What do you wear?

[UK Jack]

Hi all.

How do you guys State side dress when you are at shows in your vehicles.........do you wear WW2 uniforms, carry weapons in your trucks etc etc.

Cheers.

Jack.

[joel gopan]

I wear something comfortable, usually bluejeans, O.D. Red Ball chapter T-shirt, hiking boots, and my favorite "gimme" hat, or low profile MVPA hat. For Memorial and Veterans Day parades, I wear my American Legion Cap. I also wear my NOMEX Flying Jacket if it is cool I kind of shy away from wearing my old GI fatigues or any complete uniform, as it is "old stuff" to me and those days are over. By coincidence, I spent some time with General Chuck Yeager a few years back, and noted his favorite "dress" at air shows and while flying a P-51 is bluejeans, and his hiking boots. I guess it makes a difference if one has served one's country, as to how they feel about wearing their old unifoms. I had a neighbor who has been deceased since the 70s, and it was a sight to behold to see this 90 year old man dressed in his Spanish American War Uniform, and walking to the Memorial and Veterans Day Parades.
Joel

[armydriver]

It depends. In years past I wore a set of Khakis when driving my 43GPW, but now I am like Joel, I wear a T shirt, shorts on hot days, jeans on cooler days and comfortable shoes. I like ball caps to wear when driving because of the bill that cuts down on the glare and wear deer skin gloves as the skin on my hands has gotten thin from diabetes and it tears easy.
I have seceral CAF flight suits I wear if the truck is going to a WWII airshow and they are comfortable also. No helmets or pistol belts for me anymore.

[joel gopan]

It is sort of like the quote by General of the Army McArthur "Old Soldiers never Die, they Just Fade Away" It sounds like Jim lost his britches too. Jim is more than qualified to tell war stories too. He has a lot of action behind him. The only thing fading about me is my bluejeans, I still have some tailored and starched fatigues, and field jackets from my early 60s Ft Benning days, but could not get them on if I wanted to. I know it is fun to get in the swing of things, and if you want to wear period dress, be my guest. Somehow, the expression "dressed to kill" comes to mind.
Joel

[UK Jack]

Well I have attended a show yet because as you know, I have only just got my GMC but if I can get it finished in time than 'we' have been invited to the end of season show at Bovington Tank Museum.

I have however attended many shows with my friends from the Dorset branch of the MVT. It is very much frowned upon if you aren't dressed in OD's as when you are in the show ring people like to take photographs and don't like to see bright colours around the vehicles..........I understand this point completely and agree with it.

The limited amount of driving that I have done in my GMC has been done wearing my tankers overalls............but I do like the idea of driving it with a suit and tie on!

[armydriver]

I really like to see you younger guys in period uniforms with these trucks, just like they look good when a pilot climbs down out of a P-51 Mustang
wearing WWII pinks and an A2 leather flight jacket . Us older, over weight guys just don't do period uniforms justice anymore. Like Joel said I lost my breeches, but in 100 degree heat, shorts are a lot more comfortable, especially when creeping in a parade and you can feel the heat coming from the engine compartment.
As Joel mentioned earler, Nomex flight suits are great in cooler weather, but brother those things don't breath and they are a killer in hot weather. UK, dress up. You will do your truck justice by wearing a period uniform and it adds to the history.

[almrens]

I am driving my GMC trucks only for events and or stand on displays.
On displays we work with the trucks for the show.
So I always wear WW2 GI clothing and GI gear .

[Omar]

Armydriver is that you?

I've been wondering where the heck you've been, we've missed ya on the G503!

Was starting to wory about you.

Omar

[armydriver]

Yeh, got busy posting here and doing other summer things. Will visit 503 today and get back into the swing of things.

[dr deuce]

I use various forms of dress:

Parades and Cruize nights casual civy clothing that is clean and neat. Maybe a T-shirt with pix of HMVs on them.

Airshows and displays I usually wear my 'Pearl Harbor Defenders Uniform'. This is Kaki Dickey work pants and shirt with set of stripes usually Private or Corporal on the sleeves, my early WW2 cartridge belt with canteen and first-aid kit, my early WW2 back pack, my M1903 Springfield training rifle with the long bayonette, and my early WW2 flat
rimmed helmet. If you look at old pix of WW2 you will see GIs dressed like this in the Phillipines, Pearl Harbor etc. I think the uniform is so quaint!
I keep the bayonette edges dulled down because on the M1903 training rifle, it makes the rifle slightly topheavy and someimes it will want to go over backwards when carried on my shoulder.

