27Division18 Posted October 12, 2019 Share #1 Posted October 12, 2019 Does anyone know which side of the WW2 USMC camo helmet cover was preferred by men in the field? Was it the greener side or the grey side? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olivedrab1970 Posted October 12, 2019 Share #2 Posted October 12, 2019 I have always found the jungle side on the covers I see to be worn and the beach side in almost pristine condition. I would side on the jungle camo. R.D. Semper Fidelis- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thunderbolts45 Posted October 18, 2019 Share #3 Posted October 18, 2019 Going off of the footage and photos I have scene I would agree the green side was more common. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usmcski Posted October 18, 2019 Share #4 Posted October 18, 2019 I'd say it's campaign dependent. Tarawa, Peleliu and Iwo Jima would be "beach side". The majority of the other campaigns (Bougainville, Saipan/Tinian, Okinawa, et al) are "jungle side". I'd agree that given the nature of the jungle fights in the Pacific, the beach side was used less frequently. Semper Fi, Ski Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M422A1 Posted October 18, 2019 Share #5 Posted October 18, 2019 And in some color movie footage of these battles you can see both sides being worn. One usually more than the other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thunderbolts45 Posted October 18, 2019 Share #6 Posted October 18, 2019 Does anyone know if it was up to the individual Marines to decide what side they used? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usmcski Posted October 18, 2019 Share #7 Posted October 18, 2019 Typically, no. Word would be passed down from "higher" as to which side would be used for which operation. Exception would be the mosquito net helmet covers used late-war (and as late as Vietnam), which only had the jungle camo side. A popular mantra expressing the frustration of switching sides of the helmet cover and having to remake a pack with blanket roll (with camouflaged poncho or shelter half facing out) went: "Green side out, Brown side out, Run in circles, Scream and shout!" I'm sure there are exceptions, but by and large most (if not all) Marines and Corpsmen in a given operation will look the same. Curiously, even though the helmet covers were available, many photographs I've seen of the Battle of Guam show the Marines sans helmet covers. Semper Fi, Ski Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thunderbolts45 Posted October 18, 2019 Share #8 Posted October 18, 2019 Not only Guam, but there are many photos of Marines in Korea without covers. I remember reading somewhere that covers were not given out before the Guam campaign so the only guys who still had covers were the ones who didn't turn them in after Bougainville. Not sure how true that is but it seems likely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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