Class A's My Ass (Reenactor Rant)

Leonard Wayne McIntosh & Walter Keegan.

It's photos of this sort that I love. Photos like this drive reenactors crazy, namely for the fact that they can't comprehend a couple of dirty ol' GI's. They tend to do everything "by the book" and study their technical manuals as if all (if any) regulations were followed 100% of the time so as not to be out of the "norm." They don't get the civilian mindset these guys were in and how most wanted as little to do with the military way of life as possible. Reenactors that served in the Armed Forces in the 80's and 90's when there was no war and it was all very spit n' polish can't live without a regulation for everything.

Condescending former BDU army PFCs that reenact WWII can stay the hell away from me. Chances are I don't want to talk to your "I spent $10,000 on my impression because I'm trying to relive my old army days when I could still get it up" ass.

Relaxed Fit

My favorite period of Class "A" uniforms of the US Army was late-war and post-war. Most photographs I've seen during the occupation of Germany and Japan show men done with the fighting and waiting it out to get the hell home. Because the war was over and the celebrating had since ceased, soldiers were already getting back to the civilian mindset, as most during WWII were not career military men. Because of this, uniforms started to get relaxed. Ties were stopped being worn when possible and collars would be flared out over the jackets, pants got non-regulation cuffs (the style at the time), and jackets were thrown on and unbuttoned when worn or not worn at all.

Many photos of the time show guys during the occupation as goofing around and seeing the sights, still in the military but trying to act more like they were home, and generally over the whole thing and not really caring anymore. Here are some great photographs that show the soldiers, sick and tired of being overseas, trying to get back to some normalcy.


S/Sgt. Christopher Garney of Oklahoma. Austria, 1945.


PFC Charles K McGrane. Germany, 1945.


John Schaffner. Germany, 1945.


Vernon H. Brown and Jim Minn. Soyen, Germany, 1945.


Thomas Buettner. Munich, Germany, 1945.


Winters and Lewis Owen. Oberammergau, Germany,1946.


William Jackson. Schweinfurt, Germany, 1946.