Welcome Aboard

USS Mansfield
DD-728

The Official site of the USS Mansfield Association

Ships Store

2015-08-31_12-26-39IMG_6829

Order the shirt pictured above (modeled by Gary and Dawn at the 2015 reunion) at: www.controlprt.com, Ph: 641-210-4000, Cell: 641-512-5757, 524 N. Federal Ave., Mason City, IA 50401, d.williams@controlprt.com; mention Gary Thompson (they already have the artwork). To order the pin, call Bob Hoffman at 317-578-1352. He makes them and sells them for $3.65, plus $4 for shipping.

There are other sites cited here which may be of interest. We do not get any compensation from them; members have just liked their products so we offer them here for others who may be looking for similar items.

Obviously, we can’t guarantee your satisfaction.

If you have a product that might be appropriate for this page, please let us know.

Dear Former USS Mansfield Sailors, Friends, and Family Members,

I am a former “tin can” sailor, like yourself, and wanted to make you aware of the availability of a new book, On the Gunline, devoted to the 270 surface combatants that served in the combat zone during the Vietnam War.

This book just became available online from the publisher, Heritage Books (https://heritagebooks.com/), and will soon be available from other book sellers, including Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

A description of the book follows.  Additional information may be found at www.davidbruhn.com.

Please forward this email to others who might be interested in On the Gunline.

Sincerely,

David Bruhn

On the Gunline

U.S. Navy and Royal Australian Navy
Warships off Vietnam, 1965–1973

Sea Dragon by Richard DeRosset depicts the USS Epperson and Mansfield taking fire from North Vietnamese shore batteries, following a run in by the destroyers to within five miles of the coast in the vicinity of Vinh.

Book Description
During the Vietnam War, 270 U.S. Navy and four Royal Australian Navy warships served at various times on the gunline. Within this armada were the battleship New Jersey, ten cruisers, 212 destroyers, fifty destroyer escorts, and the inshore fire support ship Carronade. When necessary, naval guns poured out round after round, until their barrels overheated and turned red, exterior paint blistered, and rifled-barrel liners were worn smooth. Allied troops locked in battle with North Vietnamese Army or Viet Cong troops in South Vietnam were grateful for artillery support from the sea. When North Vietnam launched the Easter Offensive across the DMZ in 1972, eight to ten ships in line, abreast, often firing simultaneously and around the clock, delivered desperately needed fire support. At one point, over forty cruisers and destroyers were serving together on the gunline. Warships conducting SEA DRAGON and LINEBACKER operations — naval bombardment of military targets along the coast of North Vietnam — came under fire on a number of occasions. Runs in to within five miles of a hostile shore, to strike Vinh, Haiphong, and other targets, often preceded duels with shore batteries. Most such action occurred at mission completion as ships zigzagged, while racing seaward at high speed to clear the coast, to throw off the aim of enemy gunners. This book highlights the grit, determination, and heroism of young men — many who would likely have preferred the laid-back lifestyle of the 1960s, were it not for their country’s call to arms.

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windjam
I would highly recommend a visit to Windjammer Arts. I ordered a color print of the Mansfield and I am very satisfied. You can order from George E.Bieda directly from his web site. Check it out for yourself. You won’t be disappointed.

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navyyard
To: USS Mansfield (DD-728) Reunion Association Members
From: The NAVY YARD AssociatesDear Sir:We have available a full color custom profile of your ship by the noted naval illustrator John R. Barrett (please see the artist’s sample above). We also have ships as outfitted during other time periods. Please visit our web site for prices, framing options, and other configurations of your ship http://www.navyyardassociates.net. We hope you and your shipmates will be interested in acquiring this full color print of your ship. If you have any questions or would like additional information please e-mail (John R. Barrett) john@navyyardassociates.net, or (Robert F. Sumrall) bob@navyyardassociates.net.Mailing address only:
The Navy Yard Associates
6009 Newport Lane
Frederick, MD 21701

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milgifts Richard’s Military Gifts specializing in Embroidered U.S. Navy Hats & Garments of out of commission ships. Visit their website or call toll-free 1-877-232-8416. I have ordered a hat, sweatshirt and golf shirt and I’m impressed with the quality and durability of the items. Highly recommended.

