Infantry School Instructor White M-65 Field Jacket

[vintageproductions]

Has anyone ever seen a field jacket like this?

 

It is a late 1980's private purchase piece but was worn by an Infantry School Instructor. He said that a few of them went out and private purchased these jackets and wore them to stand out. He said they also had a white Johnny Jump Up Hat that some of the instructors would also wear.

 

 

 

 

 

[Martinjmpr]

Never seen or heard of such a thing and I was at the Infantry school in 1980.

 

Maybe OCS? The 'Johnny jump up' caps would have been circa the 1960's IIRC, not the 1980's.

 

By the late 1980's lots of units had gore-tex and you rarely saw the M-1965 (when I was in Korea from 1991-92, nobody wore the M-65 as we were issued Gore-Tex jackets as part of our CIF issue. Gore-Tex was much more comfortable in the cold/wet climate of Korea.)

 

The story sounds plausible but I think the timeline may be off. Perhaps this was more of a 1960's or perhaps early 70's thing?

 

Another possibility: What about some kind of winter or cold weather training camp? A white M-65 would seem to be appropriate there.

[vintageproductions]

That would make sense but the tags are for sure late 1980's.

 

I think he was trying to say some sort of squared off caps, but he keep saying they looked like Castro style hats. I am sure they were private purchase also.

 

My guy instinct was sort of winter weather school also but didn't want to argue with him.

[ludwigh1980]

Just a side note. I went through OCS at Ft. Benning in Winter 2002 and we were issued woodland M-65 Field Jackets. Still have it and it still has the Follow Me patch on the shoulder. Only when I arrived at my regular unit was I issued gore tex. I think we wore them (the m-65) one morning during a field exercise and that was it.

 

Terry

[Teamski]

Or they wore them as some sort of Friday thing......

 

-Ski