"Diamond Jim" wrote:

OJ, I think I was at Quantico, when the Uniform Regulations were changed to
reflect Gen Shoup's wishes. I believe the new edition of the regs was
published in early-mid '63. I am not sure if there was an ALMAR or a MCO on
the subject issued between the time Gen Shoup made his wishes know and the
change in the Uniform Regs.

I know that you couldn't even find a Swagger Stick for a souvenir in "Q"
town by the time I left in early 64.

As a Marine Brat with an afternoon paper route that included MB
Pearl Harbor in 1955/6-ish, often as not I saw officers and SNCOs
carrying swagger sticks.

Following MB PH, in the DC area for my step-dad's back-to-back
tours with the USMC JAG then USN JAG offices, the "Capital
Military Region" varied between "wear the UD daily, keep a high
profile" and "wear civvies daily except once a week so we can see
if your UD still fits, keep a low profile" periods; and anyway a)
we were in the suburbs, and only had a chance to see uniforms if
we went into DC, b) presence or absence of uniforms/swagger
sticks was the last thing on my hormone-ridden mind.

However, from day one after my departure for PI on 6 July 1961, I
never saw a swagger stick in the hand of a Marine officer or
SNCO. Still a LCpl in 1963, any ALMAR/MCO deleting swagger
sticks would have escaped my mind, but by my personal
observations, it would seem that most Marines took Gen Shoup's
subtle hint on the subject to heart. ;- Which in turn suggest
that whatever else that ALMAR/MCO may have changed in the uniform
regs, deletion of the swagger stick was an OBE item on the list.
--
OJ III
[Email to Yahoo address may be burned before reading.
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