Brown Shoe Army

[Gerry Cechony]

HH> ... " the
HH> brown shoe army". Later I began to reflect on the term and whether
HH> anyone or homany would recognize it.

HH> ... a term that was unknown before
HH> 1957 and by, say, the 1980s -- when all the old-timers were out of the
HH> army -- it would fade from usage. I suspect that today hardly anyone
HH> in the service would recognize the term. ...

HH> I'd be interested to know if anyone in this newsgroup is familiar with
HH> the term and any thougts on its usage they may have.

In the late 50's I heard an airman refer to "the brown-shoe Air
Force", which I took to be a reference to The Army Air Corps,
before there was an Air Force per se.

* RM 1.31 3115 *

[Bob Powell]

Gerry Cechony wrote:
>
> > HH ...I suspect that today hardly anyone in the service would recognize the term. ...

>
> In the late 50's I heard an airman refer to "the brown-shoe Air
> Force", which I took to be a reference to The Army Air Corps,
> before there was an Air Force per se.
>
> * RM 1.31 3115 *

--

"Brown shoe" is still in use in the Air Force refer to the pre-1947 days.
It is mainly used in a deprecating sense; eg, "Just because they did it
that back in the brown-shoe days doesn't mean we have to do it that way
now."

The Navy used to (and perhaps still does) divide up their troops by shoe
color. The aviators wear brown and the boat drivers wear black. Perhaps
it's the other way around. I could never be bothered to keep track of
the Navy's idiosyncrasies.

--

Cheers,

Bob

--

"To spend too much time in studies is sloth."
Francis Bacon, _Essays: On Studies_

Cheers,

Bob
Town public radio personality

NB: The opinions of the town public radio personality need not
necessarily reflect those of the staff and management of WATX, 101.3 on
your FM dial.

[Arthur N. Ashley]

In article <40.516...@channel1.com>,
gerry....@channel1.com (Gerry Cechony) wrote:

>HH> ... " the
>HH> brown shoe army". Later I began to reflect on the term and whether
>HH> anyone or homany would recognize it.

Yes, I recognize it. When I went in the US Army in 1954, we were issued
brown shoes and brown neckties. Several years after that the army changed to
black shoes and black neckties. It is my understanding that during the transition,
recruits were issued brown shoes from the existing inventory and told to dye
them black.

>
>HH> ... a term that was unknown before
>HH> 1957 and by, say, the 1980s -- when all the old-timers were out of the
>HH> army -- it would fade from usage.

Yes, except that when guys my age talk with one another about their army
days, we nostalgically talk about our time in the "brown shoe army" to separate
us from the "new" army of black shoes and boots, camouflage fatigues, and green
winter class A uniforms.

>HH> I'd be interested to know if anyone in this newsgroup is familiar with
>HH> the term and any thougts on its usage they may have.

When I saw the subject line of your posting, I immediately accessed it
because I recognized the term, "brown shoe army" and knew that it referred
to me.

>
>In the late 50's I heard an airman refer to "the brown-shoe Air
>Force", which I took to be a reference to The Army Air Corps,
>before there was an Air Force per se.

During WWII, the Army Air Corps wore the army brown uniform. In 1954,
the US Air Force was wearing black shoes and blue uniforms.

Arthur Ashley, Formerly US Army Corps of Engineers, 29th Engr. Bn.
Active Duty 1954-56

[Max Buten]

