Marion: Yes. Had a school friend who served in a Infantry Div. as a rifleman . On entering he had 20-200 vision and glasses were always needed. Met with him in Germany at wars end through keeping in touch all the time when possible. I believe he

always kept a copy of his prescription with him and if one pair got dammaged or lost it

would take a bit to get a second pair. He cursed them in the winter specially. But he made do and survived as a Infantry rifleman. God only knows how with his eyesight he became a Infantry rifleman. He was the one I met on getting on the La Crosse Victory

ship in Le Harve France by accident as neither of us knew when we would return home.

Was one hell of a surprise to both of us as only about 750 of us were on this ship. Although he is now in CA and I am in NJ he still comes here about once a year or so.

He lived only about 10 houses from where I still live. Still awaiting his next years visit.

God willing.

Joe:

I always wondered about glasses during the war. I thought, what the hell do you do if you jump in your foxhole and your glasses fly the other way? Man, that would be tough. It's something I bet that most people don't think about.

Glad you still get to see your friend from time to time. That is wonderful. Hope to continue to do so for long time.

He told me that 2 pair were in the initial issue so that he always had a spare pair.. If one pair became broken or lost , his medics reported it and had that replaced. What I

often wonder is how the guys with "store bought teeth" made out if lost or damaged??

While C and K rations could be "gummed" those damn D bars needed teeth for knawing

on.

Only glasses I remember were Air Corp. you wore when flying those open cockpit Stearman. Wait a minute , what is that on my nose now?

papa Art

Are you talkong about what my boys call BCG's? Thats the term they use it stands for birth control glasses....This is Tay in basic wearing the loveley eyewear

I won't forget that one - BCG's! Not exactly a fashion statement, but tell him I can still see his beauty beneath!

yep Marion they are called that because as the boys who will be boys say you aint gettin any wearing your bcgs This one was in Iraq and I am embarrassed to say I didnt even know it was Tay. When I copied the photos to a cd I put this picture at the end vecasue I had no idea who the dork was...little did I know it was my dork and speaking of the spare pair , Dusty put his on a dummy and shot them before he got discharged the last time...

I've heard of GI glasses for the modern soldier. But I never heard of them for WW2. I'm trying to recall where I have seen photos of Infantrymen wearing glasses and can't think of any.

Also, I thought that you would flunk the physical if you didn't have the required number of teeth. But then there were some who lost their teeth after they enlisted.

Steve

Quote: " I've heard of GI glasses for the modern soldier. But I never heard of them for WW2." Do you think we were any different than todays soldiers? With over of 12,000,000 of us serving they werent that "picky" about eyesight or teeth. Their were

even glasses for use with gas masks. If I remember correctly the glasses were metal

framed.. Granted, most of us were young, but not all of us.

Good point, unless we've been genetically manipulated before or after. I've got a few photos around somewhere. Will have to dig them up.

Do you think we were any different than todays soldiers?

Yes, I do.

You didn't spend your developing years staring at a TV. Your generation didn't may have read more books---assuming bad on the eyes---but you probably spent much more time active with outdoor activities. Your Mom fed you carrots, brocoli, beans---today, turn-key kids feed on pizza and fries.

I've seen glasses in the Hollywood war movies. Remembering "The Devils Brigade" when the Close Combat trainer made his entry, he calmly removed his spectacles before flipped Claude Akins onto the dinning table.

Then there were the generals and staff officers. I have a book about an officer on Gen. Mark Clark's staff who wore glasses. But having to wear them in combat?? I assumed if they needed them, they kept it a secret and/or removed them when the firing started---a practice I would not recommended.

Steve

I have been wearing glasses all my life and had them when I was drafted in 1951.

In Basic camp, they orderd me two pair of glasses to follow me around until they caught up with me in Korea, fall of '51.

There was a pair of steel rim glasses and a pair of plastic rim glasses in the box that caught up with me.

Because I still was wearing my "civilian" glasses, from home, I never used those Army glasses and I was lucky enough to be able to wear my own glasses all the time I was in Korea, without incident.

Even the times I had to jump into a hole. Talk about "luck"!

I don't remember what I did with the Army glasses after I came home or even if I brought them with me! ha ha

Without my glasses, I can't even see the big E.

The Army didn't care but I couldn't get into the Airforce in 1948 when I tried!

Korea Jack

P.S. I'm the guy on the middle left.

Korea Jack: Many thanks from this older ww2 critter for the backup on glasses.. Also,

thanks for your service in Korea. The so called "forgotten war". But beleive me, you

troopers are not forgotten by us. "names, faces, places and wars change, but it is still the same damn old thing and always wil be. Also, welcome to this forum.

The glasses de captain Fred Hancock(C/502-101 Airborne)

Vee

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