From: bolton8@juno.com
Date: Sat May 21 2005 - 15:03:32 PDT
On Sat, 21 May 2005 Chris Somers writes:
> This is just a question I have, I'm a veteran of Iraqi Freedom, is it
ok for me to wear a
>Vietnam Era Uniform for my Jeep display? .......................
> Is there a problem with that since I didn't serve in Nam?
CHRIS,
I see no problem, as long as you wear the uniform CORRECT. After that
you get into the nitpicking aspect and how far the 'stitch nazis' think
you should go. For instance: let me give you a little history on
something as innocuous as name tapes.
Arriving at FT Polk LA in June 1966 we were issued white name tapes
with your name in black ink from a rubber stamp. The US ARMY was in
yellow stitching on black fabric. All unit patches; jump wings; CIB's;
rank stripes were in full color. Subdued didn't exist. In other words,
what is now sewn onto your Class A's, was sewn onto your Class C's.
Find 'Nam photos of the S.F. advisor's circa 1962-66 and you'll see what
I mean.
It was January 1967 before I saw subdued name tapes stateside, they
were just starting to arrive in 'Nam. Subdued unit patches hadn't
entered the supply line yet, you had to go off base to buy 'em.
When I arrived in-country August of '67 we were issued subdued name
tapes along with jungle fatigues that had slanted breast pockets. That
caused another nitpicking detail for both the late-60's Army and today's
re enactors. The 'stateside fatigues' (you old guys know what I'm
talking about) had horizontal breast pockets and Army Regulations stated
the names tapes had to be stitched 'parallel to the pocket top seam'.
Following regs the tapes were stitched to the slanted pockets which put
them on a 45 degree angle from horizontal. This pissed off the brass
and lifer's no end, 'cause there was nothing they could do about it.
Except, change the Reg's, which is what they did.
So in mid to late '68 new Reg's came out stating the name tapes had to
be removed from their 45 degree angle and resewn "parallel to the
ground". Which made Nuygen Toi the tailor bou-cou happy. Thus you
will see slanted pocket jungles with dark OD color above the pocket where
the tapes used to be, and name tapes re sewn higher up "parallel to the
ground"
It wasn't until early 1969 that supply started issuing jungle fatigues
with the breast pockets horizontal thus allowing the lifer's to
concentrate on more important thing's, such as the unauthorized wearing
of 'Go To Hell Hats', you guys call 'em Boonie hats. In 1970 General
Creighton Abrams ordered -- yes ordered -- his staff to "slow, impede,
divert, prevent if possible" Boonie hats from arriving in-country. He
hated the sight of them.
As you see Chris, by something as simple as the name tape you can pin
point a set of jungle fatigues down to a specific year. And 30 years
from now when a 20-something re enactor is honoring the veteran's of
Iraqi Freedom in his Brigade Quartermaster BDU's and restored HUMVEE
you'll be able to thank him for reminding
> people that FREEDOM ISN'T FREE, and where the military
>has been and where they're going.
LANCE
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