louie Posted August 12, 2009 Author Share #76 Posted August 12, 2009 Nicest B14 enlisted type Ike I ever came upon. few more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louie Posted August 12, 2009 Author Share #77 Posted August 12, 2009 Not an elite unit, not even a unit, but the only theatre made jungle jacket I ever found. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louie Posted August 12, 2009 Author Share #78 Posted August 12, 2009 one more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vintageproductions Posted August 13, 2009 Share #79 Posted August 13, 2009 Louie, Loks like a Thai tailor made jungle jacket Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captainofthe7th Posted August 13, 2009 Share #80 Posted August 13, 2009 Wow, Louie. Awesome stuff. I really like the 40th/2nd Mar Div uniform and the Army HBT camo shirt. Stunning! Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason G Posted August 13, 2009 Share #81 Posted August 13, 2009 Just incredible..... My own 'rag' story: In the mid 1990's when I was a police officer on the outskirts of DC, in Prince Georges county Md, I frequented a very large Goodwill store on Central Avenue. I'd go in there when I was on day shift and buy off the rack. One day one of the managers who'd taken a liking to me asked if I wanted to go in the back and 'rag pick' (something I'd never heard of). I agreed in a heartbeat, and there I was, digging through the piles prior to them being baled. There was only one catch..... They wouldn't allow me to take ANY uniform (even to buy it), only the patches/insignia. I had to strip anything I found no matter what. :disgust: So I did what I had to do. After a while, a new manager came in and refused me entry at all. (Could still buy from the storefront tho). It was a good year or two doing that, but it broke my heart to 'strip' Ikes, and other uniforms....but it was that or the entire thing went to the grinder, so I saved what I could. I haven't had any luck getting into any other 'mills' although I've tried from time to time. And, yeah, it's hot, dirty, nasty work which most of the time ended up with nothing more than sweat and dirty and zero to go home with. I'd love to sort through bales of uniforms but I'd for sure be wearing a respirator these days LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louie Posted August 13, 2009 Author Share #82 Posted August 13, 2009 Just like Bob, and Kammoman and I said these places are weird to say the least. They could care less for the patches. They are only looking at the weight, but seems strange he wouldn't sell it to you at full price. I had a Marine uniform with a CBI that had had a 1st MAC patch of some type before that had more holes than the Milky Way, and big rat bite holes, but couldn't get myself to tear off the patches. Only Marine I ever found w/ an Army patch. Did find an Americal patch w/ the 2nd Mar.Div. on cuff though. Many of the pin ons like wings, Para, brass, and even at times buttons were torn off to put in jewelry case or else customers would help themselves on the rack. you see that even today w/ modern uniforms at thrift stores, few will have the stuff on them unless they are hanging high or behind the counter. Rag believe it or not is a commodity, and prices go up and down. And those who live in L.A. or N.Y. etc. where they have trendy vintage stores, guess where that clothes came from, yes the rag houses. Big E Levis, cool Hawaiian shirts, letterman jacket, motorcycle jackets, polos, bowling shirts, cool T shirts, this stuff people fight over in rag houses.. The good thing w/ military is most don't want it, or go for the nice new looking camo, and usually won't touch stuff w/ holes, or stains, and are clueless on the patches. The real world of rags is vintage civilian stuff which I am glad I could care less about. This is where it gets really crazy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nkomo Posted August 13, 2009 Share #83 Posted August 13, 2009 Thanks for the education on rag houses, guys. The pictures you have posted are absolutely stunning! I am in awe that people would throw things like that away. The only experience I have had that would be remotely similar was at a surplus store. One of the workers, whom my dad and I befriended, allowed me to spend 2 hours going through the basement inventory. 