Hello,

I was recently asked what the significance was of the three white stripes on the cuffs and collar of the navy dress blues. Can you help. Thank you.

Google on "navy uniform history" and read through the site published by the Naval Historical Society. There are some references there starting in the period of the mid 1800's and later that indicate that the original purpose was purely decorative, but later there was some significance relative to status.

I would have copied and pasted, but have not figured out how to get a paste into one of these reply windows.

quote:

Originally posted by whalersailor:
I would have copied and pasted, but have not figured out how to get a paste into one of these reply windows.

I always use Ctrl V

OH man, if it was a year ago, i could have told you, I had just read about the purpose of the flap( a grease catcher), maybe i will find it looking around and will add to the site.

The three stripes or piping stands for the first three wars. The buttons on the front flap are for the original colonies.

Please excuse me folks...I was wrong. The piping was origanlly a rating designation and it got to be such a hassle everytime you uped your rate to sew the piping on they just changed it to three stripes for everyone just as decoration to break up all the blue. I was wrong about the buttons too. The front flap originally was smaller and had only eleven buttons, they decided for whatever reason that the flap needed to be bigger so they added two more buttons to accomidate the larger flap. It is only rumor that they stand for the colonies. I got this info. by searching Yahoo for "Tradition of US Navy dress blues" Very intering results.

as taught in boot camp at great lakes in 1990 the 3 stripes represented the three major sea battles of the Pacific during WWII . . . and the stars represented the two major land battles. I am not 100% certain , but i believe it was the Battle of the Coral Sea," the battle of Quadalcanal, and the "Battle of the Philipine Sea." And then Midway and Iwo Jima were the land battles. Like I say, i learned this 18 years ago so the battles could be mixed up but the stars and stripes represent what I say they do.

quote:

Originally posted by CVN69ABorWannaBe:
as taught in boot camp at great lakes in 1990 the 3 stripes represented the three major sea battles of the Pacific during WWII . . . and the stars represented the two major land battles. I am not 100% certain , but i believe it was the Battle of the Coral Sea," the battle of Quadalcanal, and the "Battle of the Philipine Sea." And then Midway and Iwo Jima were the land battles. Like I say, i learned this 18 years ago so the battles could be mixed up but the stars and stripes represent what I say they do.

IF, and I use that work loosely, you were supposedly taught that at RTCGL, who ever did the teaching was just as full of BS as the rest of your post.

BoatBM1

quote:

Originally posted by BoatsBM1:

quote:

Originally posted by CVN69ABorWannaBe:
as taught in boot camp at great lakes in 1990 the 3 stripes represented the three major sea battles of the Pacific during WWII . . . and the stars represented the two major land battles. I am not 100% certain , but i believe it was the Battle of the Coral Sea," the battle of Quadalcanal, and the "Battle of the Philipine Sea." And then Midway and Iwo Jima were the land battles. Like I say, i learned this 18 years ago so the battles could be mixed up but the stars and stripes represent what I say they do.

IF, and I use that work loosely, you were supposedly taught that at RTCGL, who ever did the teaching was just as full of BS as the rest of your post.

BoatBM1

Boats, El Correcto Mundo.

I did my boots with one stripe on the wrist cuff. Upon graduation from Boots I was promoted to S/2c (Note old designation), and received a second stripe on my wrist cuff. When I made S/1c in the Fleet I got the third stripe on my wrist cuff. Somewhere in the late 1940's they created the diaganol stripes at the bicept area of the sleeve.

Too, in the old wrist stripe days Deck Strikers wore one white stripe around the shoulder area where the sleeve meets the shoulder. Snipes (sorry, couldn't resist the dig), or Firemen Strikers wore a red stripe around the sleeve/shoulder area.

The white stripes around the collar area was addressed a Piping. And the buttons on the trouser flap was a breeze to zip through.

The old uniform much missed by old Fleet sailors who ate weevils in their white bread with powdered eggs and milk. There was a time in the Navy when Fleet sailors who had experience with Fleet operations, less cell phones, email, and home CD's. Days a Deck Ape learned what a Monkey's Fist was before they learned how to sew on a third wrist stripe.

Well lets see the Land battle of Midway was a real MF cause you had to hold your breath to keep your footing. Other than a Dick Head what kind of wannabe is this clown? Off to beat the heat. Heat as in Hot. Weatpac Willie

This message has been edited. Last edited by: WestpacWillie,

Where in the world do they breed these clowns (BigDIP, and CVNWannabe??)

As usual "sb5, WestPacWillie, and BoatsBM1" don't say much, but when they do its always worth hearin. Have one on me Shipmates

quote:

Originally posted by BoatsBM1:

quote:

Originally posted by CVN69ABorWannaBe:
as taught in boot camp at great lakes in 1990 the 3 stripes represented the three major sea battles of the Pacific during WWII . . . and the stars represented the two major land battles. I am not 100% certain , but i believe it was the Battle of the Coral Sea," the battle of Quadalcanal, and the "Battle of the Philipine Sea." And then Midway and Iwo Jima were the land battles. Like I say, i learned this 18 years ago so the battles could be mixed up but the stars and stripes represent what I say they do.

IF, and I use that work loosely, you were supposedly taught that at RTCGL, who ever did the teaching was just as full of BS as the rest of your post.

BoatBM1

I have to agree with this man. I seem to remember the Movie, Sandpebbles, The uniform in that movie was suppose to be an actual uniform & it had piping & stars on the flap. My oldest brother went through BOOT at G.L.N.T.C. in 1942. His uniform has the same piping & stars. I went through BOOT at U.S.N.T.C. S.D. in 1960. ALL time same, same. Great Navel history is being taught in B.C. TO our next port.

ALL
Is there a ACCURATE and TRUE web site for specific DOD Uniform histories?
If we have sites for this topic, I would appreciate a simple list.
Using Goog... leads one astray and without verification of sources.
Thanks in advance.
end

Have found that rummaging through these sites have found a wealth of info.
http://www.history.navy.mil/library/online/readingroom.htm

http://www.naval-reference.net/index.html

Had this up on another topic concerning uniform switches and berets.

The USN dress blue uniform is the most distinctive, time honored uniform of the armed forces. After being on liberty for 45 years, and if they can even be manufactured anymore, is it time to check in and have an even more distinctive winter uniform in contrast to the summer whites ???

Just curious. When do they change from the whites to the blues? Is it over Labor day weekend?

no. typically it is right around Columbus Day or so..depending on Region.

Sweet! Thank you. Mike should have his after a-school leave before then and I was hoping to see him wearing his dress whites.

quote:

no. typically it is right around Columbus Day or so..depending on Region.

If at all. Not all regions change uniforms.

But as Mrs says, it is by region. Typically northern regions sooner than southern.

Either way, ya'll look so sharp in the dress uniforms.

Excuse all the questions I am still new with all this even though Michael has been in the Navy for 3/4 of a year [all GL a-school] If it is region based how will he know which uniform to wear to his first duty station? Will that be part of the indoc process when he is packing up to leave for his first assigned base/ship?