Wallis Posted October 9, 2017 Share #1 Posted October 9, 2017 I Have noticed lots of men in the army with glasses during these two periods. Can't say the same for the Marines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brig Posted October 9, 2017 Share #2 Posted October 9, 2017 Maybe someone has the enlistment requirements for the era. I recall reading that many men who joined the Army had been turned away from the Marine Corps for very strict dental requirements, perhaps the same is true for glasses. I have over a hundred photos of Marines WWII and prior, and now that you mention it, I don't think any of them are wearing glasses in them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uniformcollector Posted October 9, 2017 Share #3 Posted October 9, 2017 I know Jimmy Roosevelt and Holland Smith wore glasses. Though, perhaps they could because of their rank. Have a look at this link: https://www.quora.com/Were-there-any-United-States-Marines-with-eyeglasses-in-WW1-and-WW2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brig Posted October 9, 2017 Share #4 Posted October 9, 2017 I imagine once you were in, if you developed a need for glasses in old age, they weren't going to give you the boot. And I'm sure rank had nothing to do with a Roosevelt, it was the name The answers in that link are without any explanation, and the majority of photos are Marines of older age Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themick Posted October 9, 2017 Share #5 Posted October 9, 2017 My father enlisted in the Corps in April, 1936 - in the height of the Depression. He told me physical standards were extremely high, no eye glasses and no cavities in your teeth. Most of those who tried to enlist were rejected at that time. As a side note, US Army doctors noted the high percentage of young men suffering from malnutrition as a result of the depression and who had to be rejected by the services. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brig Posted October 9, 2017 Share #6 Posted October 9, 2017 My father enlisted in the Corps in April, 1936 - in the height of the Depression. He told me physical standards were extremely high, no eye glasses and no cavities in your teeth. I imagine recruiters struggled to make quota...I don't envy them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stucky151 Posted October 10, 2017 Share #7 Posted October 10, 2017 I imagine recruiters struggled to make quota...I don't envy them They just had them study the "acquired" eye charts prior to their physical! Improvise adapt and overcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brig Posted October 10, 2017 Share #8 Posted October 10, 2017 They just had them study the "acquired" eye charts prior to their physical! Improvise adapt and overcome. I know how you guys operate.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallis Posted October 13, 2017 Author Share #9 Posted October 13, 2017 I've seen some WW2 platoon photos with a few men wearing glasses. Maybe like one guy every photo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scmcgeorge Posted October 13, 2017 Share #10 Posted October 13, 2017 In WW1 physical standards for Marine Corps and Navy were stricter than Army. Navy and MC vision standard was "75% of normal vision" what this means is Navy and MC requirement was to read the vision chart down to line 20 standing 15 feet away vice the normal 20 foot distance. So Navy and MC could have 1/4 less than 20/20 normal vision, or conversely 75% of normal vision. Meet that standard and you are eligible. Army standards allowed for entrance with varying degrees of vision and corrected vision. Navy and MC also had a maximum height of 74 inches. Steve McG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallis Posted October 16, 2017 Author Share #11 Posted October 16, 2017 I'm sure a lot of men cheated there way through it as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallis Posted October 27, 2017 Author Share #12 Posted October 27, 2017 Does anybody know of anyone that made it in with glasses? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M422A1 Posted October 27, 2017 Share #13 Posted October 27, 2017 I believe it was in "Battleground Pacific" by Sterling Mace that I read where he said that no Marines in his outfit wore glasses and that he couldn't remember seeing any Marines on the front line wearing glasses. I believe he also said when they were relieving an Army unit on Okinawa, he was surprised to see so many soldiers with glasses. And he admits to cheating to pass the Marine eye test! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremiahcable Posted November 13, 2017 Share #14 Posted November 13, 2017 I have a portrait photo of a 5th Regiment corporal and he is wearing pince nez glasses. I'll see about taking a pic of it when I get home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremiahcable Posted November 13, 2017 Share #15 Posted November 13, 2017 Here are 2 WW1 era marines with pince nez glasses. My guess would be that both used them for reading and their longer distance vision, as evidenced by both of them being expert riflemen. The corporal is Orvall C Moore, the lieutenant is unknown. https://imgur.com/gallery/qfBRP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salvage Sailor Posted November 13, 2017 Share #16 Posted November 13, 2017 Marine Barracks Detachment Pearl Harbor, November 1941 just prior to the attack..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salvage Sailor Posted November 13, 2017 Share #17 Posted November 13, 2017 Detail: USMC Sergeant November 1941 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallis Posted November 18, 2017 Author Share #18 Posted November 18, 2017 I've never seen these before. Especially the first world war photos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RustyCanteen Posted November 18, 2017 Share #19 Posted November 18, 2017 I cannot answer the question, but I thought of an old USMC recruiting notice I had come across and thought it might say something about eyesight, but it didn't. http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/221796-must-be-unmarried-usmc-recruiting-1918/?hl=recruiting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted November 18, 2017 Share #20 Posted November 18, 2017 Great unit photo Savage, check out that corporal above the one with the glasses, he's old! I love looking at these pre war unit photos to see the contrast in the ages and ranks among them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallis Posted February 10, 2018 Author Share #21 Posted February 10, 2018 Those two first world war photos are interesting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devildog34 Posted February 10, 2018 Share #22 Posted February 10, 2018 The marine on the right has glasses. I have his full grouping and he ended up with the 8th MG Company 5th Marines 4th Brigade for every engagement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWS Posted February 11, 2018 Share #23 Posted February 11, 2018 Here's a not too good photo of a photo of Donald Mitchell, USMC in 1918. He was a DI at Parris Is. during WW1. According to his nephew, he tried repeatedly to be transferred to any unit in France and finally succeeded, arriving Nov. 15, 1918. I have his brother's uniform, Roger Mitchell, 13th Regt. USMC at Camp Pontanezen. There were also 2 other brothers that were in the Army. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
world war I nerd Posted February 11, 2018 Share #24 Posted February 11, 2018 Out of a couple hundred photos depicting numerous members of the USMC, I could only find three bespectacled Marines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallis Posted February 18, 2018 Author Share #25 Posted February 18, 2018 I've only seen a few from ww2 with glasses Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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