion.

On the left, the Doc has on his sleeve a service stripe for 4 years service. His ribbons are obscured but there may be an American Defense Service Medal ribbon and an Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal ribbon with battle stars. There’s probably a Good Conduct Medal ribbon hiding under the thing in the pocket.

Noticeably missing are ribbons for the World War 2 Victory Medal, which was authorized by Congress on 6/6/1945. Those serving in Europe when that war ended would have received the medal before those serving in the Pacific, but it would have taken time to get the ribbons into the Fleet and awarded.

Also missing are the Honorable Discharge patches, an embroidered eagle awarded to those honorably discharged at war’s end and worn on the right side of the Navy jumper (left side in this photo). So, I think they have not been discharged but are no doubt thinking about that happy day.

BTW, a family member served in the Navy in the Pacific and I have several night club photos like this that need scanning and submitting to Shorpy.

After studying this picture for several minutes, I put "Pago Pago Club" into my search space and it turned out that this locale in American Samoa had a series of several pictures and this very same one was included. With the knowledge and investigative abilities of Shorpy readers, you could probably solve a few details such as the year this was taken and perhaps even the circumstances. Note the cigarette packs of Chesterfields and Lucky Strikes seem like the old ones without filters and the drinks were flowing like water. A Navy expert could date the uniforms, etc. This photo sure brings back memories of my older long-gone uncles, cousins and friends who were all in various branches of the service. Very nostalgic.