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TIN CAN SAILORS
Our Ship’s Store sells quality merchandise at reasonable prices. We accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express Additional charges apply for all orders mailed outside the United States. Tin Can Sailors Ship’s Store.

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badship
Shipmate Don Harrington purchased his ship model from Bad Ship Models.

“The company where I obtained the model is B & D Ship Models. The owner is ‘Lou’ and he is great and yes, they have the FRAM model of the Sumner class and Lou can get any detail. He is most knowledgeable and helpful. Model length is 47 inches and it is a kit with wood, balsa, plastic, brass etc. all to scale and Lou extends a 10% discount is the buyer served on the ship. It must be his labor of love as the detail and inventory is extensive. The kit cost is about $250 plus some nominal extra for parts. I have spent at least 200 hours on the model and took the summer/fall season off so will get back to it since the weather is cold. I loved every minute of the build up which starts with the hull like the old stick model airplanes and the real kick is when the topside is built up. In my case, I wanted the Korea vintage which included the 40MM prior to the 3inch however the 20MM of WWII were removed and Lou handled it !!!!”

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728hatMansfield hats are available through the Association for $15 (including shipping and handling). Please specify color (blue or white) when placing your order.

Send orders to:
Cookie Tabor
17219 Seven Springs Way
Riverside, CA 92504-9553

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Go here cafe for USS Mansfield and NSGA Bremerhaven apparel and gift items.

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navemp Navy Emporium Personalized items to commemorate your Navy service on the Mansfield.

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dcouch1 dcouch2

  • OTHER TITLES:
  • Pressure Point
  • Seal Team 1
  • Silent Descent

This is the link if you are interested in Dick’s books.
amazon

dcouch3Dick Couch, a 1967 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and former platoon commander of SEAL Team One, conducted one of the only successful POW rescues of the Vietnam War. He later served as a maritime operations officer with the CIA. Now living on Bainbridge Island in Puget Sound, Couch is a captain in the Naval Reserve and recently retired from his duties as senior serving reserve SEAL officer. This is his fourth novel.

 “I had the priviledge to have been Dick Couch’s first commanding officer on the USS Mansfield after he graduated from the Naval Academy in 1967. Dick was one of the great officers and crew who made my two years as Captain of this destroyer the high point of my 44 years of Navy and civilian government piloting service.””Subsequent to the Mansfield, Dick became a Seal and continued to serve our country extraordinarily as briefly described in the attached description and picture [left] from his fourth novel, Rising Wind. Earlier books by Dick are Seal Team One, Silent Descent and Pressure Point. His exciting adventure yarns are the stuff I can’t put down once I start, but I am not alone in my admiration. His books earned the praise of other authors such as Clive Cussler, Sephen Coonts, W.E.B. Griffin, Charles Taylor and the New York Times as well. Now, his message forwarded herewith announces his first excursion into non fiction with the release of “The Warrior Elite”. My local Barnes and Nobel and Books A Million do not have it yet, but one of them better have a copy soon, for I can’t wait to sit down with it. Even before I do so, I know it will be a barn burner certain to provide an increased insight to the activities and the kind of superb young men we have defending us and our country as they tackle the seemingly impossible missions. I say, go buy it as I will”.Jack Griffin From Dick Couch:Yesterday (Halloween!!) was the official release date of my latest book, The Warrior Elite. This is a non-fiction work, my first, and is an inside look at the training of Navy SEALs. It took me close to two years to research and write this book; it was a challenging project, both technically and emotionally. Many of the young men from Class 228 who grace my text are now about to go in harm’s way.This e-mail is a shameless commercial for The Warrior Elite; I hope you will order the book from amazon.com or from you local bookstore. I welcome any and all comments from you. And I have no doubt that my fellow SEALs who “wore the boat” for that terrible week will not hesitate to point out any errors.There will be a special, limited edition of The Warrior Elite signed by the three elite SEAL warriors who won the Medal of Honor. The price will be a premium and all proceeds will be donated to the Naval Special Warfare Foundation to support families of deployed SEALs and our Special Combatant Crewmen. Let me know if you are interested.Please feel free (really, no shame) to share/forward this e-mail as appropriate. Thank you for your interest and support. And each day, take a moment from what ever you are doing and give a thought for those who now stand on guard for all of us.

