Please help ID those jackets.

[szaszlyk]

Hi,

some time ago I got on flea market two combat jackets. I have no idea about them. Here they goes:

1st jacket.
http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/6521/jacket_og.jpg

It looks like early type BDU hot weather jacket. It is made out of 100% cotton ripstop in Olive Green color. Someone told me that it was 4th model of Tropical Combat Uniform.

One tag is placed inside near bottom right pocket:

SMALL-REGULAR
HEIGHT: FROM 67 TO 71 INCHES
CHEST: FROM 33 TO 37 INCHES
STOCK NO. 8415-00-935-4705
NATO SIZEL 7080/8494

COAT, HOT WEATHER, OG-107, CLASS 1
DCA100-70-G-5432
8415-00-935-4705
COTTON RIP-STOP POPLIN
S.W.I. - U.S.A.

2nd jacket.
http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/4083/jacket_rdf_og.jpg

This jackets is build exactly like RDF pattern jacket(after Vietnam model in camouflage pattern similiar to Vietnam era ERDL but with sharpened blotchs) but it is in Olive Green. Fabric is 100% coton ripstop.

There is big white tag near collar but it's tottaly washed out.

Thanks for any help.

Regards,
Bart

[szaszlyk]

Doubled post

[Brozozo]

All I have to say is that the owner of that first jacket must have been a mean muthaf*cka!

[Dalleer]

This jackets is build exactly like RDF pattern jacket(after Vietnam model in camouflage pattern similiar to Vietnam era ERDL but with sharpened blotchs)

Pictures please.

[Uncle Sam]

1st jacket.

The rank is First Sgt. (1SG, E-8)

Above the U.S Army tape is Master Parachutist Badge and Combat Infantrymans Badge

Above the Name "Maas" is Vietnamese Jump wings. Below that is "Jungle Expert" patch

Shoulder patches, As you look at it: Special Forces, Ranger, Airborne, and the Unit patch is 3rd Corps. (Artillery)

http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/6521/jacket_og.jpg




2nd jacket.

The rank is Master Sgt. (MSG, E-8)

Above the U.S Army tape is Basic Parachutist Badge and Combat Infantrymans Badge. Below that is Junge Expert Badge.

Below the Name "Grantham" is Drill Sgt. uniform device

Shoulder patches, As you look at it: 199TH Infantry Brigade (Who have a great history, look them up)- and 82nd Airborne

http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/4083/jacket_rdf_og.jpg


My guess is - Both uniforms are "ripstop" summer weight uniforms probably worn in the 70's and 80's

[kapral]

I Think that we all know what that patches means.
But question is who wore them?

My guess is, these have been wor in early 70ties. Before the RDF pattern was done. This olive BDU is called the TCU(teopical Combat Uniform) of IV type(III most common in viet nam, I & II also, but III most).
The interesting fact is the patches.
No "mudafaka killa" won't have any patches on his fatiuge, especially after nam experiences. The one expection of wearing full patches, were sentrys uniform, where all buttons had been removed, pockets were sewn and all patches were on it. The whole ws idealy ironed and stiff. Looked a little bit like english guard.
But those ones don't have sewn pockets etc.
So i think they are for non-combat use of some instructors(vvide: drill instructor badge on one of them).
Or what is also possible, some colector could sew those all patches on the uniform. The est way is to check those patches, if they are from early 70ties.

regards
kapral

btw, ending the post i looked once again on the szaszlyk's text and I saw the contract from the 1970 year :D just didn't noticed that

[Tributal]

I Think that we all know what that patches means.
No "mudafaka killa" won't have any patches on his fatiuge, especially after nam experiences. The one expection of wearing full patches, were sentrys uniform, where all buttons had been removed, pockets were sewn and all patches were on it.I would have to disagree.

It's not at all a long shot that a "lifer" who served in Vietnam would come back and serve state side where he would be expected to wear all patches and badges on base per Army regs. Vietnam-era doesn't mean it wasn't used outside of Vietnam.

Just realized you wrote this as well:

So i think they are for non-combat use of some instructors(vvide: drill instructor badge on one of them). That was what I meant - for non-combat use.

