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Original WWI USMC AEF Officer's Service Uniform Cap
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Original WWI USMC AEF Officer's Service Uniform Cap
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Original, and extremely scarce WWI American Expeditionary Force Marine officer's service cap, in excellent condition. Although at first glance this appears to be a typical USMC officer's cap ca. 1910-1920 (and these are uncommon enough!), the fabric color is what makes this piece extraordinary: the cap's woolen body, officer's mohair braid, and crown quatrefoil are all in WWI "Army Drab." And a Marine officer's cap crafted in this color could only have been manufactured in 1918 or 1919, and probably in Europe. (For those of you not savvy to WWI Marine minutiae, please scroll down to the portion of the description headed "Background," and let me explain.) And for you skeptics who understandably know little about the art of headgear manufacture, be assured: it is physically impossible to machine-sew a quatrefoil atop an already-made cap, so this is not an Army cap with added Marine braid. Visor is of dark brown--some would say cordovan--leather, lined in green, textured oilcloth. Chinstrap matches, and in typical Marine fashion, appears to have been worn quite a bit under the chin--not just as a cap ornament. The USMC chinstrap buttons are interesting, and appear to be French-made. They're stamped of iron, with a dark brown enameled finish, and brad fasteners on their reverse sides. The officer's brown-bronze finished eagle, globe, and anchor insignia is of fine quality, but--as with most insignia on most vintage headwear--I'm unsure if it's original to the piece. It may well be of later manufacture. Cap is lined with black, twilled cotton, and this lining exhibits the stitch-holes from a long-gone, diamond-shaped, celluloid sweat shield. I can find no evidence of a maker's label anyw, so it probably departed along with the celluloid. Sweatband is of russet leather, 1 7/8" (4.8 cm.) wide, and is in good shape; size is approximately 7 3/8. Cap's overall condition is excellent, with no evident mothing, staining, soiling, tears, holes, or other unsightly defects, and only a few minor scuffs on the visor. In other words, this cap is just plain beautiful. And while it seems like most things seen on eBay nowadays are labeled as "rare," I think this overused adjective might very accurately characterize this piece of Marine Corps history. I've certainly never seen--or even heard of--another in over forty years of collecting and admiring Devil Dog artifacts. BACKGROUND: The Corps arrived in Europe in 1917 sporting its trademark "forester green" uniform. These duds quickly wore out, and the AEF high command (in the form of Pershing himself) decreed that they were not to be replaced from Marine stocks. Rather, all Americans would wear Army drab--a sensible supply expedient understandably greeted with little enthusiasm by the Leathernecks. As a result, most Devil Dogs fought in khaki green at Belleau Wood and Soissons (though, in an interesting twist of fate, newbie replacements wearing their forest green uniforms were easily marked as FNGs by their battle-hardened, khaki-wearing comrades!). After the Armistice--and, for some, a stint occupying Germany--the Marines returned stateside, discarded their Army togs, and quickly donned their cherished greens.
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