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 Post subject: Appropriate chevrons....
PostPosted: Sat Feb 16, 2013 9:55 pm 
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Location: Monroe, Michigan, USA
Service Number: A10/TQ2.0.02147E1
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I'm looking around on the net for correct chevrons for a E3 Lance Corporal rank for the USCM bdu's. Could anyone help to show which ones would be correct for wearing on USCM bdu's? I'm in the process of getting materials ready to assemble a screen accurate bdu uniform.

I'd appreciate any help!

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 Post subject: Re: Appropriate chevrons....
PostPosted: Sat Feb 16, 2013 10:39 pm 
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Location: Rochester, Kent, U.K.
Service Number: A08/TQ2.0.72136E1
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I think they based the stripes for Sgt Apone on US Army ones:

http://www.army.mil/symbols/armyranks.html

Edit: This thread has some discussion:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=10245

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 Post subject: Re: Appropriate chevrons....
PostPosted: Sat Feb 16, 2013 11:32 pm 

Location: Venice CA
Service Number: A04/TQ1.0.32142E1
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From what I can see the ones used in the film look like Vietnam era Army stripes. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.
You can get good reproductions at this site.
http://www.mooremilitaria.com/insignia_ii.htm

Scroll down about 3/4 of the page.


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PostPosted: Sun Feb 17, 2013 1:31 am 
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Location: long island , NY
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Sgt apones wearing army Sargent first class stripes E7 stripes corporals wear stripes. Hut in the movie it didn't appear any of the corporal where wearing any stripes.

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 Post subject: Re: Appropriate chevrons....
PostPosted: Sun Feb 17, 2013 8:57 am 
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Location: Monroe, Michigan, USA
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That's what I kind of noticed. It looked like Apone was the only marine wearing chevrons on his uniform but it appeared that no one else had any on their uniform. Can I get away from wearing no chevrons and as for another question, on the regular bdu on the left chest pocket, do you wear the USCM red/blue logo or the ship/battalion logo with US Colonial Marines around it?

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PostPosted: Sun Feb 17, 2013 3:18 pm 
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Location: long island , NY
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From what it appears you where the pacth for what ship your attached (us suloco) and the marine tab. The squad leader seems to be the only one to wear stripes the teams lead by corporals and full of pfcs and pvts do not. This is what seems from the movie

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PostPosted: Sun Feb 17, 2013 6:35 pm 
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Location: Orlando, FL, USA
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My USCM character is a Lance Corporal, as well, and I had the same question when I was setting up my BDUs. Based on what Apone and some others were wearing (as mentioned above), I used surplus Army rank chevrons of equivalent paygrade (E-3, as you mentioned).

What MattRendar mentions is also true. Some of the characters wore stripes, some not, so you could just as easily get away without the rank patch if you so chose.

One important point to note - seeing as how that style of rank patch is still used by the U.S. Army, you will occasionally get people making comments about you wearing Army ranks. Most of the time, a polite explanation of that "that's what they wore in the movie" will be enough to smooth over any ruffled feathers. Best of luck! :delta:

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 Post subject: Re: Appropriate chevrons....
PostPosted: Sun Feb 17, 2013 7:13 pm 
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Location: Monroe, Michigan, USA
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Thank you Sean! I was wondering also, could you post some pics of your bdu's if you get the chance?

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PostPosted: Sun Feb 17, 2013 7:26 pm 
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The squad was set up as Sgt apone as squad leader with two fire teams one lead by corporal Hicks who lead the other team? Was Dietrich a corporal too? I forget . I think she was making her the second team leader. Ill check the tech Manuel when i get home.

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 Post subject: Re: Appropriate chevrons....
PostPosted: Sun Feb 17, 2013 7:32 pm 
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Location: UK all the way
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Dietrich Does

DET2.jpg
DET2.jpg [ 95.78 KiB | Viewed 8363 times ]

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 Post subject: Re: Appropriate chevrons....
PostPosted: Sun Feb 17, 2013 7:48 pm 
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Service Number: A06/TQ0.0.32122E1
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I've always assumed any Marine from PFC on up would've worn rank insignia on their BDU, but as mentioned, you don't really see them on anyone but GySgt. Apone's left sleeve. Corp. Hicks and PFC Hudson had their sleeves rolled up the whole time, PFC Vasquez had her sleeves completely removed, and PFC Drake wore a flak jacket, so no help there either. Anyway, rank insignia look good on a BDU sleeves rolled down. Btw, both Hicks and Apone wore Delta patches on their BDU pockets instead of the Sulaco patch, so if you're a Lance Corporal you may want to do the same. :delta:

