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Old 01-14-2024, 10:06 PM   #12
'68OrangeSunshine
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Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Tucson, AZ USA
Posts: 7,092
Re: Crazy nice blazer

It formerly belonged to a Naval [or Marine] officer. That blue rectangle on the driver's side front bumper below the headlight is a base sticker. In that period, the officer's rank would also be in a white inset.
They were supposed to scrape the sticker off when the officer left service, or sold the truck.

Funny story:
My '68 C/10 Stepside had once belonged to the Catholic Chaplain at Camp Pendleton MCB, a Navy Captain [O-6 = Col]. The Padre got overseas orders and advertized in the base paper for some one to make an offer and take over payments. An Army Sgt at nearby Ft Irwin [I think] jumped on the deal. Fast forward to 1973, and the gas crunch. He's now a civilian in Pasadena, the wife's PG, and she wants him to sell the ''gas hog'' Stepside and buy a Toyota.
So I bought it off him. I was a civilian, but I had Marine buddies, and wound up joining myself in December of that year. The truck stayed with my parents in Tucson when I went thru Boot. A year later, when I got orders to Cherry Point, NC, I drove it 2,000 miles back east.
I was a PFC. I thought it was strange for the Gate Guard at my new duty station to be rendering me a snappy salute, but I returned the courtesy.
About the third time I came back on base from a run into town, the Sgt at the Gate said, ''Give my compliments to your father the Colonel.''
''My father's not a Colonel,'' I said.
''OK, then pull over on the right, PFC.''
And he scraped my Blue sticker off and placed a fresh Red one [Enlisted] in its place.
Faded now, but I still have a base sticker from MCAS Yuma on the bumper.
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Every 25 years I like to rebuild that 292, whether it needs it or not.
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