My equivalent of the
black hooded sweatshirt. It's exactly what the node title says, an
old green field jacket that my
father got
army surplus when he was in
high school. Yes, it's that
old. New field jackets have
velcro. Mine is pre-velcro. Buttons instead of velcro, at least in the places where they haven't yet
fallen off. The jacket's exterior layer has been
ripped,
torn, and
restitched in more places than I can count. The edges of the collar and the sleeves are
frayed and
dry rotting. Many of the tears are
irreparable, the fabric having
unraveled away, leaving nothing left to stich back into place. Over the years, I have put many patches on it. They are, for the most part,
generic military patches that just looked nice, their
drab colors blending well with the green of the jacket. On the left shoulder however, is a circular patch, a bright
blue field, on which rests a winged yellow eight, with a white star in the lower circle. It is the
8th airforce patch from my grandfather's
WWII uniform. He was a
B-17 pilot. With all of it's stitches, flaws and patches, it is very much a
frankenstein of a jacket.
I love it anyway. The inside of the
jacket remains
perfect. The fabric is
smooth, and
cool to the touch. When I slide it over my arms, and onto my shoulders, it is like being wrapped in pure, cool,
comfort. Despite that, it is incredibly warm. It has an old smell to it, which can only be described as field jacket smell. It is a little too big, which makes it an
excellent blanket. The cuffs hang down over my hands to my knuckles, and the pockets are huge. I can drop random objects and
totems into them (lego men, writing implements, oddly shaped D&D dice), over and over again, and they never seem to be filled. Every time I wear it, a
flood of memories rushes over me. Hiking and climbing at Hanging Rock with my friends in the late fall. Lying on the floor of the basement with my high-school
girlfriend, watching movies from under a field jacket blanket.
Endless miserable grey winter days, when I just wanted the whole world to
fade away, walking with my
head down, my hands shoved deep into the pockets, finding some minute
solace there. Countless camping trips and visits to friends when it was folded into a pillow, because I
forgot to bring a proper one.
It is slowly
falling apart. Each year the old tears in the fabric grow, and a few new ones develop. New stains and chemicals are added, leaning into the
engine compartment of my car on the
side of the road.
I worry about how long it will last, how long it will physically stay wrapped around me. My
family and a few of the people I know nag me about it's condition, about how it makes me look like a
homeless person. I keep saying to myself that it ought to be
retired, but I just can't bring myself to do it. Maybe I will wear it until it
disentegrates around me, and I am left standing
cold and alone under the
desolate winter sky, without my
armor, my
protection.
On the inside of the jacket, the army was considerate enough to stamp a little
poem. It is
old and faded now, the details of the letters run together, but I can still make it out for the most part. I shall leave it to you in closing summation:
JACKET, SHELL, FIELD, M-1951
OAKWOOD MFG. CO., INC.
PATT. DATE 7 NOV. 1952
16 APRIL 1953. TAP1234
SPEC. NO. MIL-J-11448
A.S.T.P.A.
INSPECTOR _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
JACKET, SHELL, FIELD, M-1951
1. WEAR AS THE OUTER GARMENT IN COLD-WET CLIMATES
AND THE INTERMEDIATE GARMENT IN COLD-DRY CLIMATES.
2. WEAR ALONE IN MILD WEATHER.
3. FOR COLD WEATHER, BUTTON IN LINER JACKET,
FIELD, M-1951.
4. TIGHTEN WAIST AND SKIRT DRAWSTRINGS AND SLEEVE
CLOSURES FOR WARMTH-LOOSEN TO VENTILATE. AVOID
OVERHEATING TO PREVENT CHILLING AFTER EXERCISE.
5. BUTTON ON HOOD FOR HEAD AND FACE PROTECTION.
6. BRUSH SNOW AND FROST FROM GARMENTS BEFORE
ENTERING HEATED SHELTERS.
7. DRY GARMENTS SEPARATELY.
8. DO NO DRY TOO CLOSE TO HEAT.
9. WATER REPELLENCY MAY BE RESTORED BY TREATMENT.
10. LUBRICATE ZIPPER WITH GRAPHITE OR CANDLE WAX.