Edit: Okay, Corp. Deitrich did wear rank insignia, so my assumption was probably correct then. :mrgreen:

Vintage Vietnam-era U.S. Army patches are still fairly easy to find on ebay, especially lower ranked enlisted patches. Here's a place I highly recommend for genuine issue vintage patches: http://stores.ebay.com/doverarmynavy

Hollis DZC (Rex Adams) recommended a place that makes custom embroidered patches, including USCM rank insignia w/pulse rifles on them, Colonial Marine style! Here's a link to a sample of their wares: http://camotech.com/Patch.htm

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 Post subject: Re: Appropriate chevrons....
PostPosted: Sun Feb 17, 2013 9:46 pm 
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Location: Monroe, Michigan, USA
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Sweet. Thanks for the link to that ebay store, I just placed an order for some E3 rank chevrons. As far as the size of the US flag, does anyone know that appropriate size for the flag on the left shoulder?

Sorry to keep bugging for help! Just trying to get all my patches set up.

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 Post subject: Re: Appropriate chevrons....
PostPosted: Mon Feb 18, 2013 2:12 am 
Lifer
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Location: **Hamilton** Active Duty: USS Socorro
Country: Canada
Osmotic wrote:
Dietrich Does


I think this may have been added after the fact---


Image

In the film her rank is absent.


This goes for Spunkmeyer as well. In the Archives there is a pic of Spunkmeyer's screenused flightsuit:


Image

(Russ if you don't want this hotlinked, just give me the say so :) )

His PFC stripe is there on the continuity Polaroid:


Image


Image
Image

But again; in the film it is not there.


Cpl Hicks has no stripes either:


Image


However Ferro does have her stripes in the film:


ImageImage


So it's a little haphazard with the stripes. There seems to be no rhyme or reason, and a great deal of gaps in continuity.

What I would do is just stick with Army ranks. Those who chose not to wear rank on their sleeve is just as accurate as those who do. :delta:


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PostPosted: Mon Feb 18, 2013 2:53 am 
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Location: Seattle, WA
Service Number: A07/TQ2.0.02158E1
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Remember that there were multiple BDU shirts worn by each actor, and not all of them were identical. It's entirely possible as well that stripes may be present in certain scenes and absent in others.

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 Post subject: Re: Appropriate chevrons....
PostPosted: Mon Feb 18, 2013 6:15 am 
Lifer
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Location: **Hamilton** Active Duty: USS Socorro
Country: Canada
Well Av, because of what you posted I decided to watch Aliens on bluray for the first time since I bought the disc over a year ago...

Turns out you're absolutely right!

So unfortunately I can't do screencaps with the bluray disc, however if you watch the "collect all magazines" scene- you can actually see the tip of Hudson's PFC rank (I always believed he never had any rank stripes)!

In the same shot (while Apone says "Alright Sweethearts, pull 'em out! Let's have 'em!) a second "arm" comes into view on the right with a clear as day corporal cheveron. Since Hicks is in the next scene (of him pulling out his own PR magazine) it can only be Dietrich's arm in the previous shot with Apone.

This can only mean that the pic I posted of Dietrich getting grabbed by the Xeno sans rank cheveron is as Av said- in this case probably because Cynthia Scott's stunt double was used and they didn't bother to make sure the BDUs the double wore had the corporal stripes.

As far as Spunkmeyer- yes he still doesn't have his PFC rank during the "Move it Spunkmeyer" shot, but there might be a hint of his rank showing during the breakfast/mess hall scene.

Man! I've been watching this movie since '87 and I still learn something new! :shock: :D


Kevin

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 Post subject: Re: Appropriate chevrons....
PostPosted: Mon Feb 18, 2013 6:21 am 
"Saddle Up...Lock and Load!"
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Location: Monroe, Michigan, USA
Service Number: A10/TQ2.0.02147E1
Country: United States
Interesting. I rewatched Aliens last night and I didn't catch that scene. I'll have to go back but I thought I just saw Apone's bdu being the only one with any type of rank. By the way, does anyone know the correct size of the United States Flag on the left shoulder? This is the only patch I need left.

Thanks!

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 Post subject: Re: Appropriate chevrons....
PostPosted: Mon Feb 18, 2013 11:41 am 
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Location: UK all the way
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SSgt Burton wrote:
Well Av, because of what you posted I decided to watch Aliens on bluray for the first time since I bought the disc over a year ago...


