USMC? If so, what era?

[Fort Susquehanna]

This showed up today in a group buy.  At first I thought it was 1930's US Army, but then thought it might be USMC, possibly theater-made.  Thoughts and opinions?   

[CinamonToastCrunch]

With the crossed rifles its supposed to be a US Marine Corps sergeant patch, don't recognize the era exactly but its relatively modern from the synthetic embroidery gleaming in the light. 

[Rev. Matt]

Hello Susquehanna,

I think you've probably got a Vietnam era set of USMC stripes.  They only added the crossed rifles (with slings---differentiates them from Army Infantry) in 1959 to the main set of Marine enlisted rank chevrons.  So it's post '59.  But the dark green background cloth looks like an improvised set of stripes, having both a folded edge as well as satin stitch line, all either made with shiny rayon threads or with something synthetic.  Usually a folded edge is sewn down with a single line of thread; or a cut edge with a wide satin stitch, but this has both.  On USMC stripes post-Korean-War, "I'm no expert" is the key phrase here, admittedly.  But I'd say a local tailor near Camp Pendleton, or Honolulu, or Manila, or Saigon.  These don't look bad, but they don't look official to me.  In older eras, Marines used black paint and stencils to paint on chevrons on their medium-to-dark green jungle shirts.

[Rev. Matt]

Susquehanna,

Here are some similar examples, but not exactly like yours.  I only post these internet images to think about what maybe a private tailor (?) was attempting to imitate in the making of your stripes.  Also, to show that there were occasions when a satin stitch border was used in USMC stripes, even though each of these is on a cut edge.  Also, the light tan background is, I think, from a female uniform late Vietnam War or post Vietnam.  The other cloth examples are decidedly more gray-green, but maybe these are all from female uniforms.....hence, maybe that is a clue for your stripes, too.  None of these particular stripes, meaning the embroidery thread, are exactly your color, either.  Again, I am no expert on USMC chevrons of the post-1959 style and period.  I just was trying to throw you some ideas for you to explore.  I look forward to reading about what you discover about your chevrons.