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Navy ships UIMs (rockers/tabs)


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These are examples of the Navy's Unit Identification Marks (UIMs). They have been used off and on since the mid 1950s. This batch are all post 1980. This can be determined by the black color of the back ground. USS Haddo is an example of a commercially produced UIM. When the jumper uniforms were first reintroduced in 1980, the Navy did not at first revive these patches. However, many ships went out on their own and had them made. They did not all meet Navy specs, but they were worn with pride.

 

Steve Hesson

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Again, the black marks are post '80. The USS Lawrence and USS New are examples of pre 1975 marks when they were dropped when the Navy put every one in the CPO style suit and tie uniform. Note these are a definate blue and they are shorter. At that time there were two length depending on the length of the name. Atfet 1980, they were all the same length.

 

The USS Henry B. Wilson mark is again a commercially made version. This was made in Subic. I was an SM1 at the time and we were there when the jumpers came back out. The First Class Mess all went out and had these made. We were a bit disapointed that they did not really look like the originals, but because they were so different, we wore them any way, even after the regulation ones were issued out.

 

Steve Hesson

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Of this batch, lower USS Forrestal and USS Kitty Hawk are pre '75. The upper Forrestal is a post '80 The USS America on the lower right is a commercially made mark. Compare it with the other America which is reg issue.

 

Steve Hesson

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This is a mix of old and new. The USS Kansas City is a commercialy made post '80 mark. The other blue ones are pre '75.

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Sorry, this is the group with Haddo. In the first post I meant the Truxtun was a commercially made mark.

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Sorry for the blurry photo. In this one, the pre '75 and post '80 marks are pretty clear. The USS Schenectity and USS ST. Louis are commercially made marks. Prior to the official regs comming out, when ships were getting their own marks made, some thought that the marks for white uniforms were white with blue lettering. This was of course incorrect, and I remember seeing several ships with these reverse color marks in the early days.

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That's quite the collection, Sigs.

 

I have a blue on white USS Camden. I only saved the rockers from my commands. I think I might have some from a sub or two (they're on jumpers from my LPO at the Seattle brig).

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Actually, I just checked and I only have another NAVSTA Puget Sound. I must have gotten rid of the other uniforms.

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At one time, I taught Recruit Company Commander School at Great Lakes. I taught the final phase and had "Go/No GO" authority on the students. I told them jokingly that if they wanted to pass they had to give me thier UIMs off thier uniforms (to be replaced with the ones from that command). So, they handed over a few. Some I picked up as a kid, my dad would bring them home, some I litterally found laying on the ground. USS Quapaw was one of those, I found when I was ten at the park on the base where we lived. I found the Mobil Salvage Unit one laying in the street in Virginia Beach in '87 or 88. I also used to find them in the trash on ships when guys would transfer aboard and pull off their old ones. Picked up a bunch of crows like that too.

 

Steve

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Here are a couple more of mine. Things to look at are with the first St. Louis, is a pre '75 blue back. the next one is the post '80 black back. Notice it is longer. This was done to accomodate long names and only produce one length of patch. The two loser ST. Louis marks are commercially produced from 1980. Interesting thing here. When the jumper uniform was revived, again, many ships went out and had these marks made up in the two colors shown. When the Navy got around to actually issuing them out, many ships such as ST. Louis got boxes of the old marks from prior to the marks being dropped (they were still in the supply system). Eventually, the standardized regulation black marks were sent to the ships. These marks were supposed to be issue items. You were to receive one per blue and white uniform. They were also often for sale in the ships store. I remember bying a couple for working jackets and such while on the Kitty Hawk for a nickle each.

 

Steve Hesson

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Late last year I acquired a couple hundered of these, most being other than ships (have some of those too). I had a heck of a time deciphering all those acronyms! :blink:

Back in 1972 while on active duty for training out in Long Beach, CA, I remember a bunch of us went into a bar in town that had a wall covered with these. This wall was behind the bar and it was dominated by a big morror, but on the sides and above the mirror were stapled hundreds if not thousands of these UIM's. The story was that if you donated one that wasn't already on the wall, you got a free drink. By this time, we didn't have to wear uniforms into town, we could go in civies, so I guess the bars owner lost out on his source of new UIM's. I guess you could have brought in a UIM and still got a free drink even if you were in civies.

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Late last year I acquired a couple hundered of these, most being other than ships (have some of those too). I had a heck of a time deciphering all those acronyms! :blink:

Back in 1972 while on active duty for training out in Long Beach, CA, I remember a bunch of us went into a bar in town that had a wall covered with these. This wall was behind the bar and it was dominated by a big morror, but on the sides and above the mirror were stapled hundreds if not thousands of these UIM's. The story was that if you donated one that wasn't already on the wall, you got a free drink. By this time, we didn't have to wear uniforms into town, we could go in civies, so I guess the bars owner lost out on his source of new UIM's. I guess you could have brought in a UIM and still got a free drink even if you were in civies.

I remember bars like that. In Subic, at a place called "Susans Restaurant" (It really was a restaurant) they had a wall of these including one from USS Constitution. They wouldn't sell the collection which surprised me since there you could buy anything.

 

Steve

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I love these things, I started with the UIM's my dad wore....COMSEVENTHFLT (He was aboard the Saint Paul, provenance, and OK City, but was on Flag Staff, so they wore COMSEVENTHFLT, not ship UIM's) and INTERDICTOR. Now I have approx. 800, about 500 ships, and 300 shore commands. The nice thing is I can usually get them pretty cheap....not a whole lot of guys collecting these either though it seems.

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I love these things, I started with the UIM's my dad wore....COMSEVENTHFLT (He was aboard the Saint Paul, provenance, and OK City, but was on Flag Staff, so they wore COMSEVENTHFLT, not ship UIM's) and INTERDICTOR. Now I have approx. 800, about 500 ships, and 300 shore commands. The nice thing is I can usually get them pretty cheap....not a whole lot of guys collecting these either though it seems.

You could collect forever. The thing to remember is that prior to '75, only "Deployable" units had UIMs. After '80, every command got them. Plus there are the variations of the pre '75 marks and post '80 marks for the same comman.

 

Steve

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These are some of my USS Camden AOE-2 UIMs. The white one was a mistake that was sent to the ship by the manufacturer - My buddy was the DISBO on the ship and gave me a handful of the ones they sent.

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Hello

 

Here is one from my alma mater, the infamous Fighting Stallions of VF-302 LOL.

This is from the early 1990s.

Thanks

Mark

 

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I also found this one somewhere along the way. VAW-113, an E2C Hawkeye Squadron posted at NAS Miramar (at least until the early 1990s?).

 

I really don't "collect" these, and I did not Serve with this squadron, so if anyone here Served with or knows someone who did Serve with this squadron and will honestly give this back to a Veteran from this squadron, please contact me.

Thanks

Mark

 

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JCFalkenbergIII

Same here Mark. I don't collect them either. I have quite a few of all types so far. But it was nice to get some info on them.

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  • 1 year later...

Hi, I started collecting these US Navy UIM tabs last year whilst visiting the US. I went to Mayport and Norfolk on HMS ARK ROYAL - British aircraft carrier which has since been de-commissioned due to budget cuts. Most of the US ships were happy to spare a UIM as a trade for a Royal Navy patch and I received more from the various tailoring shops outside the Naval Stations that do uniform alterations. I have since acquired many from online auctions and have around 500 ships and about 50 shore commands. I must confess that I am hooked - my wife doen't mind as they can be stored in a very small space..!

I am very keen to find a USS OLIVER HAZARD PERRY UIM if anyone has a spare one to sell or trade.

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