Check to see if there's a local HAM radio club near you.  The local group near me is quite friendly and willing to help answer questions.  HAM clubs are also the go-to guys for FCC license testing and practice. Just for reception, I suspect that you can get away with almost anything connected to the other end of a coax.  A vertical antenna with some sort of counterpoise / artificial ground plane will probably give you the best general reception options.  If you can elevate it into the air, so much the better (think "jungle antenna" or expedient RG-292).  If you do find a particularly good station to listen to, you can always refine your antenna length to match its frequency and orientation / direction. Also see these FB pages: "WWII Wireless Society;" "Post War Military Radios - Buy, Sell, Swap;" "Vintage Military Radio Group;" "Army Radio;" "Military Radio Group;" and "Military Amateur Radio." I suspect if you search FB using the terms "HAM" or "HAM Radio" you'll get a gazillion hits.

Greetings everyone! First post on this forum as an actual user...   I would like to get everyone’s opinions on this J.A. SHOE 1944 Assault Jacket I’ve come across and managed to purchase. I found it then did some research on it and found out J.A. Shoe did in fact make an OD3 assault jacket for the Normandy Invasion. After referencing some photos, it does look promising. The font of the stamps seem accurate to war time items, material, colors, and hardware look good. But the big thing is the condition, it’s just too good. Like some buddies of mine have said, the material seems too stiff for it to be an original, and the dimension seem a bit off. This will definitely be something to look at closely in hand. If it is a reproduction, I'm not complaining as it definitely would be one of the higher end ones. Attached are the seller's photos, and if needed I will take photos when in hand and will attach them. If it helps, the hardware that's marked is made by "SCOVILL MFG CO," which did in fact make things during WWII. Another thing to note, I posted this to a group and someone mentioned how the "U.S." is a different front from the J.A. Shoe vest that person owns. Is it possible that the company used other font stamps throughout production? The manufacture mark "J.A. SHOE 1944" is similar to the marking I saw on a 1941 production canteen cover. But again, would love to hear what people have to say about this piece. I'm not very educated on assault jackets so I do hope to learn some!  Many thanks, Hayden

Two more belts, another one of the same I posted before except this has a stamp. I'm assuming that is the size. The other one I believe I have identified as USMC. While looking this up I may have found a possible explanation for the green and orange tan one. I found them listed as USMC martial arts belts. 

The Dana top is a difficult to find these days, not sure what you consider too much money but I know I'm missing that pattern in my BDU library.  The USCG original stitch PSU patched BDU, again in my area hard to find and would be a nice one to have for the collection.  Any chance you have seen the OG-507 maternity set?  I would be willing to buy or trade for one. Cheers, Armygas

Nice example. After we are settled in and unboxed from moving, I will try to remember to get a picture of mine.