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tmvTRADITIONS MILITARY VIDEOS
Video features USS Mansfield (DD-728), USS Hanson (DD-832), USS Mount Baker (AE-4) operating of the coast of Vietnam in 1966. Includes excellent scenes of ships bombarding the shoreline, underway replenishment, and the crew performing various duties.

Please Note: Video has no narration, it contains a music soundtrack. Color · 30 minutes · VHS · $19.95 + S/H

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bcpBC Patch, LLC
USS Mansfield “Avant Garde”patch available.

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foxsteinCold War Military Steins Collector “I am a collector of cold war period American service steins. If anyone has such steins available I would pay a good price for them.” – Ron FoxContact info:

Ron Fox
416 Throop Street
N. Babylon, N.Y. 11704
Tel: 631-376-0916
Email: oz@webspan.net

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skains
NavSecGru Patches		 “I have created some NavSecGru patches and have made them available on my webpage. I thought that there would be some interest from the (NCVA) membership since I have seen questions asked in the past about obtaining some of these patches.” – Larry Skains (former CTR3)Available patches:

  • Naval Communications Training Center, Pensacola
  • Naval Technical Training Center, Corry Station
  • Naval Security Group Activity, Hakata, Japan
  • Naval Security Group Activity, Kamiseya, Japan
  • Naval Security Group Activity, Misawa, Japan
  • Naval Security Group Activity, Hanza, Okinawa, Japan
  • Naval Security Group Detachment, Pyong Taek, Korea
  • Naval Communication Station, Adak, Alaska
  • Naval Security Group Activity, Adak, Alaska
  • USS Georgetown (AGTR-2)
  • Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Illinois

Future patches: NSGA Keflavik, NCS Keflavik, Recruit Training Command Orlando, NSGA Azores, NSGA Kunia, NSGA Sabana Seca, USS Oxford AGTR-1

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rmac02Ralph McDonald

rmac01This is the link if you are interested in Ralph’s book.

Effects of the Magnetic North Pole

You know the story, now read the book. This is a work of fiction by Ralph McDonald, a retired computer geek living in Southern California. He offers this account of two young men, Mark Nobel and Snoopy Richards, who join the Air Force during the height of the Cold War in the late 1950’s. Follow this dynamic duo as they endure basic training at San Antonio, radio school at Biloxi and the Russian Language Institute at Monterey Bay prior to their assignment to the 6913th RSM at Bremerhaven, Germany.

Events of the day marked their tour. Rock ‘n’ Roll was king when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, PFC Elvis Presley arrived in Germany, the U-2 with pilot Francis Gary Powers was downed, and The Big Bopper, Richie Valens and Buddy Holly died in an Iowa plane crash. Against this background, Mark falls in love with a beautiful Bremerhaven fraulein, Gabbi, and risks loosing his security clearance in a struggle to balance his heart with his sense of duty and responsibility.

So, check the sofa for all the loose change you can dig up, you need $12.95, and then click on the link (left) to publisher’s website and order this must have book.

In God we trust, all others we monitor!

Ralph McDonald

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mustangWritten by RM2 Edgar DeLong, NAB/CommUnit 8, 1950-51

Navy Mustang: From Seaman to Officer, a Quarter Century in the United States Navy

BOOK DESCRIPTION

When fifteen-year-old Edgar DeLong convinced his family to let him join the United States Navy in 1944, he didn’t know what his future would bring. In Navy Mustang, DeLong details what his adventure-filled life is like from the day he enlists to when he retires twenty-six years later, including earning the designation of United States Navy Mustang.

DeLong describes his experiences in the World War II battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. He gives a first-person account of the Bikini atomic bomb tests and never-before-revealed stories about the bomb. He tells of his travels throughout the world, including how young Germans received an American sailor riding a bike down the Rhine, why you should learn to play chess if you want to meet people from all over the world without having to speak their language, and what it was like to hang out with the priests from the Vatican during the reign of Pope Pius XII.

