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2nd Volume of Vickers Guide: Kalashnikov Launches Today

Friday, November 8th, 2019

Today, Volume Two of the Vickers Guide to the Kalashnikov was launched. It covers AK-74 and Other Variants in 5.45x39mm and 5.56x45mm from around the World.

The detail of this series is impressive, from the special photography to the detailed information. To properly cover this expansive topic, co-authors Larry Vickers and James Rupley have assembled an international team of subject matter experts, including Ian McCollum of Forgotten Weapons and Rob Stott of The AK-47 Catalog, and traveled a record number of miles to visit collections in the United States, Switzerland, and Russia.

No military small arms library is complete without these volumes.

Get yours at www.vickersguide.com.

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At The Height Of The 60s Green Beret Craze

Wednesday, November 6th, 2019

From the back of a comic book.

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SCUBAPRO Sunday – Kokoda Track Campaign WW2

Sunday, November 3rd, 2019

The 3rd of November is Kokoda in Australia. The Kokoda campaign began with a full-scale attack on the Australian 39th Militia Battalion on 29 July 1942. The battle lasted three months as the Australians were pushed back to their last line of defense on Imita Ridge. The Australians rallied at this point and forced the Japanese back across the track. Kokoda was recaptured on 2nd November 1942, and the Australian flag was raised at a service the following day.

The Kokoda Track/Trail Campaign was fought between the Australians, the Americans, ,and the Japanese. It was primarily fought between the Aussies and the Japanese. The campaign consisted of a series of battles fought between July and November 1942 in what was then the Australian Papua New Guinea

Kokoda was undoubtedly the most significant battle fought by Australians in the Second World War because it was fought so close to home. The Kokoda campaign saved Australia from possible invasion from the Japanese. Port Moresby held a robust tactical position and preventing the Japanese from reaching it was vital. The battle was fought over five months, and the odds were stacked heavily in favor of the Japanese, they outnumbered the Aussies 5-1, they had much better equipment, and a lot more of it, and at the time were considered the best jungle fighters in the world. The astounding feats performed by the Australian soldiers lead to the growth of Australia as a nation.
The Australian troops had to save Port Moresby from getting invaded from the Japanese because if so, the Japanese could have easily invaded Australia. The Australian forces fought exceptionally well in the harsh and unforgiving jungle of the Kokoda Track/ Trail. There were more than 600 Allies killed, and about 75% of the allied troops got sick, with diseases like malaria, dengue fever, and dysentery, to name a few.

The Australians fought against all the odds and without the help of Great Britain. It was also fought mainly by Militia (reserve) troops or “chocolate soldiers” as the Australian Imperial Forces (AIF) called them because they were poorly trained, and it was said, “they would melt in the heat of battle.” At the start of the war, Australia sent its best troops the AIF to the middle east to help the brits. So, they stood up Militia Battalions to serve in Australia, to protect the homeland. Still, they used the loophole that Papua New Guinea was a territory, so they sent the 39th Militia there to help protect the island. This was one of the hardest fought battles in WW2 by anyone. I have attached a couple of links so you can read about this. As a lot of military units are getting back into the jungle, this is full of useful lessons learned and is an excellent piece of history. So raise a beer to the diggers and all the people that have gone before us.

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kokodacampaignww2.weebly.com

Posted in Advertiser, Guest Post, History, Maritime | 3 Comments »

Origin Of The Army Air Force Shoulder Sleeve Inginia

Wednesday, October 30th, 2019

OPFOR Militaria Reproductions does some cool stuff. They recently shared the documentation for the Army Air Force’s shoulder sleeve insignia.

op4milrepro.my-free.website

Posted in Air Force, History | 5 Comments »

A Moment In History From The Army Marksmanship Unit

Wednesday, October 30th, 2019

The AMU recently shared this image taken in the summer of 1967 when John Wayne was at the Home of Champions filming “The Green Berets” movie.

The US Army Fort Benning Soldier with the legendary actor is Sgt. Richard L. Foronato, who was part of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit’s Shotgun Team.

