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1970's Navy Iron-On Sleeve Insignia


LoadedColt45
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LoadedColt45

Got a package of these today. Anyone familiar with these iron-on sleeve shevrons...? Can someone tell me what era they might be from...?

 

Thanks!

 

101_2696.jpg

 

101_2697.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

Vietnam/Cold War era - you trim off the chevrons to make PO2 or PO3 and iron them on to your chambray (dungaree) shirt sleeve

 

See example below of PO3 crow for placement on left sleeve, in front of crease

Luce.jpg

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collectsmedals

We used them in the 1970s.

 

We had one idiot 1st Class Petty Officer (E-6) who didn't cut off the instructions before he ironed them onto his shirt. So he was walking around with his three stripes and then the iron on instructions on his sleeve. He was even too cheap to go buy a new shirt, he wore that one for the whole deployment.

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We used them in the 1970s.

 

We had one idiot 1st Class Petty Officer (E-6) who didn't cut off the instructions before he ironed them onto his shirt. So he was walking around with his three stripes and then the iron on instructions on his sleeve. He was even too cheap to go buy a new shirt, he wore that one for the whole deployment.

 

 

Obviously he didn't pay attention to the Chief; "When all else fails, read the f#$king instructions".

 

Early 80's the CG phased out the dungarees. We used these and ironed on patches. I was suprised how durable the transfers were over the patches. Eventually the patches would start to lift around the corners. They could be ironed back into place but once the glue weaken that was it, time for a new patch. It took a very long time for the treansfers to fade, by that time it was almost time to get a new shirt anyway.

 

I still have several of the transfers and a couple of patches around somewhere.

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  • 7 years later...
Salvage Sailor

Vietnam/Cold War era - you trim off the chevrons to make PO2 or PO3 and iron them on to your chambray (dungaree) shirt sleeve

 

See example below of PO3 crow for placement on left sleeve, in front of crease

 

Lost the OP's photos for this topic (Reminder: Members, please do not use outside photo hosting sources......that's how topics become unmanageable when the photos vanish as they're not on our servers)

 

Examples of Vanguard Iron On crows from the 1970's pulled from my 'housewife' (navy sewing kit) in my seabag

Ranks and Rates 003a.jpg

Ranks and Rates 009a.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

As stated, they all were made as Petty Officer 1st Class crows (E-6) and you trimmed them to make an E-5 or E-4, or in this case, to promote myself by adding a chevron to an existing PO3 on my dungaree shirt to make a PO2 crow

Ranks and Rates 002.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

...and this was the other type of iron on crow used. They were blue to match our dungarees and rather than iron on the decal transfer type, they were already glue backed on blue cloth

Ranks and Rates 004a.jpg

Ranks and Rates 005a.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

They were still in use in the late 90's as well...

 

Yes, but those were the 'Fat Parrot' or 'Surrendering Chicken' style crows with the straight perch rather than the 45 degree canted perch.

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MastersMate

The full, iron on chambray badge was first authorized in about 1957. I recall using the transfer style dungaree crow about 1968. For the Coast Guard, in 1960 an iron on CG shield was authorized for the right sleeve of the chambray shirt. At the same time the rating badge and shield was required on the pea coat sleeves.

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Salvage Sailor

Thanks Mate,

 

Right you are, they were used in the late 60's too, my examples are from the early 70's

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Salvage Sailor

 

Yes, but those were the 'Fat Parrot' or 'Surrendering Chicken' style crows with the straight perch rather than the 45 degree canted perch.

 

Example of the 60's 70's crow vs. the 'Fat Parrot' 1980's style which negates my comment above as this one does have the canted perch. It's the later 1980's 'Surrendering Chicken' type that is square cut

Ranks and Rates 010a.jpg

Ranks and Rates fat parrot.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

The full, iron on chambray badge was first authorized in about 1957. I recall using the transfer style dungaree crow about 1968. For the Coast Guard, in 1960 an iron on CG shield was authorized for the right sleeve of the chambray shirt. At the same time the rating badge and shield was required on the pea coat sleeves.

 

Iron On USCG Shield

Ranks and Rates USCG Shield.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

As stated, they all were made as Petty Officer 1st Class crows (E-6) and you trimmed them to make an E-5 or E-4, or in this case, to promote myself by adding a chevron to an existing PO3 on my dungaree shirt to make a PO2 crow

 

Period example of adding an iron on chevron to change a PO3 to PO2 - USS LUCE (DDG-38) 1977 (Also USN Utilities vs. USN Dungarees)

Ranks and Rates 025.jpg

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  • 8 months later...

Hi y'all. My name is Steve, I served in the Navy from 86-90 USS Vulcan AR-5... I have a couple of deck jackets (A2 & N1) that I would like to apply the (Ken Nolan) iron on rank to. If anyone has some of these items; and would not mind parting with them, I'll give them a good home. (Willing to pay)Thanks!post-175557-0-27405700-1514166277_thumb.jpg

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  • 4 weeks later...

They were still in use in the late 90's as well...

 

YEP..very much so.

 

I ironed a set on in '95 when I made HT3..so still used then!

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...and this was the other type of iron on crow used. They were blue to match our dungarees and rather than iron on the decal transfer type, they were already glue backed on blue cloth

 

I always thought these looked tacky..the just black ones looked better to me..

 

I wish I remeber which version it was though..my dungs were trahed when I got out..didn't save any..

 

BUT, in the early 90's..still possible to have both styles of crows? In the Navy I was in, something 20 years old was still BRAND NEW lol.

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  • 4 years later...
Salvage Sailor

Ken Nolan, Inc.

Iron-on United States Navy Rates

This envelope contains 6 rates.  You can cut away the chevron you don't want.

1461037646_KenNolanRates.jpg.ceb4ad50d3f9557e51ac72c1cee443fb.jpg

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On 1/21/2018 at 9:57 AM, KRIS FORD said:

 

I always thought these looked tacky..the just black ones looked better to me..

 

I wish I remeber which version it was though..my dungs were trahed when I got out..didn't save any..

 

BUT, in the early 90's..still possible to have both styles of crows? In the Navy I was in, something 20 years old was still BRAND NEW lol.

WOW, this has been awhile!  I never liked the stencil type. Preferred the iron on patch. Same with the ESWS patches. But I sewed them down around the edges. I, preferred the look of them over the stencil 

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