Loaded with photographs and detailed dates, DeLong shows the pros and cons of what it was like to live as a sailor and an officer during the last quarter of the twentieth century.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Edgar E. DeLong served twenty-six years in the United States Navy, beginning his career as an enlisted man and retiring as a lieutenant commander. He is a freelance writer and volunteer. DeLong and his wife, Ruth, live in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

ORDERING INFO

http://www.amazon.com/

FROM THE AUTHOR

“You may want to pass this on to other Bremerhaven folks. I have included about 50 pages concerning that bicycle trip down the Rhine from Bhvn to Zurich and lots more about the old town and NAB. Book is selling well.” – Ed DeLong, 26 March 2008.

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aib-b Rüdiger Ritter: Vorort von New York? Die Amerikaner in Bremerhaven.

Ergebnisse einer Studie am Museum der 50er Jahre Bremerhaven,
Bremerhaven: NW-Verlag, 2010,
372 Seiten, über 100 Abb.
ISBN: 978-3-89509-929-7

Von 1945 bis 1994 war Bremerhaven Stationierungsort US-amerikanischer Truppen und hatte bis Ende der 1960er Jahre eine herausgehobene Stellung als Port of Embarkation (Einschiffungshafen). Die für den Dienst in Europa bestimmten US-Soldaten kamen hier an und fuhren auch von hier wieder ab. Bremerhaven behielt seine Bedeutung auch nach den 70er Jahren, als die Soldaten zwar nicht mehr mit dem Schiff, sondern mit dem Flugzeug transportiert wurden, der Hafen aber dennoch ein zentraler Umschlagplatz für Güter der US-Streitkräfte blieb. Das Buch betritt wissenschaftliches Neuland, weil es bislang noch keine umfassende Untersuchung über diesen Teilabschnitt der Stadtgeschichte gibt. Umfassend und ausführlich werden alle Lebens und Arbeitsbereiche beleuchtet, die sich für US-Amerikaner wie für Deutsche durch die US-Stationierung ergeben haben. Grundlage bilden die Ergebnisse eines Forschungsprojektes des Museums der 50er Jahre Bremerhaven.

Urteile zum Buch:

“Es gibt bisher keine vergleichbare Arbeit, was die Breite der in ihrer lokalen Interaktion untersuchten Aspekte des Themas betrifft.” – Prof. Dr. Kaspar Maase, Universität Tübingen

“Ausgehend von der Eigenwahrnehmung der Stadt als “„Vorort New Yorks”, die als identitätsstiftender Mythos interpretiert wird, fragt die Studie nach Zustandekommen und Funktion dieses Mythos als Mechanismus der Vergangenheitsverdrängung. Damit leistet sie neben einem stadthistorischen auch einen wichtigen Beitrag zur Entwicklungsgeschichte der frühen Bundesrepublik Deutschland.””“ – Prof. Dr. Anke Ortlepp, Universität München

“… die ausgezeichnete Bildauswahl, die weit über die übliche Illustration eines Textes hinausweist.” – Prof. Dr. Axel Schildt, Universität Hamburg

Product details: [Translation courtesy of Ursula Braun]

Autor: RUDIGER RITTER
Title: Vorort von New York? Die Amerikaner in Bremerhaven. – (Suburb of New York?) The Americans in Bremerhaven.
Results of a study presented at the museum of the 50’s in Bremerhaven

Publisher: NE-Verlag, Buergermeister-Smidt-Str. 74-76, 27568 Bremerhaven
Language: German
Hardcover: 16×23,5 cm – 340 pages, over 100 photos.

ISBN: 978-3-89509-929-7

Price: 24,80€ plus shipping and handling.

From 1945 to 1994 Bremerhaven was a base to US-troops and until the end of 1960 had a prominent position as port of embarkation. US troops designated for the service in Europe, arrived here and left from here. Bremerhaven retained its importance even after the 70’s, when the soldiers were not transported by ship anymore, but by planes. Even then Bremerhaven remained a central port of reshipment and transhipment of American goods. The book enters new territory, because as yet no comprehensive study about this aera of the city’s history has been published. Comprehensive and in detail study of all living and working conditions are looked into, and how both the Americans and Germans were effected from the U.S. deployment. The basis is the results of a research project of the Museum of the 50s in Bremerhaven.

