More Actors:

Audey Murphy (To Hell And Back):

The making of the move was likely very frustrating for Audey. I was a spin on his fame and taken from his book, but he had little say obviously, and Hollywood has always worked in funny ways, like the part of him on the back of a knocked-out Sherman…His uniform is WWII, and the tank is a Sherman, but actually happened in the winter with snow, on an M10 Tank Destrpuer, and the 3rd army insignia was questionable in the field. And how do you play-your self, a War Herao, living with PTSD in a big way, desperately wanting to be a good actor, come across in the wrong way, he was a Hero, and was dealing with the war every day in his head, my hats off to him and he did a good job, buy one can the frustrations when the producer wants one thin, and the directed with out a clue, telling you what to do, when you were there-you can tell them what you wore, were you were, and what happed, and would prefer to tell the truth too, as you can tell Im not a fan of Hollywood, but there have been good and moving shows, for TV and the big screen that are pretty good, but they all have a Hollywood spin on them, I like it when they show and interview the real people portrait in the films, like documentrys, it gives you a better picture of the event.

Telly Savales Kelly’s Heros:

This movie was another I really liked at the time, I found it funny and informative, and a good story. The marine actors were sort of stuck then in call-it-type casting I guess, but for this show it worked, great actors, and amazing all these fellows could be even in the same movie, but it worked, it wasn’t a documentary, but thought was given to make it historically correct for the period, I don’t know about the units and places, but think they had it right, to the point to converting Russian Cold War tanks modified to resemble Tiger Tanks, at the time the first time I ever had seen one, ya know, it was nice to work, not perfect, but that costs a lot of money to do. unfortunately, I rushed the photoshoot as per norm, and the helmet is not quite right, it should have the netting over it that the Army did do, in Europe and the Mediterranean, but rarely in the Pacific, some Marines wore 4” mesh webbing over their helmets in Korea, but it was rare.

2nd Armored Division, “War Daddy” (Brad Pit) from FURY:

This was a well-done movie a lot of work went into “Thank God for Museum Equipment”, and the uniforms a high-priced actor, and a lot of new faces. Hollywood had its way with it, but it wasn’t the 3rd or 4th time I watched it that it started to bum-me-out, but it was well done, the tank that took out a company of SS….kind of a reach, but the new video-graphics and what not are amazing, still a prefer to watch a real vehicle, etc as opposed to complete computerized graphics, I watch the video-game videos of battle and war machines and it amazes me-but its different still the old way…but then I am an old guy-so? what-ever blows your hair back. I have boots that match Brat Pits riding boots too- but they actually part of the set.

Sergeant ‘Elvis Presley’ I/32nd Armor Battalion:

That right-’Elvis the Pelvis, something different in the collection. Like all of the uniforms, there is a story, call it BS, or fact, I do try to tell unit stories as true as I can. This is one that kind of hooked me I guess, but I liked Elvis, so the story goes. During his active career, Elvis Presley served as a member of two different tank battalions. Between March 28 and September 17, 1958, he belonged to Company A, 2nd Medium Tank Battalion, 37th Armored, stationed at Fort Hood, Texas where he completed Basic and Advanced Military Training.

Private Presley shipped off to Germany in October 1958 as a member of the 1st Medium Tank Battalion, 32nd Armor. For the first five days of that period, he was assigned to Company D, of the battalion, and thereafter to the Battalions Headquarters Company at Friedberg until her returned to the Continental US in March 1960.

Presley soldiered on like like a regular GI. He played down his notoriety and made the best of his service time, making a number of good friends. To accommodate his family and his friends he had off-post housing in BadNauheim that provided privacy, for non-Army business such as songwriting.

Presley deployed to the field for training and duty with the battalion enjoying the comforts of the training area barracks, GP Medium Tents, and the ‘Pup-Tents’ in places such as Grafenwohr and Wildflecken. As a jeep driver, he would have taken part in convoy duty with HHC while the Line Company troops loaded and unloaded their tanks at the railheads. As a member of the Scout Platoon Presley probably took part in terrain walks on the Brigade’s forward battle positions along the Fulda Gap.

And the rest of the story the uniform was brought back to the States by a US service member stationed at Ray Barracks. Said to have been bought for DM500 = about $150.00 US at the time. They had been stuffed into the bottom of a duffel bag, with a note and price on it, and the name of Gitte on it (German failure to Bridgette). They were found at the Gasthaus Sonnenhof, in Bad Nauheim where Elvis had a house, so may have been left at the dry cleaners, or pinched. left with a girlfriend? so the story goes. there is plenty of evidence of him in the jacket and with the Ridgeway Cap, which was short-lived in the 1950s, and thereafter only with specific purposes.

Presley like every jeep driver-he had figured out how to get the most comfort out of his ride, it was a very muddy place at the time, and he had plywood ‘sort doors added to his, which worked very well, and sometimes you just have to work it.