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Vietnam USN CB's fatigue shirt question


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wartimecollectables.com

Picked up this Navy fatigue shirt with Japanese made CB's patches. On the back is a small blue rectangle. I've seen this before... Purpose?

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There is another thread that guesses as to what this patch of blue material stands for:

 

http://www.militariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/102159-nam-us-navy-bmu-bmg1-uniform/#entry756411

 

Sorry but can't seem to fix this link as I had to type it out since the cut and paste feature that I used on the forum doesn't seem to work anymore.

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wartimecollectables.com

So then it indicates Naval Beach Groups in Vietnam. Thanks! I don't collect these but it intrigued me enough to find out!

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It is NOT CB. The shoulder patches say it is Naval Beach Group 1 bthese guys Handel cargo and traffic from the boats to the high water mark on the beach. This uniform could have been worn up into the 1980s when they shifted to woodland cammo

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wartimecollectables.com

Thanks for pointing this out! Unfortunately you can only edit text and not titles once posted! :love: Typing fingers and brain not always in sync and I thought the Beach Groups were connected to the Seabees. Learning!! As far as vintage... it's a Sateen OG107 shirt and the patches BMU1 and NBG1, are 60's Japanese full embroidered with in-country made name tapes.

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The tapes are exactly like the ones I wore on my greens that were made in the Navy Exchange in Lityle Creek Virginia. These were ALL locally made in the exchanges or bought in shops off base

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wartimecollectables.com

Wow! Interesting! I don't think many collectors would have issues with these being locally made but vet info is interesting!When was that? Can you post a pic for comparison? I'm assuming from the earlier info that hte blue rectangle was VN era only as well. Not something worn stateside?

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On my phone, but I have posted pics of my tapes in the Navy insignia section. I served in the Amphibious Warfare Units in both Pacific and Atlantic. The tapes, blue rectangles and greens were all in use well into the 80s with the blue rectangles still in use in '99 when I retired. Not saying this shirt is not "Biet Nam", just that the same shirt with the same combination of patches was used until replaced with woodland cammies. Japanese and Philipeene made patches were extremely commonly used by Pacific Fleet units. Supply officers got these things where they could, quick and cheap. Even in the states, we often ordered patches from forgin sources as they were simply cheaper, and often easier to get. Understand, ALL this dtuff was open source in the Navy. You got it where you could. I was USN '72-'99, Amphibious Force '80-'99

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wartimecollectables.com

LoL I think 'ya got it where you could' pretty much sums up alot of what we collect. Thanks for the added info on the rectangle.

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Where I'm going with this is that the Navy did not get its patches from a single source. The tapes were all individually made up as ordered in the embroidery shop at the exchange. If they were too busy and you needed it now, you went off base and had them cranked out. Same with unit patches. Commands generally had them, either from Gemsco or Vanguard. But if they were out and they needed some now, get them locally. About the only way to know that this was a Viet Nam shirt is to track down the vet and ask him

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Could we see better pics of the patches? and as a Navy shirt there should be a second larger tag with more info.

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I would like to see close ups of the nametapes too. If they happen to be Viet handsewn ones, I would think you could date it to that timeframe.

Mitch

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Beach Masters. Goes with blue square. How can you tell if the tapes are Viet made, or made in The Phillipenes or in the tailor shop at Coronado? Those look just like the ones I had made in Littlt Creek and Subic. Just sayin, would love to know

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I found the thread with my tapes. It is in the "Ranks and Rates" section, "Navy", "Other Personal Patches". There are three, one from Subic, one from the Navy Exchange in Little Creek, VA., and one that was handed to me with a set of cammies in Norfolk

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Sigsaye,

I still can't see from the pictures where they were made. What I'm mostly talking about is the handsewn ones. They have a specific pattern just like the flag I just posted. I have not yet seen a handsewn nametape in the style common to Vietnam during the war on a uniform that was not associated with being in Vietnam. But in collecting Vietnam theater made items , you can never say never. Generally the period Viet machine sewn nametapes are rather crude unlike the 3 you posted. There are 2 in the flag grouping as an example.They also fade real bad , sometimes even 2 made at the same time fade different. I can't find a picture of the machine sewn ones at the moment as I sold most of them but I have attached a couple pictures of Viet handsewn ones. Steve (River Patrol) is better at explaining this . Maybe he will chime in.

Regards, Mitch

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We had the same fading problem with the Subic made stuff. First washing and the black thread sometimes turned brown. But all made the same. Mamasan cranking them out on a machine

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