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USMC P-42 Frogskin and custom Mitchell jacket. Named


Klaxon
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Hi,

I picked up these two USMC camouflage pieces a little over 10 years ago from a vintage clothing store for a song. The first is a minty and starched P-42 Frogskin HBT Jacket. It's double named. The first name stenciled on the jacket and only on the jungle side is what looks like J. Shelton with the laundry number S-5712. The second which is on both sides is the unusual name of Tchakirides. On the collar are the '50's early screw back type Corporal collar ranks. The second jacket is made from a Mitchell poncho. It's looks like the P-42 but the construction is different. There's a placket down the centre front with M-43 or M-51 type buttons, a closed cuff and side vents/slits. It has Tchakirides name stenciled on the jacket but just on the beach side. I've seen pics of early USMC advisors wearing these types of jackets early during the vietnam war but not exactly like this one. I've read/been told these were tailor made in

Okinawa. Both are unmarked but a bigger size. Equivalent to a modern 42 or 44.

post-104659-0-26877200-1429827678.jpg

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Here's the custom Mitchell jacket to the same Marine, Tchakirides. Any comments on this piece would be appreciated as I've only ever had this one.

post-104659-0-23364500-1429828723.jpg

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Close up of the stenciled beach side. More washed out than on the p-42. Thread is that USMC mid green like the late war Marine tee shirt. Buttons are the early US jacket buttons like that found on M-43 and M-51 Field Jackets.

post-104659-0-92616400-1429828935.jpg

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ViewfinderGyrene

There's a J. C. Shelton on the rolls who was with 3/5 through most of the war, so he was in an infantry unit early enough to have been issued it There were several other J. Sheltons through...

 

 

VFG

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Wow great stuff. For me that Mitchell jacket might be a custom made piece, which was made from the 50's tent material. I also have a pair of tent material pants, which seems to be very similar to your jacket.

 

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No matter how little or how much you paid for those Coats...you REALLY scored, and big time.

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Hi VFG,

Thanks for the info. Is there anyway of determining it's him based on his laundry number? Do you know if the others are also Infantry and were in the fight early enough to get issued P-42's?

 

Thanks CjVI,

I went to the link but the page is down. I saw the Sgt. you mentioned. Gunnery Sgt. Tchakirides, 3rd Bn. 3rd Regt. KIA Quang Tri, Aug.5/68. Would make sense that he was a Corporal in the '50's and explain the Mitchell jacket which is most likely early '60's.

 

Goingecho,

Yes it's 100% custom made from a Mitchell poncho or shelter half.

 

Cheers,

Matt

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Hi Flageguy,

I know I practically crapped myself when I found em. Funny thing is a friend of mine saw the P-42 and passed on it because he thought it was fake. I still like to remind him about that.

Cheers,

Matt

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ViewfinderGyrene

Hi VFG,

Thanks for the info. Is there anyway of determining it's him based on his laundry number? Do you know if the others are also Infantry and were in the fight early enough to get issued P-42's?

 

Thanks CjVI,

I went to the link but the page is down. I saw the Sgt. you mentioned. Gunnery Sgt. Tchakirides, 3rd Bn. 3rd Regt. KIA Quang Tri, Aug.5/68. Would make sense that he was a Corporal in the '50's and explain the Mitchell jacket which is most likely early '60's.

 

Goingecho,

Yes it's 100% custom made from a Mitchell poncho or shelter half.

 

Cheers,

Matt

 

Saw one who was with the 2nd Marine Division pretty early, as well as one who was in Cuba with a Defense Battalion. I know there are sites to look up the laundry numbers, but I've never done it so others will have to let you in on that.

 

I somewhat doubt that the DefBn Marine would've worn frogskins, so your other best possibility is the 2ndMarDiv vet...I think from what I saw he ended up in a Casualty Copany in '44...

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Saw one who was with the 2nd Marine Division pretty early, as well as one who was in Cuba with a Defense Battalion. I know there are sites to look up the laundry numbers, but I've never done it so others will have to let you in on that.

 

I somewhat doubt that the DefBn Marine would've worn frogskins, so your other best possibility is the 2ndMarDiv vet...I think from what I saw he ended up in a Casualty Copany in '44...-

 

Viewfindergyrene -

 

Don't be so hasty :) I have a P42 camo jacket named to a Gunnery Sgt. Frances Charnecki - he served the entire war in various Marine Defense artillery battalions!

 

Very nice jackets! I am of Greek extraction so the Tchakarides name and story really interests me.

 

Thanks for posting -

 

Very best,

 

Bill K.

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GeneralCheese

Awesome! There's a few vintage clothing shops near me I periodically check, but I've never seen anything like this!

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ViewfinderGyrene

 

Viewfindergyrene -

 

Don't be so hasty :) I have a P42 camo jacket named to a Gunnery Sgt. Frances Charnecki - he served the entire war in various Marine Defense artillery battalions!

 

Very nice jackets! I am of Greek extraction so the Tchakarides name and story really interests me.

 

Thanks for posting -

 

Very best,

 

Bill K.

 

Wow, that's very interesting Bill! I was moreso relating issuing camo to someone not in a combat theater though, not based on the unit but location...

 

Like this set of 41s I'm looking at where there are two men with the same initials. One was in a medical malaria control unit stateside, and the other was a 2 [possibly 3]-campaign Corpsman. Not sure if a member of a disease control unit would be issued combat fatigues stateside? Thus I'm leaning towards Corpsman [not to mention the set looks thoroughly worn lol]...

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Hi Owen,

The oakleaf was in that box with the weird Korean tigerstripe and others that I said I would show you next time you came for a visit. Whats the earliest date you know of when they starting making these custom garments from Mitchell ponchos? Late 50's?

Cheers,

Matt

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  • 5 years later...
On 4/23/2015 at 7:27 PM, CjVl said:

org/html/units/usmc/7mareg_2.htm?PageNum_Looking=2 .

 

Only tchakirides corporal i saw online

The Tchakirides Gunnery Sgt that was KIA in Vietnam is my Great Uncle. My grandpa (his brother) was anti war and never talked about him. I’ve been trying to find more about him. Tchakirides is my mother’s maiden name and comes from my Greek great grandpa who came over to fight in the American military during WW1. 

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On 4/26/2015 at 3:04 PM, Bellumbill said:

Very nice jackets! I am of Greek extraction so the Tchakarides name and story really interests me.

 

As I just posted Tchakirides is my mother’s maiden name. My great grandpa came over drone Greece to fight for the American military during WW1. And marked into my Italian side of my family. My great Uncle was KIA in Vietnam. He was a gunnery Sgt killed by friendly artillery. I’ve found his name in the Vietnam wall and the online page. I’m learning more about him and I think this could’ve been a jacket of his in the early years of being in the Corps. 

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