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In the summer the men in my company wore olive drab fatigues, and
combat boots with buckles on them. I have heard that the North Koreans called us
the "Soft caps." We went ashore at Inchon wearing caps, and were issued
steel helmets only after we had been there for several weeks. In our field packs
we carried a change of fatigues (usually dirty), a few changes of socks and
underwear (usually filthy), a razor, and a mess kit (the degree of
cleanliness I don't even want to think about). We also had a poncho, a shelter
half, and a sleeping bag rolled up on the pack, along with an entrenching tool
attached to the pack.
In the winter we wore long john underwear (tops and bottoms), fatigue
shirts, and a pair of "field pants" worn over our fatigue pants. We wore fatigue
jackets, and hooded parkas. We also had fleece lined caps with ear flaps, and
leather gloves with wool liners. I think we were in North Korea before they
finally issued us down-filled sleeping bags and shoe pacs.
Do any of you guys remember brushing your teeth while you were
there? I don't!
As far as what equipment I "didn't like," I have never given this any
thought. Since we carried only that which was necessary for survival and
defense, I guess there was nothing to really dislike. I often wished that we
could have had better boots and gloves to protect our feet and hands from the
numbing cold. But I don't believe that such things could be devised to protect
men who lived like animals in such an
environment.
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