Blue Cover

Yes, there was a purpose for those loops on the Blues blouse. In the winter, the Blues were worn with a blue cloth belt and blue cap cover. The belt was secured to the loops with a 3" long tab on each side. The tab was passed through the loop and buttoned. The white belt was worn covering the loops, unlike today where the belt is worn through the loops. The blue cover and belt were discontinued sometime in 1948 or 1949. Attached is a photo of my younger brother taken January 1948. I only got to wear that uniform once when I went home for Christmas 1947, it was not authorized in the Pendleton-San Diego area. I still have the blue belt.

The question was asked about Camp Talega. That may have been Tent Camp 3, there was a 4, but I don't recall which was which. Tent Camp 1 was Las Pulgas, San Onofre was 2. As a bit of ancient history, both 1 and 2 were reopened after WW2 by BLT-6 (6thMar). We moved to Tent Camp 1 from 16 Area in the summer of '49, while the insides of the barracks were remodeled. A month or so later, we moved to Tent Camp 2 while BLT-7 (7thMar) moved to 1. The move from Pulgas to San Onofre was executed as a tactical column up Basilone Road. In both cases we displaced a lot of rattlesnakes and other wildlife from those huts.

GySgt. P. Santiago
1946-1968