2 hours was not enough time to even begin to dig through all the stuff the store had. Ever since that day....I have never had the chance to go back down to the basement. I have never asked because I think it was something the employee could have gotten in big trouble for doing. It was an awesome experience. Very hot and back-breaking work to say the least. I walked out of the basement with a pile of uniforms. It took me two trips to carry everything out. Arch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kammo-man Posted August 13, 2009 Share #84 Posted August 13, 2009 Ragging is indeed great fun and hard work . I worked for a rag house for 3 years at one time and thought nothing of busting 1000lb bail before my lunch break at 11 !!! My record is 5000lb in 1 day . This was military rag , grades into Vintage , modern #1 2 and 3 grades . You never know what you would find . Go see Vintage Trends web site . When I left that company I had put up 18,000 pieces of military rag on the site !!! 3 years work goes fast when you are having fun !! owen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louie Posted August 13, 2009 Author Share #85 Posted August 13, 2009 One of the stranger Army piece to come out the rag house, and Army tunic w/ a Marine patch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louie Posted August 13, 2009 Author Share #86 Posted August 13, 2009 Any clue what is this D.I.? It was on the epaulet, screw back. Guy was ahead of his time, should have been on lapel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louie Posted August 13, 2009 Author Share #87 Posted August 13, 2009 Here is an Army 2nd Lt. with a creative mind. Look what he did to this WW2 Army Camo shirt! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louie Posted August 13, 2009 Author Share #88 Posted August 13, 2009 One more look! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louie Posted August 13, 2009 Author Share #89 Posted August 13, 2009 2nd pattern jungle jacket dilema! Cut off U.S. made insignia to expose direct embroidery underneath or not??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louie Posted August 13, 2009 Author Share #90 Posted August 13, 2009 He was in intelligence and transferred to the infantry...what or who did he piss off. At least he made rank. Direct emb. 2nd Lt. and now 1st Lt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louie Posted August 13, 2009 Author Share #91 Posted August 13, 2009 In the years I mostly liked WW2 stuff, but I would get VN stuff from now and then. My own VN gold tiger pants were cut down for shorts and I have a pic of me in Acapulco wearing them on the beach there in 72. What a fashion statement, huh. When fly zipper broke I tossed them, oh well, didn't think they would be worth anything just like all these people who have tossed these things out. Bob Chatt is the one who told me, VN stuff is cool and worth some bucks, so then I started keeping an eye out. This x/small ERDL Army jacket at one time had a pocket patch, but it didn't survive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louie Posted August 13, 2009 Author Share #92 Posted August 13, 2009 This pocket patch survived. You can tell by how wrinkled these things are how long they have been in duffle bags. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louie Posted August 13, 2009 Author Share #93 Posted August 13, 2009 This pocket patch survived. You can tell by how wrinkled these things are how long they have been in duffle bags. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louie Posted August 13, 2009 Author Share #94 Posted August 13, 2009 Can't forget our Navy brethren! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louie Posted August 13, 2009 Author Share #95 Posted August 13, 2009 Can't forget our Navy brethren! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louie Posted August 13, 2009 Author Share #96 Posted August 13, 2009 Lots of Army Air Corps which like the Marine Corps has always been my favorites, but Army Aviation gets my respects too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louie Posted August 13, 2009 Author Share #97 Posted August 13, 2009 Lots of Army Air Corps which like the Marine Corps has always been my favorites, but Army Aviation gets my respects too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louie Posted August 13, 2009 Author Share #98 Posted August 13, 2009 Close up a Aviation patch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tredhed2 Posted August 13, 2009 Share #99 Posted August 13, 2009 Any clue what is this D.I.? It was on the epaulet, screw back. Guy was ahead of his time, should have been on lapel. 182nd Inf Regt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wailuna Posted August 13, 2009 Share #100 Posted August 13, 2009 ...Any clue what is this D.I.? It was on the epaulet, screw back... It is 182nd Infantry (originally Massachusetts National Guard) assigned to Americal Division in Southwest Pacific. Link here to see another post showing USMC patches worn by Americal Division veterans on their lower right sleeves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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