The scene filmed at Hook range was when Col. Lamar Asbury “Bill” Welch, the actual commander of the United States Army Airborne School at Fort Benning in 1967, makes a brief cameo shooting trap with John Wayne. Welch wears a 1960s U.S. Army Fatigue Baseball Cap (common issue during the Vietnam War) in the scene while the actors wear green berets. The Soldiers exercising on the drill field – who Wayne shouts to – were actual Army airborne recruits in training.

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US Army Europe – 1966

Wednesday, October 30th, 2019

This is what field training exercises in West Germany looked like in the 60s and the 70s.

Posted in Cold War, History | 7 Comments »

Polartec’s Role In ECWCS GEN III Development

Monday, October 28th, 2019

Polartec® (then Malden Mills) provided wool fabric to the U.S. government from the early 1900s, which was turned into uniforms. In the 1980s, Polartec created the first technical fleece for climbers, and it quickly became ubiquitous. It has been recognized as one of the 100 most important inventions of the 20th century by Time magazine, among countless other accolades.

In 1998, then Malden Mills owner Aaron Feuerstein hired David Costello to diversify the business of the company, and he, along with his colleague Jane Hunter, started traveling down the road to the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Systems Center. Their focus, initially, was cold weather clothing, and they started working on ways to leverage Polartec’s fabric innovation expertise to create better cold weather combat uniforms.

They immediately saw an opportunity to develop specific textiles for base layer, mid layer, and heavier weight fleece. One of the great benefits of working with the government is they can afford to do far better and more thorough testing than any company can, including extensive laboratories with testing equipment and field testing in extreme environments. They put product on 200 Marines, collected tons of scientific data, and assembled it into an informative report. This gave Polartec a heightened sense of what works.

The first Polartec product to be adopted was a Polartec® Classic 100 fleece, which replaced an acrylic wool sweater for the United States Marine Corps. Only one item had ever received higher field test ratings than the new Polartec fleece: M&M’s that had been added to MREs.

With this success, Polartec began traveling to Washington, D.C., to expedite the process of providing better gear for warfighters. These efforts succeeded through the appropriations of funding in the defense budget for the Marine Corps and Army, and helped accelerate the adoption of additional Polartec products.

When U.S. troops were deployed to Afghanistan, Rick Elder, an Army Ranger and Product Officer at Natick, wanted to update what was then the GEN II E.C.W.C.S. system into something that worked better for modern war environments faced by the Special Forces. Moshe Rock, a former Israeli military soldier who headed Polartec R&D at the time, developed Polartec® Power Dry® as a baselayer and militarized Polartec® Power Grid™ for U.S. Special Forces. Gadi Vainer, who still drives product innovation at Polartec, worked to develop what is now Polartec® High Loft™ fleece.

These products, integrated with some shell technology and additional insulation, created a system that worked for modern environments and was able to be adapted to modern warfighter needs in a seamless way.

The efforts of Polartec to advance the products did not go unnoticed by the Army, and would soon be adopted for the new GEN III E.C.W.C.S.. Polartec developed the foundation of this system (Levels I, II, III) engineered to be super packable, transfer moisture and dry quickly. They were designed to work together as a clothing system, and the U.S. Army made the decision that every person in the Army would be issued that system. It was a significant improvement in the ability to outlast the enemy in any environment and the system is still in deployment today.

Polartec has recently introduced its Polartec® Military Issue Collection, bringing these iconic, American-made, military-issue fabric technologies and finished garments directly to all Americans. Polartec GEN III E.C.W.C.S. products and the Polartec® Military Issue Collection include:

E.C.W.C.S. Level I Silkweight Shirt and Pants, the foundation of the modern GEN III E.C.W.C.S. layering system, made of a soft and comfortable Polartec® Silkweight fabric for versatile next-to-skin performance that includes fast wicking action and dry times, high durability and compressibility

E.C.W.C.S. Level II Grid Knit Shirt and Pants, the legendary “waffle” shirt, made of iconic (and patented) Polartec® Power Grid™ bi-component knit fabric, which maximizes warmth, breathability, wicking action, compressibility and versatility, while minimizing dry-times and weight.

