USMC Flak Jackets

Just started painting up my Marines and trying to determine the color of the flak jackets.  Seem to range from a light yellowish green to a darker green.  Was there a color change at some point... or did they just fade during usage?  I'm mostly focusing on the Hills Fights of Khe Sanh, so I can cheat a little bit by making them dusty.  Most of the pictures in Khe Sanh area they all look to be the faded color with a mix of red dirt.  

But now I'm curious.  Anyone know?

Where is Tom and Darby when you need them?

Since I don't do Marines, but have done the odd flack jacket here and there, I find Vallejo's Brown-Violet to be a good match from what I've seen of flack jackets. My main uniform color is usually Vallejo German Fieldgrey, then Vallejo Russian Uniform Green, then RUG mixed down a few shades with Vallejo Buff. The Bown-Violet provides a nice contrasting color so as to look separate but still belonging to the over all look. I use the Brown-Violet from time to time to paint bandoliers and ass-packs as well. It's a good color.

Anyone else?

Newly released were US green. as time goes on they seem to become brown then lighter brown. I assume its the sun. Also colour pictures of that period gradually add a sepia tinge to the colour. Best to google marines and look at a lot of colour pictures. Then paint the figures various shades to look like a mixed unit.

BravoSix wrote:Vallejo's Brown-Violet to be a good match from what I've seen of flack jackets.

Yeah, that does seem to be a pretty good match. Thanks.

Paul@ Empress wrote:Also colour pictures of that period gradually add a sepia tinge to the colour. Best to google marines and look at a lot of colour pictures. Then paint the figures various shades to look like a mixed unit.

Yeah, I've basically come to the same decision. I decided I will just mix color/colour(s) for each individual figure so none are quite an exact match.

The old M69 jacket... I believe the dye color is "olive drab, #2", probably from the 1950's color pallet. In 28mm for newly issued I'd probably go with Vallejo Olive Green 70.976 and then add either Grey-Green, tan or khaki to it for fading, then use a very light wash of Vietnam Earth pigment from MIG or some such. (it's a good reddish)

Hey FlyingSquirrel!
The flack jackets issued to the Marines were 1950s versions.
Varying shades of OG. The newer ones the Army had were more of a tan. The ones we wore at Khe Sanh started green, but that red dust and mud stained them just like our utilities and jungle boots. I was not there for the Hill Fights but was during the siege.

Darby's suggestion sounds like it will give that usually missing reddish tone. I always wondered how somebody could get that color right.

Good to see you Darby!

Best to all and for you folks here in the US...Happy Fourth of July.

Sam

Thank you yankee sam for the info. Welcome back!

B6, here's Tom, but I don't know anything about USMC flak vests other than what I would see in a photo.

I was in the Army and mine was a light olive with a somewhat yellow cast to it. Fading I guess.

Yankee Sam, it is mice to see you back.

Tom