Green Faces, Blue Jeans: Blue Jeans during Vietnam

by Tricia Menke, NMAS Curator of Education

The jungles of Vietnam in the midst of the Vietnam War may not seem like the best place to make a fashion statement, but the U.S. Navy SEALs have never played by the rules. The “men with green faces” quickly discovered upon arrival in Vietnam that the climate was harsh and Navy-issued pants were not necessarily cut out for the environment. To contend with the pests and the unforgiving jungle, SEALs turned to a tried and true American classic: the blue jean.

Every Memory Counts: Navy Vietnam Veteran Remembers His Experience

By Dan Smaczny, National Museum of the American Sailor Contract Curator

For historians, oral histories and personal recollections are important pieces of evidence. Often, ties to our past are even closer than we think. In our museum, we find valuable ties to our past through our volunteer corps. One of our volunteers, Steve Winston, not only generously gives us his time but shared some of his memories of Vietnam as well. 

Dress Blues: George G. Koplos, Machinist’s Mate 3rd Class (CB)

By Samantha Belles, National Museum of the American Sailor Collections Manager

The National Museum of the American Sailor’s collections are comprised of numerous artifacts, each telling a unique story of an enlisted Sailor’s career. When taken together, these stories help illuminate just what it was like to be a Sailor in the United States Navy. In particular, uniforms play a key role in helping the museum tell the Navy’s history.

Spitting Spreads Spanish Influenza, Don’t Spit

By Skyler Jackim, National Museum of the American Sailor Intern

While flu season is never fun, at least no one is sick with Spanish Influenza this year. A century ago, in the winter of 1918, Spanish Flu became one of the deadliest viruses in human history.

E-3 Cindy

By Kelly Duffy, National Museum of the American Sailor Contract Curator

Mascots, especially animals, were and continue to be an important tradition in the United States Navy. Individual ships often had mascots of their own, from roosters to dogs. Dogs were so well-loved that many of them had their own ratings and even their own ID cards. This blog tells the story of how a stray dog became a ship’s mascot and a E-3 Sailor.