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Women's Uniforms in Vietnam Photos


gwb123
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Hi,

 

I think shirt with lower pockets were made post war, I saw a set with Chest pockets with DSA 74, while any shirt with lower pockets I ve seen had DSA after 76 or DLA...

 

In 1976 the WACs got a poly/wool uniform with lower pockets on the top.

 

There's web page at http://www.illyria.com/women/evac/unitour6.html titled "Army Nurse Corps Dress ~ ca. 1968" and it has this interesting couple of uniforms:

 

nurseunis.jpg

 

And here's that one with the lower pockets. The caption says, "Enlisted woman in the Army green pantsuit issued in 1976 to women who performed military police duties and in 1977 to all enlisted women. The jacket and slacks were of a polyester wool gabardine. A white shirt with black necktab or a rib-knit gray-green turtleneck tunic was worn with this uniform. Officers also wore this uniform."

 

nursepoly.jpg

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post-467-1231196563.jpg

1st Lt. Elaine H. Niggemann changes a surgical dressing for Mr. James J. Torgelson at the 24th Evacuation Hospital, Vietnam. Mr. Torgelson is a civilian employee for HNA, Inc.

The date of this photo is 9 July 1971.

 

post-467-1231196872.gif

USN Nurse in Vietnam

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post-467-1231197320.jpg

Ronnie Knox near An Khe.

 

Rhona Marie Knox Prescott

War: Vietnam War, 1961-1975

Branch: Army Nurse Corps

Unit: 3rd Field Hospital; 616th Clearing Company; 85th Evacuation Hospital

Service Location: Texas; Virginia; Georgia; Oklahoma; South Korea; Saigon, An Khe, and Qui Nhon, South Vietnam

Rank: Captain

 

From : http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/vhp-stories/l...c2001001.01146/

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post-467-1231198470.gif

 

Da Nang, South Vietnam...United States Navy nurse Lieutenant Commander Joan Brouilette checks the condition of Pfc. Charles Smith as she makes her daily rounds of the intensive care ward at the United States Naval Support Activity Hospital.

NARA Picture

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post-467-1231199578.jpg

 

Upon arriving in Vietnam to inspect WAC units and personnel, Colonel Hoisington and her escort, Lt. Col. Leta M. Frank, WAC Staff Adviser, U.S. Army, Pacific, are welcomed by General Creighton W. Abrams, Deputy Commander, MACV, 21 September 1967.

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post-467-1231199725.jpg

 

Col. Hoisington meets cadre members of the WAC Detachment, Vietnam, October 1967. Left to right: Sp4c. Rhynell M. Stoabs, Sgt. 1st CL Betty J. Benson (Acting 1st Sgt.), Colonel Hoisington, Captain Ready, SSgt. Edith L. Efferson, and Pfc. Patricia C Pewitt.

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Hi,

 

I think shirt with lower pockets were made post war, I saw a set with Chest pockets with DSA 74, while any shirt with lower pockets I ve seen had DSA after 76 or DLA...

 

This is correct. I don't have the exact date of the switch over, but 1974 would be in the ball park.

 

We have a couple of threads on this already...

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/ind...female+fatigues

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/ind...female+fatigues

 

Frankly I always thought the Vietnam era pattern looked better and more professional, while the version with the lower pockets looked like a sack with epaulettes. Many women opted to wear small or tailored male fatigues instead, especially in Europe.

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Jeff Ashenfelter

I checked for the tag in the shirt and the piece is wash faded and I cannot make it out, the pants are dated 67 however. I served in the army from 74-78 and I recall wacs at the time wearing fatiques like these. No lightweight subdued patches however! Jeff

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This is correct. I don't have the exact date of the switch over, but 1974 would be in the ball park.

 

We have a couple of threads on this already...

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/ind...female+fatigues

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/ind...female+fatigues

 

Frankly I always thought the Vietnam era pattern looked better and more professional, while the version with the lower pockets looked like a sack with epaulettes. Many women opted to wear small or tailored male fatigues instead, especially in Europe.

 

Awesome, thank you for the information on the tops. I keep seeing the ones with the lower pockets (such as the one in this thread) on eBay as "Vietnam nurse's / WAC's" shirts but I never see them in any of the photos.

