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1960s 101st/82nd Airborne Souvenir Jacket


FT.Monmouth1943
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FT.Monmouth1943

Recently picked up this nice German made souvenir jacket from the early 60s. All of the patches are German made. This is one of my nicer German made tour jackets and Im happy to add it to the collection.

 

- Jakob

 

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Nice example. They were still making these in the 1980's when I was Germany.

 

There was a tailor shop concession in the lower level of one of our barracks run by a grey haired German gentleman. One day he brought out a sample book and with limited English asked me if I wanted one. He had dozens of designs available... I assume they were made at a central location elsewhere. Typically back then it was the junior enlisted who wore these, and I thanked him but I passed on it.

 

However, I did ask him to make my Baumholder jacket, and I lived in that for the next 2 and a half years. It was a combination wet weather jacket with a poncho liner sewn into it. It kept you warm and dry at the same time... both conditions sometimes difficult to achieve in that part of Germany.

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FT.Monmouth1943

Nice example. They were still making these in the 1980's when I was Germany.

 

There was a tailor shop concession in the lower level of one of our barracks run by a grey haired German gentleman. One day he brought out a sample book and with limited English asked me if I wanted one. He had dozens of designs available... I assume they were made at a central location elsewhere. Typically back then it was the junior enlisted who wore these, and I thanked him but I passed on it.

 

However, I did ask him to make my Baumholder jacket, and I lived in that for the next 2 and a half years. It was a combination wet weather jacket with a poncho liner sewn into it. It kept you warm and dry at the same time... both conditions sometimes difficult to achieve in that part of Germany.

Thats very interesting, thanks for sharing!

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Nice example. They were still making these in the 1980's when I was Germany.

 

There was a tailor shop concession in the lower level of one of our barracks run by a grey haired German gentleman. One day he brought out a sample book and with limited English asked me if I wanted one. He had dozens of designs available... I assume they were made at a central location elsewhere. Typically back then it was the junior enlisted who wore these, and I thanked him but I passed on it.

 

However, I did ask him to make my Baumholder jacket, and I lived in that for the next 2 and a half years. It was a combination wet weather jacket with a poncho liner sewn into it. It kept you warm and dry at the same time... both conditions sometimes difficult to achieve in that part of Germany.

We had a very similar jacket at Ft Lewis, WA, late seventies: wet weather jacket, but using a wool army blanket as the liner. Field uniform restrictions were pretty loose, also popular were the Brit sweaters with the sateen shoulder and elbow patches, as long as your shirt collar with rank was worn out. You had these if you had been over on REFORGER and got to the Brit PX,

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We had a very similar jacket at Ft Lewis, WA, late seventies: wet weather jacket, but using a wool army blanket as the liner. Field uniform restrictions were pretty loose, also popular were the Brit sweaters with the sateen shoulder and elbow patches, as long as your shirt collar with rank was worn out. You had these if you had been over on REFORGER and got to the Brit PX,

 

The Brit style sweater was known as a woolie pully. I first saw them while serving in Germany. I am not sure where I picked up mine. I think in USAREUR we were allowed to wear black ones along with our Class B uniform. Later they were adopted Army wide. It was one of the most practical items ever made... you could roll it in a ball, and it still looked presentable when you put it on.

 

As far as being in the field, I used to wear the so called "sleeping shirt" under my OG-107 fatigues, and then my Baumholder jacket on top of that. If needed, I could add a field jacket as well. We literally dressed in layers depending on the weather.

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