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PLASTIC USMC enlisted INSIGNIA CHEVRONS???


gatormeat
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i recently stumbled onto these USMC enlisted PLASTIC chevron rank insignia devices....clutchback, appear smaller than the current metallic ones (of course far smaller than the obsolete 50's FAT type USMC devices).

i've always thought plastic insignia devices were a WW2 phenomenon as to conserve or limit war industry alloys. these plastic devices seem downright cheap...i've always known the Marine Corps to be the perennial poor stepchild when it came to military appropriations funding.....but this is taking it too far. reverse sides have no markings.....no SERIES ###, or mfgr hallmarkings. are these for JUNIOR MARINE ROTC? wondering what vintage they are. someone must know.

post-1303-1309993673.jpg

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They would not be ROTC or JROTC, since they would not use the crossed rifles in them. JROTC insignia would have the lamp of knowledge in place of the crossed rifles. I wouldn't really think plastic rank would be a big deal. As long as you were able to tell that a SSGT was a SSGT, I wouldn't think it would make a difference if the chevrons were made of plastic or metal.

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These are regular USMC collar chevrons. When I was in the Corps in the 90's, you could get either metal or plastic. Honestly, I cannot remember if you could buy plastic chevrons on base, but I know that I saw both frequently when I was in. Hope that helps. - Jeff

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If I recall correctly I think the plastic ones came out in the Viet Nam era.I remeber as a kid seeing these in the mid to late 70s.

 

RD

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i recently stumbled onto these USMC enlisted PLASTIC chevron rank insignia devices....clutchback, appear smaller than the current metallic ones (of course far smaller than the obsolete 50's FAT type USMC devices).

i've always thought plastic insignia devices were a WW2 phenomenon as to conserve or limit war industry alloys. these plastic devices seem downright cheap...i've always known the Marine Corps to be the perennial poor stepchild when it came to military appropriations funding.....but this is taking it too far. reverse sides have no markings.....no SERIES ###, or mfgr hallmarkings. are these for JUNIOR MARINE ROTC? wondering what vintage they are. someone must know.

 

How are the clutch posts attached/applied ?

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teufelhunde.ret
How are the clutch posts attached/applied ?

They were molded as part of the device. These Bakelite chevrons came about very early 70's as an item to replace metal which were scratching / losing their finish and M-Nu was used to cover these spots, more often not sloppily. They quickly faded from use as I recall, as is was nearly impossible to get the posts into / thru freshly starched Sateens w/o breaking off the posts. :pinch: I cannot remember many who bought them after that experience.

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Old Marine

We were issued those plastic things in the late 70s. They looked terrible and Teufelhunde is right, as soon as you tried to push them through starched sateens the posts broke off. Usually we just threw them away or left them pinned to a card for inspections. But, as bad as they are, they are legitimate USMC issue insignia.

 

Dennis

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They were molded as part of the device. These Bakelite chevrons came about very early 70's as an item to replace metal which were scratching / losing their finish and M-Nu was used to cover these spots, more often not sloppily. They quickly faded from use as I recall, as is was nearly impossible to get the posts into / thru freshly starched Sateens w/o breaking off the posts. :pinch: I cannot remember many who bought them after that experience.

Thank's guy.

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