Hello,   please any thoughts from you about this C-1 Emergency Vest?  Aside for the striking look of contrasting colours, pockets vs. vest's body, could there be anything uncorrect (or strangely modified) in this specimen? Label reading 33038-AC-5415 gives the maker Aircraft Appliance Corp. a contract-winning date of October 1944, when the two main breast pockets were strictly in slanted position (and with a single large button for closure), yet this specimen looks like having the original ones getting removed and replaced by the later ones.   The very strong contrast of colours also is so much evident but, I cannot speak more not having much competence. The very light hue of vest's body could speak for much fading?, yet if so the AAF emblem should show much more fading as well instead of an usually dark blue. Anyway just speculations, thanx very much in advance for any tips.  Franco.   https://www.dandbmilitaria.com/ww2-us-airforce-type-c-1-emergency-sustenance-vest-117-uf

Wow!  That is really nice!  Well done!   OD

The early seamless tubing that the magazines were made from was used up by April 1912 and Colt could not obtain the same material to make them. The new material proved difficult to manufacture because of a higher carbon content steel with cracks starting in the corners at the rear of the lips. After much experimentation, it was found that a hole could be punched and a saw cut made to allow the lips to flex just enough to prevent cracks from developing.  This same material was subsequently discontinued in 1913.       Steve

Bonjour    Nouvelles arrivées                                                                                                                  

If I encounter an authentic VN-era1st Mar Div lighter in my travels on and offline I can message you via the USMF. Are you after a Zippo or a Japanese-made example? There are two Korean War 1st Mar Div Japanese-made lighters currently on Ebay. Way overpriced in the $700.-$800. range. 

> As specifically and repeatedly articulated in the Declaration and Constitution, in this democratic republic it was and is the states to decide all non-federal matters. Slavery remained a state matter since federal authorities could not abolish it. The Virginian Lee family had long been prominently influential in establishing what became the Union. When Virginia decided to withdraw from it, so did Lee, who (btw) earlier on had been sent to Harper's Ferry by the federal government to lead their forces in successfully  putting down the John Brown insurrection. America still struggles with balancing what the Constitution actually says, versus what people want it to say. A General like Grant could not have lost our 2nd civil war, and one like Lee could not have won it. They both knew this all along.

Sorry for the possibly obvious question, but what is the keyhole about?   Carl

Well, I learned something new.  And that explains why the number stamping quality is so nice.  

mikie is the go too guy on Grant!  I've learned from your posts and they refreshed my recollection as to why I admired Grant.    Scott - you are very right - Lee was a product of his time.   A belief in the racial superiority of whites was prevalent in the north and south.   I believe Lee was a decent man who probably treated his slaves better than most, although I'm not sure what the historical record says on this.  I admire Lee.  As I've said in earlier post, probably in my view the greatest American general in history albeit in the cause of succession.     That said, slavery was based on the threat of horrific violence being done to slave who resisted and that sad fact pervaded the entire institution of slavery and the entire society north and south.   To not see this requires you to be completely away from it so as to make you oblivious or uncaring on the issue as most northerners were, or willfully turn a blind eye to it or embrace it as a positive good as many southerners did.   Yet, there were many abolitionists who did not look away and called out what was an open and obvious moral abomination.   They too were product of their time, but chose not to look away from something so ugly, open and obvious when doing so could be costly (e.g., William Lloyd Garrison. who a Boston crowd wanted to tar and feather)   For Lee to condemn courageous abolitionists who spoke with moral clarity about a great evil shows he really was a pro-slavery man at heart.     

Awesome! Thank you so much!