US Army Uniform: Korean War

HY if you need a basic info about the equipment of teh GI duringthe Korean war this is a book you cannot miss, anyhow gives a geeral overwiev and cannot be considered as an extreem detailed guide. While can provide an interesting over all guide.

Finally --- a book dedicated to the uniforms worn by U.S. Army troops during the Korean War (1950-53)! Shelby Stanton's detailed masterpiece is superbly researched, well-written, and filled with interesting photos. Virtually every item of clothing is covered, from long johns to heavy parkas. Also described are the Army's headgear, footwear, insignia, and some personal equipment. WAC (Women's Army Corps) uniforms are also described in detail. This reviewer found only a couple minor errors, which in no way detract from the overall high quality of the book. For instance, ENtrenching tools are referred to as INtrenching tools. And the belt pouch for carrying two .30-caliber M1 Carbine magazines is called a "rifle/carbine ammunition pocket", even though it was not designed to hold the longer .30-06 rifle ammo. These small glitchs aside, I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the apparel worn by our Army personnel during the Korean War.

This is a book that will stand forever as a developmental history. Having just reviewed the other three works in this set, I am surprised that no one has thought themselves competent to review this one. Competence or its lack does not seem to deter some reviewers. :) Mine comes from two sources, one I have been collecting and studying this materiel since I was a boy. Second, I was there in the fifties. Went in in 1956, just three years after the Korean War was over, so the ranks of NCOs and officers were full of vets. Much of the service slang of the time such as "Chogy" which means hustle, hustle, quick step, came from that conflict. But this is not a combat history, it is an account of the US Army Quartermaster Corps reaction to the combat conditions in the Cold-Wet Climate and sub arctic conditions of Korea, first, and northern Europe secondly. Germany has a miserable winter climate. It is much easier to maintain one's health in very cold dry conditions in the arctic and subarctic than to be in cold freeze thaw daily conditions with snow and mud mixed. In Korea when continental cold waves came in these cold dry conditions ocurred but the general effect of the sea surrounding moderated it from excruciating pain to just plain miserably nasty. And in the Korean Summer the continental climate baked you. So all of this is thoroughly discussed herein. This is not a picture book of what the soldier looked like in the field. See the many by Johnathan Gawne and Philip J. Langelier for that sort of thing. I have reviewed most of them so look them up. Stanton was a serving officer in Vietnam and when he did his research he had access to the working files at the Army's Natick Laboratory in Masachusetts. He has used all the specifications and drawings that were published. Plus many, many official and personal photographs. In combination with his other works he has covered everything from 1939 to 1975. His complete ouevre includes WW II, Korea, Cold War, and Vietnam. I wish he would continue with the Modern Volunteer Army from 1975 on.