1960 Dated and Named USN Hospital Corpsman Tunic

[Steelhead10]

Hi All,

Another from my tunic collections. This is one that I picked up for the local surplus shop after seeing the bullion on the sleeve patch stand out amongst the sea of more modern tunics on the racks.

This is a 5-5-1960 dated United States Navy hospital corpsman summer tunic. Tailored by Morry Adler in Philadelphia and named to a J. M. Oates H.M.C. this comes back with one match, a John Mann Oates Hospital Corpsman on the U.S Navy Memorial Log. Here it listshis service from 3/1942 - 4/1964. During this time it lists his significant stations as the following: USS FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT CVB-42; USS KARNES APA-175; 7TH NAVAL BBN, NORMANDY; 1ST NAVAL BBN, SICILY and USS ASHLAND LSD-1.

I have yet to find a full set of buttons to complete this as they had all been removed at some point.

I hope you all enjoy,
Matt

[BlackCat1982]

Nice find Matt, perhaps a previous owner thought there was more value in the buttons than the tunic itself.

[Steelhead10]

Hi, thanks for the reply. I sometimes wonder if the surplus store removed them as they do sometimes at my local one. It was a surprise to see a name as they usually censor them or remove the label completely.

[Rakkasan187]

Matt,

A very nice tunic, the bullion rate is very nice. Sometimes buttons are removed during the dry cleaning process. If the buttons were not sewed on. When I turned in my Army uniform to be dry cleaned, I removed the buttons that were attached with cotter pins. (These were usually the smaller buttons on the pockets and shoulder lapels, but I do know earlier US uniforms also used the cotter pins on the larger buttons as well.

The buttons should not be too hard to find for this era of uniform.

Do me a favor when you can.... Take a close up picture of the pocket button... I might have a few extra large size Navy buttons that will match for you....

Best

Smitty

[Steelhead10]

Hi Smitty,

Thanks for your reply. It's possible, it's set up or cotter pin/ split ring style as the button can be pushed through a purpose made hole. The current pocket buttons are some brass US marine ones that I had spare, unfortunately not navy. But I'll grab some more photos.

Thanks again,

Matt