Editorial reviews:

“There is no comparable work, which investigated the width of the local interaction with the aspects of the subject concerned.” – Prof. Dr. Kaspar Maase, University of Tuebingen

“Based on the self-perception of the city as “Suburb of New York”, this study questions the origin and function of this myth even as a mechanism to suppress the wartime past. In addition to the history of the city, the book features an important contribution to the development and history of the early Federal Republic of Germany.” – Prof. Dr. Anke Ortlepp, University of Munich

“The excellent selection of images extends far beyond the usual illustration of a text.” – Prof. Dr. Axel Schildt, University of Hamburg

You can purchase book here: http://www.nw-verlag.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p2621_vorort-von-new-york–die-amerikaner-in-bremerhaven.html. Shipping charges are: Surface mail: € 11.00 – Air Mail: € 13.00 – Visa and American Express cards accepted. I-Ban # DE 692925 0000000 2108070 – BIC # BRLADE 21 BRSD

The book is also available from amazon.de or you can email Mr. Ritter directly here: RRitter@gmx.de

NCVA-NE Apparel

We are proud to announce that there is now NCVA-NE apparel and hats available for our members and friends. They will feature the NCVA-NE logo embroidered on golf shirts, tee shirts, denim shirts, fleece shirts and hats. (For new NCVA-NE hats please scroll down)

* * * Mini-Reunion Apparel Orders * * *

Anyone wishing to purchase NCVA-NE Merchandise must have their order placed and received no later than 10 days prior to the reunion. Merchandise can be viewed at the following website: nesclothing.com. Once at the website follow the drop-down menu to select desired item/s. Some items can be viewed below.

Send ORDERS ONLY (no checks or money) to: Phil Sirmons

E-mail: Phireel@sbcglobal.net

or snailmail:

492 Boston Post Rd
East Lyme CT 06333-1407

Once all orders have been received, a collective order will be placed with Teesplus, and I will then be able to quote individual prices. For a general guide: most caps are in the $10.00 range; golf shirts range btwn $24.00-30.00, etc. For those attending the reunion, I will bring items and there will be no shipping cost. For those not attending, the shipping cost will be
$3.85 (priority mail) for 2 lbs and under. There are also items available for the ladies-if so inclined. Once prices have been confirmed, the requestee will be notified, and the payment should be forwarded to the NCVA-NE Treasurer. When placing your order please indicate item #, size, color and numer of pieces.

[ All colors and sizes may not be available. ]

8517
8517 UltraClub Collection 100% Combed Cotton Pointel, 1/4-zip Shirt with Contrasting Collar Stripe.

  • 100% cotton 6.8-oz.
  • Full Cut
  • Twill taped neck
  • Single-needle, safety-stitched shoulders and armholes
  • Contrasting stripe on collar
  • Clean-finished 6.5″ zipper placket
  • Double-needle sleeve hems
  • Back locker patch
  • Clean-finished, twill-taped side vents
  • Extended tail
  • COLORS: black/white stripe · forest green/white stripe · navy/white stripe · oatmeal/navy stripe · whte/navy stripe
  • SIZES: M-2XL
  • PRICES: M-XL ($22) 2XL ($25)
 3841
Cross Creek 3841 100% Pique Contrast Trim Sportshirt.

  • 100% combed ring-spun cotton pique 6.5-oz.
  • Full cut
  • Taped neck
  • Taped, contrasting knit welt collar and sleeve bands
  • Single-needle stitched shoulders
  • 2 horn buttons on Continental placket
  • Side vents
  • Extended tail
  • COLORS: Body/Placket, Collar & Cuffs: Birch (99/1)/Black, Natural/Navy, Natural/Forest, Natural/Wine, Sports Grey/Navy.
  • SIZES: S-M-L-XL-2X.
  • PRICES: M-XL ($27) 2XL ($29)
5032
5032 Outer Banks Pique Golf Shirt with Pocket and Bird’s-eye Striped Collar and Cuffs

