MiG-19

Not two weeks ago, e-bay had a new, still in the box pair of official brown Scout shoes, size 8, circa 1950's. I think they ended up selling for about $14.00. I happen to wear an 8, but didn't bid. Semper fi, MiG-19

Hey all! I just want to reiterate what I've said on a couple of other threads: that a Scout in full uniform is a really important pillar of Scouting, and sets us apart from other youth organizations. The full uniform includes the neckerchief and slide. Anything less is just doing "the easy thing", which really isn't what Scouting is about. I've seen quite a few posts on here and other threads advocating zipoff legs on the pants. The Marine Corps just adapted a new BDU. During testing, convertible sleeves were a sought after option on the blouse, but were soon discarded as an option by everyone who did tghe field testing, because they were very likely to get lost once removed, and unless they were attached each and every time they were washed, you end up with two distinct colors on one piece of clothing. Most people here have the right idea: leadership by example. Put a leader in the complete and properly worn uniform, and your Scouts will follow the example. My two cents. Semper fi, MiG-19

Bravo-Zulu Eaglefoot. Well researched, and very apt. Though these words may have been written years ago, they still hold true. The neckerchief and slide are indeed essential to the Scout uniform. Semper fi, MiG-19

Rooster7, Thanks for the kind words, and the invite. I would never turn down an invite to an Eagle COH, so if I get to the area, I'll definately call. It was a great job, but only one in a career that was nothing but an adventure. Marine ONE is maintained by Marine Helicopter Experimental Squadron ONE, or HMX-1. HMX-1 is the largest aviation squadron in the Marine Corps. At any one time there are over 60 pilots serving in the squadron. Wherever the President is in the World, you will find several Marine ONE aircraft and crew, so it doesn't take long to run out of personnel and aircraft when you have well-travelled Presidents! The Bush's were a great family, and he never got on the aircraft that he didn't come up front and slap the crew on the shoulder and have a kind word. The whole family was extremely nice. All in all, I would just say that for young Scouts considering careers (are you listening Hop Scout?) the military offers adventures in spades. I feel like I never had to grow up, that life has been one long summer camp! Thanks again for the kind words, and the invitation. Semper fi, MiG-19

As a Scout, we always met through the Summer, and those were some of the BEST times we had! Here on Okinawa, we go through a lot of Summer turnover in personnel on the Island, but it seems most Troops/Packs continue to meet through the Summer. BTW, SMT376RichmondKY, I'm a 1979 EKU grad!! It's great to see someone from Richmond on here. Semper fi, MiG-19

Wow, Great Thread! Like 12 Points, I too am a 24 year Marine Veteran on Okinawa. Unlike 12 Points, I just retired last month! However, I am one of those guys who just can't do anything else, so I stayed on here in the same job I had before I retired, which is the Deputy G-3 (Operations Officer) for Marine Corps Bases Japan. As a Marine, I was a pilot, primarily in helicopters. My primary aircraft was the CH-46 Sea Knight, the large tandem-rotor helicopter we use for Troop Assault Support. I also flew at the Navy Flight School as a flight instructor for three years, which involved flying the Bell TH-57 (Bell Jet Ranger). I also flew Marine ONE for four years during the first Bush administration, which is the green and white VH-3D and VH-60 that you see on the White House lawn. My last flying job here in Okinawa was as a part time flyer (once a week) flying the UC-12, or the Beech King Air, which is a nice T-Tail twin engine turboprop. We flew from Okinawa all over the Pacific, to Mainland Japan, Korea, Philippines, Guam, etc. It was a great job. Now I do the same work I was doing before I retired, only I don't fly, and I wear a coat and tie instead of camoflage. I'm back into Scouting on Okinawa as a Unit Commissioner, and am about to become a Tiger Cub Den Leader for my twin son's Tiger Cub Den. It is great to be back in the fold. Semper fi, MiG-19

