"US boots in Korea?" Topic

Sorry -- don't know why it duplicated my thread.

I was watching an episode of the old M*A*S*H TV show last night and noticed that all the U.S. soldiers (except Hotlips, the nurse) were wearing black boots. I know the U.S. Army used brown boots during WW2 -- wouldn't it still have been using those in Korea?

Maybe they didn't get their brown polish and ended up having to use black instead? :)

Dan

My dad was issued brown boots at basic training in 1958, and also issued crappy black shoe polish and their first task was turning the brown boots black. It was a miserable effort because they kept making them re-polish as the color faded, which it did quite readily. This was also still the army where your DI could beat the crap out of you. And did.

The US army didn't go to black boots until '57. The MASH TV show is anything but historically accurate. It wasn't even about Korea – it was Vietnam thinly disguised as Korea.

That would be a real hassle trying to keep brown boots black with just shoe polish. That sounds like the Gov't/Army trying to save $$$$. And using up old stocks of left over WWII brown boots. Which I can see the "logic" in that. No matter what the effect was on the troops.

E.g. in the early '80s, we were still issued C-Rats left over from Vietnam. Until the stocks were all used up. And the MRE could be issued. Which again made sense, economically. Those C-Rats were good for about 25 year(?)IIRC. We even got old LRRP rats issued at times, again left over from Vietnam [Those were pretty good vs. many C-Rat meals !].

The Mess would even pack up brown bag lunches. Instead of issuing Cs or LRRPs for us to take to the weapons ranges. The formations had an M16, etc., in one hand and a brown bag lunch in the other.

In an uncharacteristic move. When the BDU came out. The stocks were not able to get enough for the entire Army to get issued. Plus the first batches were not of high quality. The black faded to purple and one arm or leg would shrink differently from the other. The troops would use black shoe polish to try to turn the purple back to black.

So the Army decided to make the "wise" decision to let troops wear a variety of tactical uniforms. In the beginning the old Fatigues, Camo Jungle or BDUs could be worn. Until the stocks were available for issue to all.

When I came back from the ROK in '86 at Ft. Benning, GA. We could wear the BDU, Camo Jungle or Green Jungle uniforms. And even the option of standard boots or Jungle boots.

"Old Timers"(?) like me(?) usually wore the Jungle fatigues and boots after having deployed to Panama 3 times. When I was with the 101, '80-'83.

Like I said a very "unique" move for the Army to allow such non-uniformity … in "uniforms" …

The US army didn't go to black boots until '57.

Yeah, I thought it was something like that. Isn't that when it went to the green Class A uniform instead of the old OD one?

Legion4, I was in the same boat, I was issued BDUs but we were told not to have them starched, for this compromised the coating on the uniform. It this was the case, then constant washing would compromise the coating as it fades, and we were told we could wear the jungle fatigues, which I paid out of my pocket for two sets. Then in 85 we received the warm weather BDU, but one set. I wore jungle boots, steel toed boots and jump boots. I miss those jungle boots. My dad got rid of my jump boots, and my uniforms, to include my soft caps.

Yes capnvic, I remember when we used to starch those old Fatigues. Then they came out with the Permanent Press. That smelled like old fish ! Both were terrible uniforms ! The Jungles and eventually the BDUs were so much better both in usefulness and looks.

And I wish I had all the time back I spent polishing/spit shining boots & low quarters. I don't know what happened to my old Corcoran Jump Boots ? I still have at least one pair of my old jungle boots laying around. We were issued a pair when I was on the DMZ in the ROK. The rice paddies were everywhere !

But I certainly liked that I could wear "jungles" either camo or green. When I got back to Benning. And of course the jungle boots were great, but we even spit shined the leather parts on those !

I still have most of my uniforms in duffle bags, foot lockers, etc. in the attic and garage. I may have to see what I want to do with those …

I got some photos of my father in Korea and after while he was in the guard. At the time I thought the boots were brown due to mud but it is clear that they were naturally brown.
I do remember him commenting that the brown unpolished boots really soaked up the blood and they replaced them whenever possible. Being AB negative in blood type, he had been assigned to a Surgical Evac hospital near Pusan.

Brown boots will rapidly darken stomping through the mud and muck. My desert tan boots are now a very dark brown/green across the bottom 2" from wearing them to mow the lawn!