If anyone can help it will be someone in here!

[SlaterDoc]

There were instances where the CO of a command could and would make minor changes to the uniforms as they were allowed. So, this may have been on of those cases. The chambray utility patches for the Navy were not suppose to have specialty ratings on them. They were to have the crow and chevrons only. However, when I was in back in the early 70's I did see a couple of these. Now, I am trying to find one. It is not for collecting. But, it is for actual use on a museum ship!

Has anyone here seen or have such an animal?

 

You will notice in this photo that they actually did exist!

[collectsmedals]

I was in the Navy from 1977 - 1983 and I never saw one.

[SlaterDoc]

I was in the Navy from 1977 - 1983 and I never saw one.

 

 

I'm leaning towards the "Command Created". The one that I saw a fellow Doc wearing was from the iron on transfers and I think they added the caduceus.

[Sgt. Boghots]

Between '72 - '75, I too remember seeing some chambray iron-on "crows". In fact, they were available for order from what I remember as "Ken Nolan Co.", or something like that. I never ordered any myself, but I did order some embroidered U.S. NAVY and WALKER, P.K. green namestrips for my shooting utility greens in 1973.

 

They had all sorts of insignia and ribbons, some of which were not strictly "regulation" I suppose.

 

I do believe that I still have one set of P.I. made dungaree pants and a shirt, and the that the sew-on crow on the shirt does have my Radioman sparks. I had two or three sets made while on deployment, as did many of my shipmates. And I don't recall anyone on my ship ever being restricted from wearing them (DE-1062, USS WHIPPLE).

 

I'll see if I can dig them out, and post a picture later.

 

Best regards,

Paul

[sigsaye]

It was very common in the '60s, 70s and '80s to have this sort of thing made up in Subic. At the time I was a West Coast Sailor, and pretty much anything went over there. Not sure how things ran on the East Coast, but no one cared out west. I do not think there was any modifying of regulations or "Command Created" thing so much as it looked good and no one said anything. In those days, Regulations were more a loose set of guide lines to fall back on if you got lost and couldn't figuer it out for your self.

 

Steve Hesson

[SlaterDoc]

Between '72 - '75, I too remember seeing some chambray iron-on "crows". In fact, they were available for order from what I remember as "Ken Nolan Co.", or something like that. I never ordered any myself, but I did order some embroidered U.S. NAVY and WALKER, P.K. green namestrips for my shooting utility greens in 1973.

 

They had all sorts of insignia and ribbons, some of which were not strictly "regulation" I suppose.

 

I do believe that I still have one set of P.I. made dungaree pants and a shirt, and the that the sew-on crow on the shirt does have my Radioman sparks. I had two or three sets made while on deployment, as did many of my shipmates. And I don't recall anyone on my ship ever being restricted from wearing them (DE-1062, USS WHIPPLE).

 

I'll see if I can dig them out, and post a picture later.

 

Best regards,

Paul

 

 

I know what you mean about all the custom stuff every one had made! The iron on crows were pretty standard from the late 60's through the 70's. They were a lot more strict stateside on uniforms and accessories! A guy I went through Corps school with was on a DD and the CO "ordered" certain rates that he considered essential to have their specialty on the utility shirt. That's the only time I ever saw the caduceus on that shirt. It was very rare that I ever wore them. We were always in our white or scrubs.

[SlaterDoc]

It was very common in the '60s, 70s and '80s to have this sort of thing made up in Subic. At the time I was a West Coast Sailor, and pretty much anything went over there. Not sure how things ran on the East Coast, but no one cared out west. I do not think there was any modifying of regulations or "Command Created" thing so much as it looked good and no one said anything. In those days, Regulations were more a loose set of guide lines to fall back on if you got lost and couldn't figuer it out for your self.

 

Steve Hesson

 

 

It's funny that as non-military and loose things were in the medical corps, they seemed so concerned about appearances. When I was at San Diego Naval Hospital was when the POW's were coming back. The media was all over the place all the time! The OOD had people doing nothing but walking around and making sure everyone looked according to regs!

[tafh63]

My father had a non-regulation belt buckle made in Subic back in the early 1970s. It had his NFO wings engraved with his name engraved underneath. He wore it with all uniforms, except for personnel inspections. Another "unauthorized" addition he had on his uniform was a leather black pen/pencil holster he wore on his belt. I remember when he was a member of ship's company onboard Lexington, and it was docking at the carrier pier with all hands manning the rail, we could pick Dad out from other LTs from a distance by the holster he wore on belt. Of course, this was another item not for personnel inspections. Unfortunately the belt buckle was lost after he retired. I did find though the old pen/pencil holster while clearing out his estate this past year..

[KRIS FORD]

In my time, never saw any custom iron crows, but folks could get away with some fancy stencils on flight deck jerseys and coveralls.

 

When I was in the Pipe Shop, we made a stencil that was a sewer snake (imagine a coil spring about 1.5 in diameter...) in a circle with a serpents head, crossed pipe wrenches to honor our forefather Pipefitter rate of old, and CVN-73 R DIV PIPE SHOP in 2 inch stencils in arcs around the snake and wrenches..cut out of stiff cardboard, sprayed on the coveralls with flat white paint..we did them out in the hangar bay..Hanger 1, which our shop was connected too. Chief liked it! A few of us had them..but some just didn't care..as our coveralls had short lives anyway.

 

Would have been a killer patch with some slight refinement!

[MastersMate]

I had a pretty steady hand and was fairly accurate with a fine point marks a lot (old name for sharpie pen). I would draw many of the specialty marks on our ( CG ) chambray work shirts rating badge stencil or iron on.. With the CG shield on the right sleeve and a different looking rating badge on the left, not much was said. This was in the 1967 & 68 time frame in Subic Bay / Viet Nam operating area..