1st Division jungle jacket with CIB

The jacket (1968) is well worn, and the badges have been attached for many washings. This is first time I have seen a name tape made from ripstop cloth on a jungle jacket.

Very cool..

The nametape looks theater made ; it could have previously been a direct embroidered name on a different coat..


S

I had also thought theatre-made, but I hadn't considered that it could be transferred from another coat - interesting point.

Definitely theater made. The CIB is theater made also. I have it's twins.

Fins...

But the shoulder patch is merrowed edge - do you guys think the jacket was worn overseas as it now appears?

I think theater made patches were recycled from prior uniform(s)..

Jacket has contract  date of 1968.
 
In  '68 , merrowed edge patching became standard issue but cut edge patching ( and combination of the two ) continued to be worn  as well.  
No real way of telling if the jacket was worn as is in country ( Vietnam ), or if it was worn as is  postwar..  
These uniforms were worn up to the mid '80s with subdued SSIs, and with a myriad variety of patch variation while in country and briefly postwar.
Must note that the US Army tape is an old type that dates to early 1960s and generally not used by 1968 and later.

It is also interesting to note that I have seen DCUs/BDUs patched with color merrowed edged 1st Infantry Division SSIs ( usally as a combat patch ).



S

One thing to note that may not be fully clear in the images is that the four items sewn to the jacket are not evenly worn, and the jacket itself is more heavily worn than the insignia.

Hate to say it, but this is most likely a put together.
When patches are of different vintage it usually means just that.

Also have to consider thread .  Cotton or nylon, etc.

Is  thread the same for all patches, or not ? Were patches sown on at different times or all at once ?  Were some sown on at differnt times than others.
4 insignia  with uneven wear sown at the same time  does not look good for a post war jacket, but would have been possible and tolerated in Vietnam.
Uniforms often got destroyed quickly and someone who cared about insignia could have saved insignia from different uniforms  but it is doubtful many, if any  soldiers did this in practice.

Dont think that nametape and US Army tape would have cut it in the US, or US installations abroad mid '70s and after.

S

I will have to go back and look at the thread - but if it is put together, whoever did it seems to have washed/worn the jacket quite a number of times after the fact.

I don't think the nametape was from an older direct embroidered jacket, because the lines are going vertical, not horizontal. Not really sure how to explain this but with ripstop, even though it is a grid, the horizontal lines are a different color than the vertical.

Good point..

So it was definitely not a direct embroidery removed from a damaged tropical coat.







S

Im home today. I'll go dig out my 1st Div grouping from Vietnam. Think he was there 67-68. Don"t remember if the patches on uniform are cut or marrowed, but I do know there are loose marrowed edge 1st div and at least 1 of the odd OG background 1st div patches. I know there is a utility. He transfered his theater made tapes to. Jungle uniforms were not authorized for wear in CONUS during Nam. It became standard hot weather including desert around 78.

Fins...

Thanks everyone for the interest. Jungle jackets with various insignia configurations show up in my area from time to time. Like this one, they are usually sold just as nondescript surplus or thrift items for modest prices, so I am fairly confident that they were not put together to deceive anyone. But as the discussion has shown, it can be difficult to lay out a clear time line, given that these jackets enjoyed new leases on life in the late 1970s and early 1980s, as Fins noted.

I dug those out today. There are 2 groupings, 1 from an arty guy, 1 from an MP. the arty guy was in 66-67. All 1st Div patches are cut edge color. The MP was in 70-71. All patches are color cut-edge. With a contract date of 68, as long as the thread looks good, I see no problem with this jacket.

Fins...