Baby Blue Marines

[Ray Merrell]

Interesting posts...I would also like to see the movie.

[sparkie]

Just a side note. I was casual for about a week waiting to be picked up again in '69. I was housed with some that were being booted out of boot. They sent them home in the ugliest pastel colored suits that you could imagine. The suit of shame.

[jrhd97]

This movie sounds kinda like a remake or spin off of "Hail The Conquering Hero". It was filmed in 1944 with Eddie Bracken, Ella Raines and Raymond Walburn. It's about a kid who gets the boot from the Corps because of Hay Fever and is to embarrassed to go home. A group of Marines fresh back from the pacific feel sorry for him and take him home. Acting as if he is a hero, making up stories until the whole town is fooled.
It's a pretty good movie.

[MOS4429]

Did a little history checking on this. The baby blue uniform was used, but interesting that there is not much on it. Here is a quote from a book.

"The most unique of Marine uniforms was reserved for men discharged for undesirability. Regulations required that personnel so discharged be provided with a uniform to return home (enlisted men were not allowed to possess civilian clothes).

"All services provided standard uniforms without insignia, all except the Marines. Called 'Baby Blue Marines', these individuals were provided a light blue version of the winter service uniform and garrison cap.

"The coat pockets lacked pleats and other refinements, and had plain buttons."

Re The book, US Marine Corps 1941-45, by Gordon Rottman, Osprey 1995

From the research I could find, the uniform was not used during WW2 but between Korean War and Vietnam War.

Wiki has some info on the movie: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_Blue_Marine

The pic on the move cover is Mt. Shasta in the background, a Mt. I see often, visit, ski on.

Saw the movie when it first came out. I though it was interesting. It is slow moving and in the end he redeems himself, sorta.