This thing when I enlisted… painted or colored black, and with a little pocket button hanger made from 100mph tape…
When I retired it was a bandoleer safety pin thru the foam earplugs inside your patrol cap or boonie hat as mission dictated. Just wash the earplugs with your headgear and you’re good to go 
Answers beget questions…thanks for your time.
Next question: When did you start seeing SAW’s on the line? I’ve read that they were withdrawn from service in 1985 pending improvements, but I don’t see when they returned and received widespread issue. Since I’m gravitating to a 1987 timeline, did you have them by then?
1987 5th ID did not have SAWs. At least not in my battalion. We had M16A1s all around. Early that summer we swapped our steel pots for k-pots, and later that summer was the change over from OG jungle fatigues for the then new hot weather BDUs. I was quite bummed that I couldn’t wear those anymore, they were such a comfortable and sharp looking uniform.
Ah, the old FN Minimi.
There were so many huings that they changed in them before it became general issue. I 'm still miffed about having to give up my Pig for this “Overglorified M16”, as i called it back in the day (mid 90s).
As-iusued in the 90s (M249); thicker barrel, foldable carry handle, solid plastic buttstock, redesigned rear sight, redesigned forward handgip with added top heatshield. This is the one I was issued in the mid 90s, then carried in Iraq and was assigned to me until i got out in 2007.
A few of us in this thread are so OG we’re double Oh G. Look it up, it’s a thing.
OH FO SHO!
Who remembers having to pin their unit crest on these damned things? There’s a word I’d use for that, but I won’t on this site. Like the high and tight and a pocket full of laminated SOP cards, there are some things I’m glad to have disappeared.
I actually saw these being reissued in the mid-2000’s - 2010’s. I don’t know if they were old stocks, but the ones I saw were generally more crystal clear than the Vietnam issue versions.
In my case, we did not have our unit crest on out plug cases, but we did have to carry the Divisional SOP on our left chest pocket (The “Victory” Standard). it was a laminated sheet printed in light blue. I have it somewhere in my military files at the house, but everyone had to have that thing in their pocket, and I have been challenged a time or two by some tight-wad LT and had to show it to prove I was up to snuff.
Those were the days.
You probably missed it but I mentioned it above. I hated it. Just as dumb was - the only thing that can go above the pocket in that little opening is the radiac meter. Really? Now we have spots for our pens on the sleeve, which is worse.
A few days ago I posted a photo of my reenlistment in front of Atomic Annie at Ft. Sill. You can actually see the reflection of my ear plug case in the photo.
Still trying to find some photos for you from back then. We weren’t allowed to take photos at Spandau Prison. So I did,.
I’ve got better ones somewhere.
East German patrol boat in one of Berlin’s canals.
Very cool pics
“You take picture of me, I take picture of you.”
Very cool. Thanks for the photos gents.
Stik, is that a photo from a book or from your service?
Something that I found online… reminds me of a photo that I once did with a buddy…
My friend and I followed a tour bus through a gate to the Soviet War Memorial in West Berlin. Man did we almost get in a heap of trouble. Damn near escalated into an international incident. Fortunately he took a photo of me and my girlfriend as proof.
Here’s another from my time there, taken while I was East Berlin.
Couple of dudes I met on my wanderings:
I’m pretty sure I posted this one before:
When I found this photo I thought it was the Haus der Kapitulation, but it turns out it’s just some random house in the DDR. The front door is strikingly similar though. I’ll probably stumble across it someday. I have thousands of photos, many take from a Kodak instant camera hidden in a book.
Speaking of cameras hidden in books, inside the Haus der Kapitulation, photos were strictly forbidden, so naturally…
Last one for today. This was not East Berlin, but it was in the DDR. Site of one of the most influential happenings in the last millenium. Any guesses?
I don’t know you well, but from what I do know, this sounds about right.
Luther’s 95 theses and the beginning of the Reformation, if I am not mistaken.
You are correct, sir.
This is the photo that caused things to go south and got us chased by Soviet security. Apparently getting out of (or in our case off of) your vehicle is frowned upon.
Back view of the Martin Luther Church, generally only seen if you’re backbacking through the DDR with a large ALICE on your back,
Some of our Genossen in no man’s land:
I really wish this one had turned out better. That’s what happens when you hide your camera.