A "mudafaka killa" might find himself on base state side and then he'd probably end up wearing all the insignias as the rest of'em. ;)


Anyone else notice that the two jackets seem to be of different models? szaszlyk could probably verify whether or not the cut is identical, but the lower pockets and the cuffs seem to be different between the two (that or Grantham's jacket has been ironed more than Maas'.)

[ibstolidude]

They look like collectors recreations and/or fakes to me.

[Beowulf]

They look like collectors recreations and/or fakes to me.
yeah i agree

[kutter]

I don't think they're not fakes/repros, the shirts seem to be the pattern issued by the US army in the late 1970s. The cut is very similar to the Vietnam era shirts except that the pockets are are straight instead of angled in. To find the year of manufacturer look for the DLA (or DSA when it comes to the VN era shirts) number on the white tag, it will look something like this:
DLA100-78-0659
The first two digits after DLA100 ( in this case 78) indicates the year of issue.

For the 1st jacket it looks like they used DCA instead, which I admit I've never see, but if the numbering system is similar it would indicate that the shirt was manufactured in 1970. That would make the first shirt unusual because most shirts I seen from that era had angled pockets.

For the 2nd shirt this info can be found on the big white tag on the collar.

[ibstolidude]

look at the patches brother - anyone could have bought those shirts and slapped anything on it.

It only takes a sewing machine and an internet account w/mailing address - believe what you wish.

[kutter]

I agree with you about the patches, most shirts I see don't have so many patches attached, so they may have been added on at a later date. I was mainly commenting on the shirts alone, should have made that clearer on my post.

[Fintin]

I agree with you about the patches, most shirts I see don't have so many patches attached, so they may have been added on at a later date. I was mainly commenting on the shirts alone, should have made that clearer on my post.

shirts...they are probly authentic...but like you said...you dont see many shirts covered with patches like that...

[szaszlyk]

Anyone else notice that the two jackets seem to be of different models? szaszlyk could probably verify whether or not the cut is identical, but the lower pockets and the cuffs seem to be different between the two (that or Grantham's jacket has been ironed more than Maas'.)

Those two jackets are in different cut! Only you have noticed that :-)

Pockets on GRANTHAM's jacket are sewn straight but ther are build like pockets in TCU "slash pocket" shirt. Second jacket got pockets flat like in BDU.



For the 2nd shirt this info can be found on the big white tag on the collar.

In my post I had wrote:

There is big white tag near collar but it's tottaly washed out.


Pictures please.

http://www.henrikc.dk/camouflage/details.asp?autono=37

Regards,

[Tributal]

Anyone else notice that the two jackets seem to be of different models? szaszlyk could probably verify whether or not the cut is identical, but the lower pockets and the cuffs seem to be different between the two (that or Grantham's jacket has been ironed more than Maas'.)

Those two jackets are in different cut! Only you have noticed that :-)Cool! What do I win? woot

[Uncle Sam]

The shirts are real. There were so many variations made to the U.S. uniform around that time (70's - 80's). As far as the patches...Who knows.

I think all the pockets are the same, with the exception that one is starched and the other isn't.

[Tributal]

I think all the pockets are the same, with the exception that one is starched and the other isn't.Except the owner's already stated that upon examination they are different.

[szaszlyk]

Hi,

it's for Uncle Sam:

http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/8094/ogs.jpg
On left: GRANTHAMs jacket, on right: MAAS one.

I have knew that they are some kind of transitional pattern between TCU and BDU and that they were used in 1970-1981 but I want to know more about who had use them, what type of pants was used with them. Laso any help with headwear would be great. The most interesting for me is GRANTHAMs jacket because I have other jacket in same cut but in camo pattern and with legible tag. That OG ones have tag washed and I even don't know the NSN or DSA...

regards,

[kapral]

as I said, those are experimental models of RDF and TCU IVth type in early 70ties. Those in cammo were being started to issue in 1972/73 but ERDL was a little bit more popular. Althoug You can still see some Marines in RDF in Grenada on pics.