vegasmarine1
Uniforms Aren't Just Uniforms
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, 12-30-09 at 06:00 PM (6627 Views)
I recently read an ALMAR about the prohibiting the stopping off base while wearing utilities. Now, for you old timers that isn’t new news. In fact, some remember when you were just barely legal stopping to change a tire while still in utilities. Although, you might want to keep in mind, most of those folks just barely remember what time they need to take their medications.
Wearing your Class “A” uniform has always been a sense of pride for most Marines. It seems there’s just something about being in uniform and having your Good Conduct ribbon on when you swagger towards a group of young ladies. There’s no doubt in your military mind they all thought you were the cat’s meow. Sorry! That was a different generation.
Most of us can remember when you needed to wear “Greens” you hoped it wouldn’t rain since they were 100% pure wool. At first they were 100% pure virgin wool until the Marines started wearing the material. They soon dropped the word “virgin”. Regardless, throughout history wool and rain have never gone together. It’s sort of like taking a nondrinker to a moon shiner taster’s convention. As soon as the rain started you knew people would need to stand down wind of you until it dried.
I always thought the khaki uniform was one of the more comfortable ones. It also looked the best when it was freshly starched. However, after you had worn if for a few hours it seems people would stop and ask you when you were entered in the next wrestling match. But that didn’t stop some of the Grunts I was stationed with in guard detachments. They’d put so much starch in those uniforms they had to be carried out to formation.
The Gabardine uniform was one that looked and traveled well. The shirt from that uniform still exists today. The only problem with the uniform was when the seasons changed. If you were stationed at HQMC at the start of spring and you went TAD anywhere south of there, you would be wearing Greens. Everyone else would be wearing their tan colored Gabardines. There’s nothing like uniformity to bring about togetherness.
Dress Blues have remained the standard that we all have hung together with. Put a set of “Blues” on and every bit of our history and tradition seems to be attached to every tight button up and including the collar. I’d like to have a nickel for every Marine who’s walked into a bar in “Blues” and never had to buy a drink. For if there’s a former Marine within five blocks of those “Blues” their combined Corps experience turns out to be stronger than the strongest glue. Just another reminder there’s no such thing as an EX Marine.
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