Tiger Camouflage: Okinawa CISO/John Wayne Dense Tiger Showcase

Tiger Camouflage: Okinawa CISO/John Wayne Dense Tiger Showcase

Unknown caption, unknown date. Everyone here is wearing this exotic Japanese pattern. 

I'm a huge Tiger Stripe Camouflage collector nowadays... been studying for 2 years... working hard and paying out of my own pocket for each piece... 

Each one is unique with the pattern placements and the garment cuts. In this blog post, I will be displaying all the desirable garments of this pattern in my collection. There is one major design that I do not own sadly, so I apologize not being able to fit it in. It is the US Cut. I will post more about this cut in a different pattern within a later blog. The photo below shows a LRRP team using this cut. I will explain more about it in this future blog. If I manage to purchase one this year, I will update the blog showcasing it.

SFC Philip R. Chassion (Clarkesville, TN) pre-briefs members of his Long-Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) team. The LRRP team was preparing to move by helicopter into Viet Cong territory to gather vital intelligence. The mission was conducted as part of Operation “Harrison” near Tuy Hoa, Republic of Vietnam. One of Chassion’s Soldiers used a camouflage stick to write “POP” on the top of his head. MSG Chassion was later killed in action on February 2, 1968, during his second tour. Photo was taken on February 27, 1966.

The Tiger pattern I am covering in the blog post today is known as Okinawa CISO/John Wayne Dense by collectors. This pattern came to existence estimated around 1964 and would be used throughout the war. I have seen several photos of the pattern still floating around even as late as 1969. It was manufactured in Japan, specifically in Okinawa, and was contracted by the Counter Insurgency Supply Office (CISO). This fabric would later be used in the Japanese civilian hunting market for hunting jackets and other custom-tailored goods. 

Raw fabric of the pattern, sent in for testing at the CISO. Photo taken from "CISO Camouflage Pattern Fabric Swatches - CAMOUFLAGE UNIFORMS - U.S. Militaria Forum (usmilitariaforum.com)" 

If you're wondering where the other collector's name "John Wayne Dense" even came from, it was because John Wayne used a movie production copy of the pattern which popularized it even further. There are a couple "John Wayne" patterns that are part of the same series and evolution despite John Wayne never wearing all of them, only one, dubbed "John Wayne Dense" due to it being a more visually "Dense" version of the pattern. 

John Wayne and David Janssen wearing movie production copies in the movie The Green Berets (1968). It used jungle BDU style buttons found on regular Tropical Combat Uniforms (Jungle Fatigues). 

A Western Costume Company Tailor Tag that is found in John Wayne's US Cut Shirt. This photo was taken from an old auction that was part of the 2011 Property of John Wayne auctions on October 6, 2011, where John Wayne's movie set uniform was sold for a whopping $11,000 + $2145 Buyer Premium before taxes and shipping.

JAPANESE FLIGHT SUIT

One of the earliest contracted productions of this pattern is the Flight Suit. The Flight Suit design has existed as early as 1961~1962, but in a different earlier pattern. It would own 14 YKK Japanese zippers, this one specifically came with silver YKK zippers. The older ones had gold YKK zippers. These were mostly used by USMC Helicopter crews and other pilots, with the design having a major appearance in the TIME Magazine "One Ride with Yankee Papa 13". It would sometimes also be locally made for other pilots, spawning several custom-made Flight Suits in patterns that weren't originally contracted for that purpose. Mine has a size stamp and size tag with "40L" printed. There are several faded parts and untouched parts, it also has some factory printing blurring. 

Photo from the Eddy Family of Yankee Papa 13 members using the exotic flight suit in 1965. Small note is that they are using the earlier pattern mentioned above. Photos — My Yankee Papa

ASIAN CUT

This design is in Asian Size, complete with a white cloth size tag. Mine says "A-L" for Asian Large, but it is nowhere close to the Asian Large size today. It fits closer to a US-S on the smaller end. The pockets have a single exposed button and are pretty small compared to the US Cut contracts.

Mike Force CIDG Troops sporting this Japanese made camouflage. You can see they're using the Asian Cut design. Note that the hats are a different pattern that existed at the time known as Silver or Tadpole Sparse. I will cover that camouflage soon. 

JAPANESE CIVILIAN HUNTING JACKET

This large jacket was commercially produced with wartime fabric for the Japanese Hunting market. It is complete with 4 pockets with 2 exposed buttons on each, and one large "Gamebag" in the back. Other designs had only the two lower pockets, with one single button for closure. It would also be in a lighter, thinner poplin cotton twill. 

TAILOR-MADE USMC SHORTS

I won this from a USMC grouping. The color is very dark, it may be the fabled "Lime Shade" I keep hearing about. The fabric is somewhat thin, but it doesn't feel like it will be ripped easily. There are no pockets. The zipper has no brand. There is some damage and fraying between the shorts but is still wearable at waist size 33 inch. It has the original owner's name stamped in the back. The shorts were attributed to Gene A. Milleson who was a USMC Pilot during the Vietnam War. Not my style, but very fascinating. I own a second one in a different pattern which I will show in a different post.

Unknown caption, but these are USMC guys having some fun on the beach. Last 2 are supposedly from a Da Nang beach party.

CUSTOM SHIRT-TURNED-VEST

This vest was made from a shirt with the arms being cut off, and the lower pockets were tailored in. I was told it was probably a hunting jacket that was turned into a vest, but the pocket design and the buttons are clearly not the same, and I didn't find any signs of the gamebag originally being in the back. The upper pockets have vertical pattern flaps, while the lower pockets have horizontal like the rest of the garment. These were plentiful during the war and came in different designs. Some even had zippers for map pockets, others were complete conversions into ammo vests, sometimes becoming similar to fishing vests. 

Unknown captions. Vests are complete with zippers.

CUSTOM MADE TAILORED TROUSERS

These trousers were not made for combat, but rather for parties. It has no side pockets, no cargo pockets, but it does have butt pockets that are often seen on suits. 

CUSTOM MADE TAILORED BLAZER/SMOKING JACKET

Unfortunately, I don't have personal photos of it yet. These are the seller's photos. I WILL UPDATE THIS PART OF THE BLOG WHEN IT ARRIVES. This is one of many one-of-a-kind custom-tailored blazers. They are extremely rare and usually kept by the family of the soldier. However, this one was not. Mine specifically was made and tailored for a USMC Pilot named Lionel Parra Jr. 

One of the only photos of Lionel Parra Jr. Photo taken from "THE WALL OF FACES - Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (vvmf.org)"

His suit was made on January 26, 1968. He however was shot down in Quang Tri Province, and his body was never recovered. He has been MIA since July 17, 1968, only 5.63 months or 173 days after having this suit personally made. The seller and I believe the suit was sent to his home address along with his other belongings when they couldn't find him, and the suit floated around in several thrift stores before being purchased by a struggling couple, who then sold it to my seller. I will cherish this piece forever in honor of the missing man who may have never come home. 

I had great pleasure putting all these photos together. In the next blog post, it'll be a quick showcase of the pattern mentioned in the Flight Suit section. See you all next time. 

Photo of LIFE Magazine "One Ride with Yankee Papa 13" taken from My Yankee Papa.

NEXT BLOG: CIA/JOHN WAYNE COMPACT PATTERN