Almost looks like the blue bled.   -Ski

Whoa, Obx, excellent! I really like those CAP parachutist patches, too!

Totally. You just had to get used to the feel. I personally used Black electrical tape for a lot of things. Like in the field I removed my sling from my weapon, and taped the swivels with electrical tape  to keep em from clanging. And when we still carried the mess kit. I kept my untensils tied in a cloth in the mess kit so it wouldnt clang around. I used Black electrical tape a lot. When I made Sergeant I carried a pistol on my web belt. I stopped carrying the e tool on my belt after a couple years and carried it on my ruck instead. And in the field I never wore the protective mask around my waist because it always was pulling my pants down. I wore it over my shoulder under my left arm. I also adopted a brown towel to keep all that stuff from cutting into the sides of my Neck. A Vietnam Vet had clued me on to the towel, after I had the gear cut into the sides of my neck. That towel made a big difference. The cuts happened back one summer when I was carrying the 60 with no crew. I had the gun, kept the sling on it... the spare barrel and the T$E mech my lbe my ruck ..  someone else carried the tripod.. But all of it ended up cutting into both sides of my neck.

After a quarter century of pretty much constant warfare, Our armed forces gear for the individual soldier, seems a huge leap from this old Alice gear.. When I joined in 81 we still had jeeps Duece and a halfs shelter halfs. WW2  e tools ww2 m1 helmets ww2 .45's and .50 cals. I never saw one issued but we had grease guns in the armory. I think the mortars were ww2 vintage. New guys would come in and be issued WW2 M1 helmets with the canvas straps and they would cut them off and put the clip on chin straps in their place. Were still using some WW2 equipment in the early 80's. You guys who have served in this century after 911 know  better than I ever will. But the new gear looks leaps and bounds better than this old stuff.

100% agree, the gear did not mold to you, you molded to it.     Also agree that the only tape I ever saw was the green “100-mile-an-hour” rolls.  That’s what we used on everything.  

Oh yea, April fools!🤣

Hong Kong engraved buckle that has been up on the 'bay for a while.  USS CHICAGO, CG-11, named to: WILLEY, J.L.  

Thank you for your help. I looking forward to putting these ovals away. I will also be posting a few Flashes that I've been unable ID also. Hopefully you can help again. Thanks again, Redone

A couple of my recent WWII U.S. M1860 cut down Cavalry Sabers made into fighting knives. One is a Mansfield & Lamb, (8 ¾” blade), and one an Ames, (8 1/2” blade). I made a post on these types of knives in 2021. I attached a photo of a soldier wearing one of these knives in the Korean War.   The picture was taken from the documentary “Task Force Faith: The Story of the 31st Regimental Combat Team”, 1:10:13 into documentary.

Thank you. Your guess is helpful. I search Joint Read Cmd and maybe I can confirm it.