Hello to all of my fellow shipmates! I am in need of information, FAST!!!! I am a veteran who served between 1988-1995 as well as a current college student. I am writing a paper on the history of enlisted uniforms and I have some gaps of information that I am having some difficulties in finding answers to. They all deal with the so-called 'Salt and Pepper' uniforms. I have seen pictures of some of those uniforms on Google and Bing but there are still questions left unanswered. The first of which is, did Navy personnel both male and female E1-E6 have a full dress white uniform at that period of US Naval history? If so, what did it look like? Did it resemble the jumpers that are currently in use or were they more like the choker whites that CPOs and officers wear? If so, where were the rating insignias worn? On collar devices, shoulder boards, or sewn on the left sleeve like they do in the Navy today? How about service stripes(hash marks)? Was the white hat part of the dress white uniform or the discontinued combination cover with appropriate enlisted cap device? Also, I have seen images of sailors during the early 70s through the early 80s in CPO style dress blue uniforms with some slight alterations(silver buttons and a different cap device on the combination covers). The one aspect of the uniform that isn't shown, however, is did the male E1-E6 sailors wear their rating insignia on the buttoned up dress white shirt by the means of collar devices, soft shoulder boards or sewn on the left sleeve and were hash marks sewn on the dress white shirt as well? I AM BEGGING ALL OF YOU FOR ANSWERS TO MY QUESTIONS LIKE AS EARLY AS YESTERDAY, PRETTY, PRETTY PLEASE!
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I went through NTC San Diego in Feb., Mar. of 1974 amidst the uniform changes. We were issued the CPO style dress blues, a "new" utility type of Dungarees which were not bell bottomed. Our issue Peacock still had the black buttons with the anchor engraved within and was still made of Wool.
Now here's where it gets confusing, . . .although issued the "new style" uniforms, we were also authorized to wear all the former "cracker jack" style but had to be purchased.
I think these first major changes in Uniforms and Grooming Standards took place or were initiated during the Admiral Zumwalt time as CNO.
Serving from 1974 to 1982 we had more "authorized" choices than most could keep up with!
Then as I recall, I don't remember any E-1 to E-6 collar devices until maybe 1977?
I was fortunate as far as uniform requirements being a Hospital Corpsman, our "uniform of the day" was almost always "Working Whites" or, Dungarees, . . . Old style or New!
I do recall the Cracker Jack dress whites had blue piping and you wore the neckerchief. The working Cracker Jacks did not have piping and no neckerchief. The newer style whites were the button up and were the same as the CPO's wore. However, I don't think they were called "dress" whites anymore for E-1 to E-6. Our rating insigna's were still sewn on the left sleeve. They were all short sleeved.
At some point I recall the white button up shirt with rating collar devices being worn with the black trousers, then we also had a black long sleeved shirt, with sewn on insignia, black tie & black trousers. I think later the collar devices may have replaced the sewn on insignias for this uniform combination.
Hope this helps some or at least jogs a few memories! Oh, and we could have a well groomed Beard also!