  • 100% combed ring-spun cotton pique 6.8-oz.
  • Side-seamed
  • Left Chest pocket
  • Contrasting bird’s-eye collar and welt ribbed cuffs
  • 2 buttons on clean-finished placket with 1/4″ reinforced box
  • Side vents
  • Longer back tail
  • COLORS: Black · Bright Royal · Chino · Navy · White
  • SIZES: M-2SXL
  • PRICES: M-XL ($30) 2XL ($32)
 5031
5031 Outer Banks Heavy Pique Tri-Color Sportshirt

  • 6.8-oz. combed cotton
  • Two button placket
  • Contrasting fashion knit collar
  • Placket and welt cuffs
  • 2″ side vents with 2½” extended tail
  • COLORS: Body/Inside Placket/Collar & Cuffs: Darks: Spruce/Wine/Navy, White/Navy/Gadabout Green, White/Putty/Black; Heathers: Sports Grey/Wine/Navy.
  • SIZES: S-M-L-XL-2X.
  • PRICES: S-XL ($27.50) 2XL ($30)
  • For those who need 3XL-4XL there are shirts very similar to the above style. The collar and sleeve have a thin white stripe running through the half-tone color of the collar/sleeve and outer stripe of full tone color:8536 UltraClub – White Body with black, burgundy, forest green, navy, red or royal trim: 3XL($24.50) 4XL($25.50)8537 UltraClub – Color Body/contrasting trim. Black/White · Burgundy/White · Cornflower/White · Forest Green/White · Heather/Navy · Natural/Black · Navy/White · Red/White · Royal/White: 3XL($24.75) 4XL($27)
7930
7930 Fuit of the Loom 50/50 Long Sleeve Heavyweight Tee

  • 50% cotton/50% polyester heavyweight jersey
  • 5.3-oz
  • Full cut
  • Shoulder-to-shoulder taping
  • Seamless, set-in ribbed collar
  • Long sleeves with 1×1 ribbed cuffs
  • Double-needle bottom hem
  • COLORS: White; Lights: Ash; Darks: Black, Forest, Navy.
  • SIZES: S-M-L-XL-2XL.
  • PRICES: S-XL ($13) 2XL ($15)
 22727
22727 Avanti 100% Pigment-Dyed Long Sleeve Tee

  • 5.4-oz.
  • 100% cotton
  • Zero shrinkage
  • Double needle hemmed sleeves and bottom
  • Ribbed collar
  • Coverstitch neckCOLORS: Burgundy, Chambray, Forest, Moss, Navy.
  • SIZES: S-M-L-XL-2XL.
  • PRICES: S-XL ($15.50) 2XL ($17.50)
j10
Jerzees J10 100% Long Sleeve Denim Shirt

  • 6.5-oz. denim
  • Button-down collar
  • Seven wood-tone buttons
  • Left chest v-top pocket
  • Double needle tailoring
  • COLORS: Light Blue
  • SIZES: S-M-L-XL-2X
  • PRICES: S-XL ($21.50) 2XL ($23.50)
 4528
Jerzees 4528M 50/50 Heavyweight SUPER SWEATS Quarter-Zip Pullover

  • 9-oz.
  • Self material cadet collar
  • Ribbed Lycra spandex cuffs and coverseamed waistband
  • Set-in sleeve
  • COLORS: Lights: Birch, Oxford; Darks: Black, True Navy; Premiums: Forest.
  • SIZES: M-L-XL-2X.
  • PRICES: M-XL ($24) 2XL ($27)
cap
136 Anvil Solid Brushed Twill Cap

  • 100% cotton twill
  • 6 panels
  • Constructed crown with fused buckram backing
  • Top button with 6 sewn eyelets
  • Pre-curved bill
  • Matching sweatband
  • Fabric closure with hideaway brass buckle and grommet
  • COLORS: Black, Ivy, Khaki, Navy, Red, Royal, White.
  • SIZES: One size fits all.
  • PRICE: $10
 hat11-02
hat11-01
New Hats June 2011
Price: $10
mr09a-09
Phil Sirmons showing some of the NCVA NE items for sale for the ladies of the Chapter. These are also found on the web site NESCLOTHING.COM		 newlogo2New Embroidered Logo (6/11)

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