From: Frank Gilliland on Wed 16 Nov 2005 08:10

On 16 Nov 2005 07:02:10 -0800, "Major Dud" wrote in

snip

he would be required to own them in the Army

Having never served in the Army, I never had that problem.

The two sets of dress blues I owned while in the Marine Corps were
issued to me, free of charge. A "perk" of assigned duties.

More bull**** from Major Dud [sigh]. Uniforms in the Corps are never
issued "free of charge", assigned duties or not. You get a small
clothing allowance each month but it's not nearly enough to maintain
the minimum required uniforms, let alone pay for dress blues. And from
the time I joined the Corps to this very day I think I have seen only
two sets of used dress blues for sale -- the uniform means too much to
a Marine to buy them second-hand, and for the same reason they are
rarely ever sold or given away even after discharge. Heck, I still
have mine hanging in the closet next to my float jacket. Yet Dudly
claims he "owned" (past tense) not one but two sets? Pure bull****.

Strange that Dudly has not posted - and bragged about - any
photo of him wearing his dress blues. So far, what has been
uncovered about Dudly are the following uniform pictures:

1. Snapshot of him in hospital scrubs, not fully identified.
Civilian clothing.

2. Photo of him in cammies while with the Tennessee STATE
militia. [green camoflage utility uniform with boots]
No longer seen.

3. Semi-portrait of him in a flight suit bearing Captain's
cloth bars...flight suit NOT identified as USAF. Could
be obtained at store at/near any large airport.

If Dudly has "two sets" of dress blues, why NO photograph of
him in either one? No snapshot, no portrait, NOTHING.

Not as an active-duty Marine, not as a Marine Reservist...
You are right, Dudly speak with fertilized tongue.

We didn't get any nice formal portrait photo in dress
uniform free in the 1950s, even if in a Signal Corps unit
that had a photographic group. Never cost a great deal
and I paid for mine in the summer uniform. Like it might
cost all of two bucks today for a good snapshot and drugstore
enlargement of old film, Kinkos or Office Depot service
available for digitizing one for a few dollars. shrug

=====

In the "old Army" I was in of the 1950s, I don't recall any
clothing allowance. Us soldiers got issued "fatigues" (our
name for utility uniform), olive-drab "winter" uniform,
khaki "summer" uniform, socks, minimal underwear, boots,
and "low-quarters" (dress shoes). Patches, insignia of
rank, were free but no allowance for sewing them on...nearly
all posts had concessionaire tailor facilities that would do
that at low cost. While we got the "overseas" cap free, we
would all buy a better version in the PX. [indelicate name
for that "overseas" cap that would offend pansies here]
Supply Clerk kept records on our minimum allowance for free
clothing...destruction beyond normal wearability re-issue
had to have CO approval or it was a "statement of charges"
pay deduction. As a field test engineer at a military
place, there were few needs for "uniform" clothing and,
when that was required, civilian contractor personnel had
to sign for it, then return it. If damaged the contractor
had to pay for it.

We could wear a FULL dress uniform ("pinks and greens"
approved by regulation...same tailoring as commissioned
officers)...IF we bought it ourselves. Since few of us
enlisted types went to embassy balls or veddy formal
parties, having a set of enlisted man pinks and greens
was VERY rare. One of my classmates at our 2001 50th
High School Reunion had gone Army for Thirty, came to the
Reunion dinner in MSgt-rank pinks and greens; he had been
out for about two decades, stood out vividly in the group
of about 350. One of my good friends from high school
had also done a Thirty, but as a Warrant Officer, and came
in a civilian suit. That Reunion took place a week-plus
before the "9/11" Attack.

For stylish comfort, I shelled out some bucks to have my
fatigues tailored, the separate blouse using snaps instead
of buttons and the huge side pockets of the issue pants
made into conventional pants pockets. Was approved, by
the way. As an E-5 with overseas pay supplement, monthly
salary I got was all of $154, and all taxable. RHIP? :-)