 

Which brings me back to the question about the pants. There are rip-stop pants with pockets on the front, which are seen in most of the photos, and then there are rip-stop pants with the pockets on the side, but higher up than "cargo" pockets. Basically the same pocket, just move to the side rather than in front. Does anyone know when these came in? I believe (would have to go back and check) I've seen the latter worn in some Vietnam photos as well.

 

And here's that one with the lower pockets. The caption says,

 

That's a different uniform, actually, not the one I was asking about.

 

post-214-1231195801.jpg

 

The weird uniform on the left looks to be the Korean War 'taupe' uniform. The pants and Ike jacket style like this was considered a "special duty uniform". It was worn with a khaki shirt with black neck tab.

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Which brings me back to the question about the pants. There are rip-stop pants with pockets on the front, which are seen in most of the photos, and then there are rip-stop pants with the pockets on the side, but higher up than "cargo" pockets. Basically the same pocket, just move to the side rather than in front. Does anyone know when these came in? I believe (would have to go back and check) I've seen the latter worn in some Vietnam photos as well.


The trousers that you need are the type that have no fly and 3 buttons closure on each side.
The have two upper front thigh single button closure cargo pockets.
They were first available in poplin and later in rip stop.

post-5589-0-71334700-1400515228.jpg
Photo from Vietnam: US Uniforms in Colour Photographs by Kevin Lyles p. 73.
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The trousers that you need are the type that have no fly and 3 buttons closure on each side.

The have two upper front thigh single button closure cargo pockets.

They were first available in poplin and later in rip stop.

 

Yes, I am aware that those are the correct trousers for a women's Vietnam era uniform.

 

There is another type of rip-stop trousers that has the pockets on the side. They also close with three buttons, but only on the left side, not both sides like these ones. I will post pictures to a new thread, maybe someone can ID them and let me know which shirt they're correctly worn with and when they came into use.

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Second Lieutenant Jacqueline Navarra was an emergency nurse assigned to the 18th Surgical Hospital in Quang Tri, Vietnam. She found herself caring for a patient with a face that was a "huge hole, covered with blood. He was taking in blood. We were afraid he was going to aspirate. I knew we'd have to do a trach on him pretty fast." There was no physician available to perform the tracheotomy and the patient was quickly deteriorating. She recalled the training she had received prior to deployment and performed the procedure. "I was shaking so badly I thought I had cut his throat. He was coughing out everything and he was breathing in. We slid the tube in."

 

Three months later, Second Lieutenant Navarra saw her patient in the mess hall. "Do you remember me?", he said as he pointed to his tracheotomy scar. "I'll never forget you."

 

From : http://armynursecorps.amedd.army.mil/ethos2.html

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  • 5 months later...

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This photo is when we were in a convoy on the way to Cu Chi. The nurses are left to right - Mary Lemieux, Claudia (Shaw) Zimmerman, Marilyn Brooks, Col. Maggie Lotz, Mary Miller, Chris Butler and the little pup is Koko. I took the photo.

We had a neat group of people !! Oh, Claudia married Tom Zimmerman in the Mess Hall.

By Patricia Cote

 

From Flickr.com, 7th Surgical Hospital (MA) Vietnam photostream.

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  • 1 year later...

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Major Margaret Lotz, ANC was the Chief Nurse of the 7th Surgical Hospital at Cu Chi and Blackhorse 1966-67. Capt Doug Patterson, MC was a surgeon with the 7th Surgical Hospital.

by Dr Neill Baker

 

From Flickr.com, 7th Surgical Hospital (MA) Vietnam photostream.

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2nd Lt Mary Lemieux (Surgical Nurse - 7th Surgical hospital) standing beside an M-30 4.2inch Mortar at Blackhorse Xuan Loc, base camp of the 11th ACR. They would fire H & I rounds (Harassment & Interdiction Fire) every night.

 

From Flickr.com, 7th Surgical Hospital (MA) Vietnam photostream.

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2nd Lt Mary Lemieux shopping in the Village of Cu Chi 1966

by Mary Lemieux

 

 

From Flickr.com, 7th Surgical Hospital (MA) Vietnam photostream.

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Capt Chris Butler, Capt Driver, 1st Lt Pat Wojdag and 2nd Lt Mary Lemieux relaxing at 7th Surgical Hospital Cu Chi, Vietnam 1966

by Mary Lemieux

 

From Flickr.com, 7th Surgical Hospital (MA) Vietnam photostream.

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  • 3 weeks later...

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