Item Description
Original Item: One-Of-A-Kind. This is a fantastic memento from the Vietnam War. This blouse bears many names of the men that “Bob” Wiegand served with during his time in Vietnam. Signed items such as this with the “well wishes” from comrades was and still is a very popular practice. At the end of my (Paddy) time in Afghanistan, before packing up to go home, we all passed around flags and skivvy shirts to be signed by the guys we served with, making these items very personal and highly collectable today.
The blouse itself is an OG-107 variant known as the “Type III”. The OG-107 uniform was introduced in 1952 during the Korean War, succeeding the M1943 Uniform. It became the standard for use both in the United States and on overseas deployment by the beginning of the Vietnam War. As the Tropical Combat Uniform (jungle fatigues) became more plentiful in South Vietnam, they began to replace the OG-107 Uniform in combat units.
In the United States and foreign postings (outside of Southeast Asia), the OG-107 remained the standard uniform throughout the 1960s and 1970s. This is one of the longest issued uniforms by the US Military, seeing use from 1952 until the adoption of the poly-cotton blend OG-507 in 1975. Minor modifications were made to the uniform over time such as adding buttoned cuff slits in the mid-1960s.
The "Type III" is the most common model and can be split into two versions based on the time of manufacture and material. This version was specified at the very end of 1964 and still used the standard 8.5 ounce cotton sateen. However, due to changes in production and distribution time, they were not really seen until 1966. This version maintained all of the key distinctive style features such as the pockets, etc., but with some key differences. The two shirt chest pockets received a pointed pocket flap. The shirt also received a button cuff at the wrist. The buttons were changed to the "standard" dull plastic button as used on jungle fatigues (and later BDUs). Another change to the trousers was the removal of the waist adjustment tab. Both the shirt and pants also adopted the "true measurement" sizing style – for example, pants were marked in waist and inseam length (32" x 34" would show pants with a 32" waist and 34" inseam) and the shirts were marked in neck size and sleeve length (16.5" x 34" would show a shirt with a 16.5" neck and a 34" sleeve length). The cotton uniform was commonly referred to as "starchies" and this is a wonderful example of why they were referred to as such. The uniform top has be starched heavily giving it a wonderful platform to write and draw on.
The signatures vary with dates and messages including some that may be inappropriate for younger eyes, so display at your own discretion. All artwork, messages and names are still easily distinguishable, however there are a few that may be difficult to read.
Overall condition is quite nice and would make for an excellent research opportunity. Comes ready for display.
Approximate Measurements:
Collar to shoulder: 9"
Shoulder to sleeve: 25”
Shoulder to shoulder: 16”
Chest width: 22"
Waist width: 21"
Hip width: 21"
Front length: 31"
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