yellowhammerr this Three Part Topic will give a worth of views of the all insignia of fatigues from the 1950s to the early 1980s. Here also you will get to see the virtually endless styles of chest tapes used.        

Can I ask if this is : WW2 era or Vietnam era manufacture? Or a reproduction? The stamp is hard to read - *uson K C *?

I ended up buying it for $150. It was such a beautiful cap and such a compelling story. Great to have the James Locke mailing box and the provenance. I dont think buyers appreciate a cap with a named history. Also a nice Bancroft cap in great condition. Is the Insignia silver?

I guess you are our subject matter expert. Lucky you!

These post-WWII caps are a way to collect higher end makers without the WWII premium. I have a few Luxenbergs from the postwar era and one WWII made one. For what I paid for the WWII era one, I could buy 4 or so of the blue USAAF ones. I also have a Kingform Army officer's cap in really nice shape. It's paired with a named uniform to a vet from my childhood locale. I think it was under $20 for the set when I was a teenager.

Hi there   Thanks for letting us know.   Which type of thread (cable) are you using? Polyester, rayon? Also is it machine guided, schiffli embroidered or computer generated?   At least it gives the collectors more understanding as well.   cheers   Phill

Just a few quick thoughts. The 5 Tier system seems too complex for the general collector; maybe good for a high-end but for the type of collector we generally see on these (and other) boards, we might need a more simple system.   I tend to divide provenance into three categories. Most believable provenance has documentation of some sort, capture papers, etc. Next are First Person stories (got it direct from the veteran or family member, a photograph of the person with the weapon, etc.).  These might be accompanied with a certificate from such people. Finally is the provenance that requires, like a good movie, a suspension of belief.  An M1 Underwood Carbine carried by one's father or grandfather in the war (WW2) that has an adjustable sight, flip safety, and bayonet lug, for example.   There is a final category that falls outside this simple system; misrepresentations, tall tales, and stories otherwise known as lies.  I listened while a dealer told a prospective buyer that the Victory Pistol he was looking at was an OSS carry.  There was no US PROPERTY on the top strap so the revolver couldn't be attributed to the US.  I could tell the US PROPERTY was ground off even from where I was standing, and the story stunk to high heaven.  I just silently walked away hoping the seller could also tell the story belong in the bathroom around the corner.

Also got some Soviet(?) Shoulder boards that I'll have to properly identify. 

VMF-451 redesignated VMF(AW)-451 on July 1, 1961 VMF(AW)-451 redesignated VMFA-451 on February 1, 1968   So this is between 1961 to 1968. I find it odd that it has "The Hackers" on it. Someone's call sign? Patch is 8.5" in height. Definately some sort of a gag patch?    Anyone have thoughts?

I have another old Bible from 1940s to probably 70s though it's not military. Most of the trift stores in my area give them away. Seen a lot of modern military Bible's but I never got one.