Kevin



Damn Kev you the man! :shock: Something I never noticed ether. Good work


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 Post subject: Re: Appropriate chevrons....
PostPosted: Mon Feb 18, 2013 2:48 pm 
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Location: Kinki Region
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Kevin, you never cease to amaze! The Blu-ray edition has finally made it possible to catch some of those previously elusive details if you look for 'em. Still pretty hard to make out the details on the left rear portion of the sensor array on top of the sentry gun though, but what a difference in clarity over previous DVD versions!

Kochrane wrote:
By the way, does anyone know the correct size of the United States Flag on the left shoulder? This is the only patch I need left.

Thanks!

Unfortunately U.S. flag patches of the correct size you need are pretty hard to find, especially with the white border. The patch I have came with my BDU and was silkscreened, as I believe they were in the movie. Anyway, here are the dimensions for you:

Length: 3 7/8 inches (98 mm)
Width: 2 inches (62 mm)

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PostPosted: Mon Feb 18, 2013 3:40 pm 
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Location: long island , NY
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IM still amazed how good the blue ray version looks. Looks like a whole new film. It looks like they filmed it yesterday! Such clarity.

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 Post subject: Re: Appropriate chevrons....
PostPosted: Mon Feb 18, 2013 6:57 pm 
Lifer
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Location: **Hamilton** Active Duty: USS Socorro
Country: Canada
Okay I managed to take a couple of screenshots from the dvd with WMP (I didn't even know I could do this, and they're not the best quality but still show what I was saying):


Hudson's rank-

Attachment:
Hudson rank 002.JPG
Hudson rank 002.JPG [ 186.63 KiB | Viewed 8211 times ]


(I've cranked the contrast and brightness a bit for this) You can just make out the tip of his PFC rank.


Dietrich's-

Attachment:
Dietrich rank 001.JPG
Dietrich rank 001.JPG [ 235.84 KiB | Viewed 8258 times ]


Her arm comes into frame for less than a second before the shot changes (probably why I missed it all these years).


That settles that! :lol:


About the US Flag: Unless you can get a silk-screened accurate patch (from someone here... not sure if anyone still makes them), a "close" second is a white bordered 3 1/2" x 2 1/4" patch. These are larger than the commonly found 3" x 2" (gold bordered) Flag patches. You can easily find these on ebay.


Hope this helps! :delta:


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Last edited by SSgt Burton on Tue Feb 19, 2013 12:19 am, edited 2 times in total.

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 Post subject: Re: Appropriate chevrons....
PostPosted: Mon Feb 18, 2013 9:25 pm 
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Location: Monroe, Michigan, USA
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Thank you Kevin! Got all my patches ordered, next up will be uniforms. More than likely I'll get that ordered next month when I have some extra cash available. Thank you for your help everyone and I look forward to seeing some of you guys sometime this year hopefully!

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 Post subject: Re: Appropriate chevrons....
PostPosted: Mon Feb 18, 2013 9:29 pm 
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SSgt Burton wrote:

(Russ if you don't want this hotlinked, just give me the say so :) )

His PFC stripe is there on the continuity Polaroid:


Image


No problemo Kev. Mi Picture, et su picture. :)

Russ

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 Post subject: Re: Appropriate chevrons....
PostPosted: Mon Feb 18, 2013 9:37 pm 
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I gotta say this whole thread has now got me re-evaluating EVERYTHING!

Man, do I take the plunge? Do I change my own gear? And what about my 1/6th squad! Poor little buggers are so inaccurate I can't stand to look at them!!! Got some work to do i guess...


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 Post subject: Re: Appropriate chevrons....
PostPosted: Mon Feb 18, 2013 9:42 pm 
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Mudshark wrote:
Kevin, you never cease to amaze! The Blu-ray edition has finally made it possible to catch some of those previously elusive details if you look for 'em. Still pretty hard to make out the details on the left rear portion of the sensor array on top of the sentry gun though, but what a difference in clarity over previous DVD versions!

Kochrane wrote:
By the way, does anyone know the correct size of the United States Flag on the left shoulder? This is the only patch I need left.

Thanks!

Unfortunately U.S. flag patches of the correct size you need are pretty hard to find, especially with the white border. The patch I have came with my BDU and was silkscreened, as I believe they were in the movie. Anyway, here are the dimensions for you:

Length: 3 7/8 inches (98 mm)
Width: 2 inches (62 mm)


I believe Dan Kim (Honcho) at Alchemy Arms has embroidered flag patches in the correct size and colors for sale.

I think he donated a few to the Dragoncon raffle last year or the year before as well.

Russ

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PostPosted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 2:10 am 
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So what would a Private (but not Private First Class) have for stripes?

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