The Unofficial Flags of the US (12/6/07)
Since the United States first adopted the stars and stripes as the official flag design on June 14th 1777, it has been changed 27 times. At first an additional stripe as well as a star were added to the new flag when new states were recognized. That resulted in the only 15 star and 15 stripe US flag on May 1st, 1795. More >>

Which is a better collectible: A 48 or 49 star flag? (12/5/07)
It isn’t surprising that when asked to choose between a 48 star US flag or a 49 star US flag, invariably the 48 star flag is always chosen first. The reasoning is that the 48 star flag is older than the 49 star one and hence more collectible. The short answer is yes and no. More >>

Hearing the Veteran’s Story (11/29/07)
I just read an article stating there are only three living WWI vets left. It seems like they all faded away without receiving the recognition they deserved. I’ve only met one WWI vet in my life. He was my great uncle Benny. Benny served with the 88th Division and told me that he survived the war but nearly died on the troop ship coming home because of a serious flu outbreak. More >>

Military Collectibles for Investment (11/21/07)
I recently read a New York Times article about military collectibles that touched on two interesting subjects. More >>

What flag is that? (11/11/07)
The Chesapeake Bay Flag Association held a meeting at the Flag House in Baltimore, Maryland on November 10, 2007 as they do periodically.  The Flag House is the site where Mary Pickersgill had sewn what is now known as the Star Spangled Banner flag, the one that flew over Fort McHenry during the bombardment of Baltimore by the British in 1814.  This flag, now in the Smithsonian Institution, i More >>

Not all Visor Caps are “Crushers” (11/8/07)
There is rampant misuse of the term “crusher cap” in reference to US visor caps in the WWII militaria collecting market. A crusher cap is a type of visor cap that is intended to be soft and pliable. Germans also had a crusher cap designed for field use, but that is another topic. US crusher caps were designed for pilots and air personnel to comfortably wear under their headset. More >>

WWII Airborne Reinforced M42 Jump Jacket ID’d To Vet (11/3/07)
I recently acquired my first M42 Reinforced jump jacket. This jacket was even CC-2′d (Chemical impregnation to protect skin from gas), which led me to believe that it was used on the Normandy jump. Based off the canvas used and the rigger sewing construction, I could tell that it was 82nd Airborne. More >>

MACV-SOG 1-0 Jacket: A Symbol For Vietnam’s Elite Among The Elite (11/3/07)
Until recently, little was known or published about MACV-SOG, an elite US Special Forces reconnaissance unit in Vietnam. SOG was under joint command by 5th Special Forces Group and CIA with an objective to recon and disrupt the Ho Chi Minh trail by running cross-border operations into denied areas, primarily Laos and Cambodia. SOG recon teams were small, typically 6 to 8 men. More >>

The Evolution of Jungle Boots Worn in Vietnam (7/27/07)
The first jungle boots to be worn in South East Asia where developed immediately post WWII for use in Panama. They resembled WWII boots by having double buckles and a russet brown leather finish. They saw limited use in Vietnam with the exception of being worn by early Special Forces advisor teams in Laos (Operation Hot Foot / White Star) and occasionally by TDY teams in Vietnam. More >>

401st GIR (Glider Infantry Regiment), 101st Airborne Uniform Group (7/26/07)
This uniform grouping was worn by PFC James J. Kriha, Service Company 401st GIF, 101st Airborne. Kriha was a post D-Day replacement and fought in Holland (Operation Market Garden), where he was seriously wounded and spent the next year and a half in hospitals recovering. More >>