Well said Hop Scout, Scottsunny and Rob K. I said this on the uniform forum, and I'll reiterate here: The neckerchief is one of the most distinguishing parts of the Scout uniform, and sets us apart from other youth groups. People always gripe about their uniform, but there are some parts that need to remain, because when the tradition goes, so to does the future of the organization. Having just retired from 24 years as a Marine Corps officer, I can appreciate outdated, yet still worn items that are steeped in tradition and identify an organization for what it is. Someone mentioned that no one wants to wear a starched collar in this day and age, well, we still do wear them in the Marine Corps, and I can assure you, not one Marine I ever met wants to change the way our dress blues look. Look at a picture of a Marine in Dress Blues from the early part of the last century, and you will find that they are vertually unchanged. For Hops Scout, I can answer some of your questions about the Marine uniform, and yes, every part has a meaning. Starting with the trousers: Marine officers and Non-Commissioned Officers (Corporal through Sergeant Major) wear a red stripe on our blue trousers, affectionately called a "blood stripe". This stripe represents the loss of officers and Non-Commissioned Officers at the battle for Chapaltepec in the War with Mexico in 1848. (From the Halls of Montezuma...) The high collar on our dress blues (with a white starched high collar on the inside worn by officers) is representative of the leather collar worn by Marines during the age of sail, to protect them from sword blows. This is where the term "Leatherneck" comes from. Incidentally, the buttons worn on all Marine dress uniforms, are unchanged since the 1860's. They contain the original Marine Corps insignia from 1775. The sword carried by Marine Officers is a curved Marmaluke Sword, like the one presented to young Lt. Presley O'Brien when he led a unit of Marines and Sailors to capture the Pasha of Tripoli. Lt O'Brien brought back the Pasha's head, and was presented the sword as an honor by the Pasha's brother, who had requested the assistance. (To the Shores of Tripoli...) Marine officers have carried this sword ever since, except for during the War Between the States, when they carried Naval Officer's Swords. Following the War Between the States, the officers went back to the Marmaluke, and turned the Naval Officer sword over to Staff Non-Commissioned Officers, and no other service has ever given a token of leadership to their enlisted that means as much as this does. By the way, new 2nd Lieutenants are still required to purchase and drill with the exact same sword today. Practical? Not. Traditional and steeped with meaning? You bet. Does it instill pride in the organization? Have you ever heard of a Marine who wasn't proud? The cover (or hat) worn by Marine Officers contains a braided Quatrafoil. The origins of the Quatrafoil again goes back to the day of sail, when Marines manned the rigging in fighting ships during battle. The idea of the Quatrafoil was so that the Marines in the rigging could identify their officers in the smoke of battle and not fire on their own. This will end the history lesson and the US Marine Corps for today, but I just want to return to the original thought of this thread: the neckerchief may seem outdated, but it is a ready symbol of Scouting, and should continue to be worn with pride. Happy Memorial Day everyone, Semper fi, MiG-19

DS and Hops Scout, Thanks for the kind words and the warm welcome. The thanks for service is much appreciated, and I'd like to convey my own thanks to all the other Service Members on this Memorial Day Weekend. Thanks for keeping us free. Semper fi, MiG-19

Hello All, I am brand new to scouter.com and this is my first post. I really enjoy the site. I was a Cub Scout, Webelo, and a Boy Scout until I was 17 back in the mid-70's. Our Scoutmaster taught us that the complete uniform was the only way to dress, and I never once saw anyone wear a Scout shirt with jeans or any other combination of civilian attire in my troop. We were not made up of affluent people, and yet everyone found a way to have a complete uniform. As for hats, we wore either campaign hats or the old "overseas hat". Shoes were to be polished unless we were in the field and then it was boots. The training I received as a Scout was invaluable. My Troop was indeed one of the tightest organizations I have ever experienced, and the friendships I made then last to this day. As I was leaving Scouting, the "new" uniform was coming in. This is the one with the red beret and the belt activity loops. We hated it! The uniform we had been wearing before was considered by all to be superior to the new one. Campaign hats? They worked great for us, and I have one now, and still love it. (They are offered on e-bay as well as surplus stores). I left Scouting when I went to college, and then served 24 years in the Marine Corps. I just retired from the Corps, though I still live and work for the Corps in Japan. I have recently returned to Scouting, and I must confess, I LIKE the current uniform. I was prepared not to like it, because it was different from what I wore as a kid, but I find that I do actually like the way it looks. (One of the first things I purchased at our Scout Store, was the uniform regulations. They are very clear and should be read by all leaders.) As for berets, very few people wear a beret properly. It can be and usually is a very unsightly blob on your head. They didn't look good in the '70s, and they don't look any better now. Yes, it's become standard head gear for the Army, but the majority of soldiers I come across hate it, and the vast majority of them can't or won't wear them properly. A word on BDU's: Mike Walton has written a very concise account of why BDU's are not appropriate Scouting attire, and it is available on his web site, The Tree. Neckerchefs: Should be mandatory, as they are a very visible and recognizable sign of being a Scout, (and they still look best worn with the shirt collar rolled under). Uniforms change over time. However, the traditions that make an organization what it is, should be incorporated in the changes. Bottom line, the uniform has always been part of being a Scout, and only a complete official Scout uniform should be worn, both by the Scouts and their leaders. Semper fi, MiG-19