Arthur N. Ashley <art...@ix.netcom.com> wrote: =In article <40.516...@channel1.com>, gerry....@channel1.com (Gerry Cechony) wrote: =>HH> ... " the =>HH> brown shoe army". Later I began to reflect on the term and whether =>HH> anyone or homany would recognize it. = Yes, I recognize it. When I went in the US Army in 1954, we were issued =brown shoes and brown neckties. Several years after that the army changed to =black shoes and black neckties. It is my understanding that during the transition, recruits were issued brown shoes from the existing inventory and told to dye them black. I left the Army in 1958, with brown boots, brown "Eisenhower Jacket" dress uniform, and --I think-- brown shoes. By then, though, the Army was issuing black footware. The final dyeing (of footwear) was shortly after I was discharged, I think. =>HH> ... a term that was unknown before =>HH> 1957 and by, say, the 1980s -- when all the old-timers were out of the =>HH> army -- it would fade from usage. = Yes, except that when guys my age talk with one another about their army =days, we nostalgically talk about our time in the "brown shoe army" to separate =us from the "new" army of black shoes and boots, camouflage fatigues, and green =winter class A uniforms. =>HH> I'd be interested to know if anyone in this newsgroup is familiar with =>HH> the term and any thougts on its usage they may have. = When I saw the subject line of your posting, I immediately accessed it =because I recognized the term, "brown shoe army" and knew that it referred =to me. =>In the late 50's I heard an airman refer to "the brown-shoe Air =>Force", which I took to be a reference to The Army Air Corps, =>before there was an Air Force per se. = During WWII, the Army Air Corps wore the army brown uniform. In 1954, =the US Air Force was wearing black shoes and blue uniforms. = Arthur Ashley, Formerly US Army Corps of Engineers, 29th Engr. Bn. = Active Duty 1954-56 Max Buten - Contract Programmer in Powerhouse - maxb...@op.net See my picture! Hire my son! http://www.asc.upenn.edu/USR/sbuten/olympics.htm

[tinm...@verizon.net]

On Sunday, December 1, 1996 3:00:00 AM UTC-5, Gerry Cechony wrote:
> HH> ... " the

> HH> brown shoe army". Later I began to reflect on the term and whether

> HH> anyone or homany would recognize it.
>

> HH> ... a term that was unknown before

> HH> 1957 and by, say, the 1980s -- when all the old-timers were out of the

> HH> army -- it would fade from usage. I suspect that today hardly anyone
> HH> in the service would recognize the term. ...

>
> HH> I'd be interested to know if anyone in this newsgroup is familiar with

> HH> the term and any thougts on its usage they may have.
>

> In the late 50's I heard an airman refer to "the brown-shoe Air

> Force", which I took to be a reference to The Army Air Corps,

> before there was an Air Force per se.
>

> * RM 1.31 3115 *

I enlisted in the US Army in 1957 we were issued the Ike Jacket with brown boots as well as the the new Army green class A with black dress shoes. As I recall it the brown uniforms and boots were faded out by 1959/60. The Ike jacket & pants with the brown boots was a very sharp uniform indeed.

[rnet...@gmail.com]

On Sunday, December 1, 1996 3:00:00 AM UTC-5, Gerry Cechony wrote:

> HH> I'd be interested to know if anyone in this newsgroup is familiar with
> HH> the term and any thougts on its usage they may have.

One more data point. I entered the army in November of 1959. I was issued black dress shoes, brown combat boots, two bottles of black shoe dye, and green dress uniform.

Upon completing basic training and being assigned a duty station in January of 1960, I was in company with several individuals who, within the preceding two years had been issued brown shoes and boots, brown "Ike" jackets and matching trousers. (I hesitate to call the old uniform brown, but don't know what else to call it.)

Bob Netzlof

[richardl...@gmail.com]

I joined the Army in October 1957 and I was issued one each of black combat boots and one brown along with a brown class a and a green class a uniform.

[R H Draney]

richardl...@gmail.com wrote in
news:42266704-be53-4126...@googlegroups.com:

> I joined the Army in October 1957 and I was issued one each of black
> combat boots and one brown

Earlier that morning, they gave another recruit a pair just like it...what
a coincidence!...r

[Peter Moylan]

I have two pairs of socks like that.

--
Peter Moylan http://www.pmoylan.org
Newcastle, NSW, Australia

[Reinhold {Rey} Aman]

Peter Moylan wrote:
>
> I have two pairs of socks like that.
>

Are they Wollongong socks?

--
~~~ Reinhold {Rey} Aman ~~~

[Peter Moylan]

On 05/04/15 13:00, Reinhold {Rey} Aman wrote:
> Peter Moylan wrote:
>>
>> I have two pairs of socks like that.
>>
> Are they Wollongong socks?

Sorry to disappoint you, but they're probably Woolworths socks.

[a920...@gmail.com]

>
> In the late 50's I heard an airman refer to "the brown-shoe Air
> Force", which I took to be a reference to The Army Air Corps,
> before there was an Air Force per se.
>
> * RM 1.31 3115 *

I was in the Air Force in the early 60's we had a lot of NCO's that that had been in WW2 we referred to them as "Brown Shoes" Most were waiting out their "20"