In addition, I have my WW2 Handi-Talkie which I sometimes bring oe my WW2 mine detector. You never know when there might be a mine in downtown Keene NH....

The advantage of this psuedo-uniform is that if the truck breaks down and you get the Dickeys greasy (you would not have the other real stuff on at that time), you just cut the patches off and throw the Dickeys away!

Steve AKA Dr Deuce

[armydriver]

That is snappy dress doc. I have always liked the early WWII pacific uniforms with the old flat helmets, leggings, khakis and tan web gear.

[joel gopan]

A closed Cab fills up fast when you have Web gear and weapons.
Joel

[UK Jack]

do you guys have weapons in your holsters in the cabs and if so, are they deactivated?

I do think that if you are at a show then you should treat your vehicle as a 16' museum including what it carries, waht is bolted on and who is in it.

To me, it is all about telling a story.

Over here, I write for a magazine called Shooting Times and I write about our ancient woodlands, you wouldn't believe how massive the feedback has been about these articles. People do not recognise history until it is pointed out to them. HMV are exactly the same.

[Brent Delaney]

Hi guys,

Its an interesting side line, when you start adding weapons and accessorys, as long as the occassion and venue are appropraite
we will bring out the weapons pertaining to the vehicle or era.

You have to be a little careful nowadays, with all this "pc" crap and
the current world situation, that aside we very rarely get a negative response when we are out and about, maybe the "bird" from an irate
motorist if you hold them up. Which is becoming an issue as our vehicles are no longer able to keep up with the flow of modern traffic, so its important to be considerate when driving the bigger stuff eh.

Anyway I kinda drifted aways abit, thinking about the recovery of our 2nd M 816 tomorrow.

Getting back to uniforms I have opted to go with high visibilty vests, you know the kind that road workers wear, makes a huge diifferents at night time on the highways when stopping to mother natures call .

I did wear a full dpm uniform with GI helment the other weekend in a parade for veterens 150 km away, have a working radius of about 4 hours
driving after that its to hard on the butt and the wallet.

take care,

Brent Delaney.

[Matt]

Although I have deact weapons I would never carry them in a vehicle unless in a locked box,since the bombings in London carrying any sort of gun,deact or otherwise,is likely to get you shot.the Police have already managed to shoot one innocent man.

I don't know how aware you guys in the US are of the British gun laws but to say they are strict is putting it mildly! all handguns are basically banned,nothing auto or semi-auto and there are preposals to ban deacts (dewats) too!

Has all this led to a reduction in gun crime? no not really.next in the list of things to ban,kitchen knives which are pointed.I kid you not.

[UK Jack]

Matt I hav ealready written to my MP about the Violent Crime Bill......and got a reply I have also written to Tony Blair and to the Home Secretary...........waiting to hear back from them but understand that they are slightly busy at the moment but then the Home Secretary has just gone on holiday


Guys were is the best source for unforms/kit for reenactors State side?

[joel gopan]

Right now I would not drive an MV in England if I were not clean shaven or had moustache and whiskers. After the Oklahoma incident, I avoided driving near any yellow Ryder Trucks. I am on the board of an aviation museum, and will not install my M-31C Mount on my MB as I display it at the Museum right next to the taxi ramps at Bangor International Airport. Why ask for trouble?
Joel

[armydriver]

Joel is right there. In todays politically charged world you might invite somthing you don't want. Definately do not dress as a SAS desert soldier with Arab head dress and robes.

[joel gopan]

I am familiar with some of the security guards hired by GSA, and they sort of are spread all over the intelligence spectrum, some are professional in their demeanor, others are still "county mounties" at heart, while they are building retirement credits.
Joel

[dr deuce]

Nice wooden box in the bed of the CCKW to carry all the web gear etc.

I forgot to mention, I wear the leggings over my cocoran boots.

I have my dummy 1903 springfield too.

I am not cow-towing to the Politically Corrupt crowd. This past week, I took the 10 kt paractice N on the Bomb Trailer behind the Bomb Truck to the Weare rally. It was a hit but was upstaged by the tanks.....


Steve AKA Dr Deuce