SgtGrit:
Perhaps you can find space for one more footnote on the “Ike” vs. “Battle” Jacket discussion on-going.
I enlisted in April 1947 and after boot camp was issued Dress Blues and a Khaki and Green jacket (take your pick for the name). I may be getting old, but I do clearly remember many of us calling them “Ike Jackets” and we didn’t even know much about “Ike” in those days, something about his being an Army General in WWII (just joking of course). I sure found out who he was when I was in Korea and heard he was coming there to ?bring us home? (see picture) but the only guy that went “home” with him was his Army son.
After boot I went to the 22nd Marines at Quantico (later re-named Schools Demonstration Troops – our mission was training candidates at Quantico’s OCS. We could not go on liberty unless we wore our dress blues. We then had blue covers instead of white (see picture); a year later I marched in Harry Truman’s Inaugural Parade (20Jan49) and we wore white covers (see picture).
In 1948 I was sent to a school in San Diego and wore the Khaki “Ike”/Battle Jacket there (see picture). Green jacket is also shown later (see picture).
I agree with one of your readers who stated he “missed” those jackets and they never should have abandoned them. They were comfortable even though the khaki jacket was like the khaki shirt and trousers—hard to keep starched and pressed. Gabardine would cure most of those problems.
I also liked the Marine who spoke about your “sign off” each week welcoming home all Marines and what he expressed. You continue to perform a vital service for all of us. I?ll bet when you look back at the first day you started this you had no idea how many Marines and family members you would touch; and your newsletters and products just get better every week!
Thank you, SgtGrit.
Semper Fidelis,
Gerald F. Merna
Mustang 1stLt USMC Ret.
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