From: Royce C Hayes (rc_hayes1@juno.com)
Date: Sat May 21 2005 - 16:10:13 PDT
Lance,
Thanks for the history lesson. I enjoyed reading this info. I was
discharged from active duty June, 1966. I, too, was at Fort Polk taking
Basic. My last day was the day that Kennedy was assassinated.
If anyone is interested, I found authentic US ARMY tapes in black w/gold
lettering. I have not found the stamped name tapes, so I used my old
ones. They do make some that look pretty good but they are stitched. I
have also located period uniforms for the early 60's.
A lot of the reproduction uniforms, badges, patches, rank insignia, etc.
are close but not 100% authentic. To the untrained eye, they would look
to be. They are close enough for "government" purposes though. (;>)
If anyone else has any history, I would be interested in reading it too.
Royce
On Sat, 21 May 2005 15:03:32 -0700 bolton8@juno.com writes:
>
> 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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