E.C.W.C.S. Level III High Loft Jacket, the “smoking jacket,” made primarily of Polartec® High Loft™, the ultra soft and compressible fleece for warmth without weight, with Polartec® Power Grid panels

Micro Fleece Cap, small enough to stash anywhere for critical warmth, made of warm, highly compressible and lightweight Polartec® Micro series fleece in a durable three-panel construction

“We have long noticed veterans, active military, or even just the tactically-inclined reaching out to us directly, in search of these authentic military grade products,” says Polartec President Steve Layton. “No one should have to roll the dice on a blurry eBay photo or questionable shopping link to get a new pair of their favorite long underwear, “waffle” grid mid-weight top, or favorite “smoking jacket” design.”

Thanks to Polartec for the details!

Posted in Advertiser, Clothing, History, Materials | 2 Comments »

The McRae Industries Story – Part 2, Boots On The Ground

Friday, October 25th, 2019

Crafting combat footwear for the Vietnam War

> American troops in the Vietnam War needed a better combat boot.

The year was 1967, and the Vietnam War raged on. With half a million American troops in South Vietnam, the U.S. was at the height of its combat operations.

One major challenge? The standard, all-leather boot issued to troops was falling apart. As America’s warfighters trudged through the dense bamboo, razor-sharp grass, and perilous swamps of southeast Asia, the stitching on their boots was rotting. The federal government sought a more reliable construction to withstand the hot, wet, and humid conditions troops encountered every day.

A shoemaker’s mission: Combat boots that prevailed in the hot, harsh jungle.

“When lives are on the line – as they were every day in the Vietnam War – no gear is more critical than durable combat boots.”

– Jim McRae, Vice President, Director, and Secretary, McRae Industries

Changing course

Responding to the call: McRae Footwear got its start as a government contractor by making boots for American troops in Vietnam.

More than 9,000 miles away from Vietnam, in tiny Mount Gilead, NC, a children’s shoe company had a solution to the military’s boot problem. Gro-Rite Shoes built its footwear following “Process 82.” Instead of the standard practice of stitching on soles by using the welt construction, rubber outsoles were molded directly onto the leather, yielding a highly functional and long-lasting boot.

Responding to the call: McRae Footwear got its start as a government contractor by making boots for American troops in Vietnam.

Functional and long-lasting: McRae’s olive drab jungle boot.

The U.S. Department of Defense asked Gro-Rite to consider producing combat boots for the Vietnam War. The company bid on and was awarded its first federal contract. The product: olive drab jungle boots, with a hunter-green canvas upper section and thick black rubber outsole.

The war order secured, the company changed its name to McRae Footwear and swiftly exited the children’s shoe business. Although McRae shared the jungle boot contract with 13 other government suppliers, work was plentiful. Jungle boot construction continued steadily in Mount Gilead until 1973, when U.S. troops left Vietnam.

Building a relationship with the federal government

“The military boot business was a huge change for us,” says Jim McRae, vice president, director, and secretary of McRae Industries. “We had the equipment and we had the knowledge, but we needed to learn about government specifications and the ins and outs of being a government contractor.”

Sparked by the abiding tenacity of company founder Branson McRae, the company continued making military boots of various designs for the government using the vulcanizing/direct molded sole construction. Over the years, McRae has emerged as a trusted supplier of military boots.

The jungle boots were so successful that they remained a military-spec item until the mid-1990s. McRae still manufactures commercial versions of these boots using the same vulcanizing presses and molds from the Vietnam War era. Today’s boot is constructed of green canvas-colored nylon Cordura for light weight and maximum airflow.

“The Vietnam War had a huge impact on our nation,” Jim says. “It also had a huge impact on our family business. We started bidding for government contracts, and we have been fortunate ever since to continuously win government work.”

Posted in Advertiser, Boots, History, Industry | 2 Comments »