Joined: Jan 31, 2012 Posts: 197 Location: West Point, VA
Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2012 11:44 am Post subject: LG LB "Chesty" Puller Jeep pics?
Ok Guys, I'm going to need some help on this one. I have a USMC Jeep that I'm restoring. I live in West Point VA which is the birth place of LG L.B. "Chesty" Puller. I'm also 20 minutes from his final resting place. Does anyone know where I can find pictures of any of the jeeps that he possibly rode in during Korea? I'm considering doing my restoration in his jeep's likeness. I just can't seem to find any pictures of it though. I'm going to contact the local "museum" to see if they have anything as well as Marine Base Quantico to see what they have. Any other info would be great. Thanks.
The new USMC museum is good but short on archives from my own experience. A Navy museum might have more info. I would bet there are a lot of pictures out there waiting to be found.
My understanding of USMC vehicles paint jobs of the era are this:
Combat vehicles were USMC Green Flat... and this was not common as most were USMC Green Semi-Gloss. Parade and Administration Vehicles were Gloss USMC Green.
The parade vehicles sometimes had special trim and placards and where basically show cars.
The USMC jeeps are very plain. If you get the paint codes and the 6 digit hood numbers right and the USMC stenciling correct that is about it.
My dad who was a combat veteran of Korea had no recollections of ever seeing anything but WWll jeeps there as depicted in the picture above.
The Marine jeeps were very plain. Their rules were simple. USMC XXXXXX and if more than one Marine division was in the area then a division symbol. Otherwise their jeeps were devoid of any unit markings. As you can see in the MB photo USMC XXXXXX, the general's single star and the 1st Marines diamond.
In WWII Iwo was the first display of Division symbols since it was the first campaign with more than a single Marine division engaged.
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