I know there have been a few discussions regarding paint and color codes. The original MKI was unpainted with a dab of gray paint on the bottom filler plug to denote that it was filled. I'm still digging for the original dates for the All Gray color code requirements and will post it when I find it as my current documentation starts 7-6-1919. That is the original color code for the MKII from 1919 to the 1926 message below. It stays yellow until December 1942 when the OD Green color is mandated. There is no call or requirement for a primer. The bodies went from Gray to Yellow to OD Green with a Yellow Band. That's why we occasionally see under colors. Additionally, the practice colors were Red and then later Blue (I'm still working through the dates on those).  The minutes are copied below. Yes, I know I omitted section 2 from the Dec 42 minutes. It's long and quoting from each one of the references in section 1.  Thursday May 6, 1926   PAINTING OF FRAGMENTATION HAND GRENADES   Mr. Adelman read the following report of the Sub-Committee of Grenades:   “1. References:             0.0. 471.611/636             0.0. 471.611/647   “2. In Report No. 7 of the Marking Board, Ammunition etc., dated February 21. 1919, it was specified that “a fragmentation grenade shall be painted gray when loaded for combat use.” Picatinny Arsenal is now preparing a specification for the loading of fragmentation hand grenades, Mark II, with TNT. These grenades, when manufactured are painted Battleship Gray, according to specifications EW 514-5, paragraph II 5.   “3. At the present time, the chemical ammunition is painted gray and in addition to other markings, there are green bands to denote persistency. In keeping with eh recommendation of the Marking Board, high explosive ammunition is designated by this application of a specific color, yellow.   “4. The sub-committee recommends that the high explosive grenades be painted yellow, the color now prescribed for painting H.E. projectiles.”   Action required by  Manufacturing Service.   12-10-42 Painting and Marking of Ammunition McBride/jlf/hl December 4, 1942   From: Sub-Committee on Artillery Ammunition To: The Ordnance Committee, Subject: Painting and Marking of Ammunition   1. REFERENCES:             a. OCM Item 17576             b. OCM Item 17673             c. 0.0. 400.114/33700 Misc.             d. 0.0. 675/78616 Delaware O.D.             e. Memorandum of June 2, 1942, from Executive Division, Field Service, to Ammunition Division, Industrial Service.             f. 0.0. 400.114/46988 (Misc.) – OCS 400.1141 (Ordnance) and 1st Indorsement thereon.             g. Memorandum of October 1, 1942, to Chief of Field Service, Ammunition and 1st Indorsement thereon.             h. A.G.O. 321.7             i. 0.0. 411.6/1284 W.P.B.   3. RECOMMENDATIONS:               The Subcommittee recommends:               a. That all H. E. bombs and separate loaded H. E. ammunition be painted with lusterless olive drab paints containing available infra-red reflecting pigments. Formulas for suitable infra-red reflecting paints are of adequate stability, and which do not contain critical materials, are available and would be incorporated in the specifications.               b. That other ammunition, fixed and semi- fixed rounds, rockets, grenades, mines, etc., except Small Arms, remain as they are at present, with the following exceptions:                               I.  That all colors used on ammunition be lusterless instead of the present semi-gloss, to dull finish.                   II.  That the yellow color now in use as a base color on H. E. ammunition be changed to a lusterless olive drab with No. 4 yellow stencil to designate  H. E. filler.                   III.  That all wooden ammunition boxes be used in the transportation of ammunition to the using services be stained a light brown color to decrease their visibility.                   IV.  Then all metal parts on the exposed portion of the ammunition boxes and containers be painted with a light brown lusterless enamel.               c. That a lusterless color card be prepared to show lusterless colors, including infra-red reflecting colors, for use on ammunition, similar to the present color standards issued in connection with the specification No. 3-1; General Specifications for Paint, and Related Materials.               d. That current stocks of artillery ammunition packed in fiber or other containers in which the ammunition is issued to troops need not be repainted. Current stocks of separate loaded ammunition will be repainted if and when practicable. Current stocks of bombs, which are now painted with lusterless olive drab without infra-red pigments, need not be repainted. Current stocks of rifle grenades, hand grenades, and rockets in depots will be repainted to conform with these recommendations. Stocks of rifle grenades, hand grenades and rockets in hand of troops will be repainted if and when practicable.   Action By:      Ammunition Branch, Industrial Division                         Ammunition Supply Branch, Field Service Division               Report approved by Ordnance Committee.               Approval of Higher Authority is not Required.

Here's my Navy version, the one on this post is only the second one I've seen.  

WOW it's John Candy

Got this a while back, named to one Captain Heidi Schuster Miller?   Wade  

More from the 1913 "Reasoner Collection", all public access photographs             And who is 'Reasoner' and were did this treasure trove come from?  He was their flight surgeon in 1913.     Captain Matthew A Reasoner, US Army Medical Corps, Surgeon, 1913   Lost Records – Found- 12-6-16 A.B. Reynolds, HFA #003 I got a call this morning from a manager at the Litchfield (Illinois) Bank & Trust. Bank employees had being going through the vault and found an old box of records. The manager had seen the box before over the years but only peeked inside and never really had time to investigate further. But this time, he decided to check it out. In the box were the following documents for one person, Matthew Aaron Reasoner. Included were high school, college-1896, and medical school diplomas-1899, U.S. Army commissions - 1906 1909, 1916, certificates of merit and appreciation for his service and contributions as an Army medical doctor and researcher....   ...What is so terrific about this is that The U.S. Records Office in St. Louis had a fire in the 1960s and all records regarding Matthew A. Reasoner were destroyed. We had very few official documents. For us, this is a treasure trove.     Army Personnel at North Island Aviation Field about March 1913. Reasoner is seated, first on the left and was the first flight surgeon.   There ya go...