Cryptic crossword clue
Useless stuff from American soldier — maiden breaks down 9

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word GIMCRACKS

I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
G
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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Useless stuff" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case useless stuff = gimcracks.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does GIMCRACKS mean?

GIMCRACKS noun
  1. Something showy but worthless; a gimmick or bauble.
GIMCRACKS verb
  1. To put together quickly and without much care; to bodge.
  2. To embellish with gimcracks.

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