USS OGDEN Jacket

[lordirae]

Hello...hoping someone can tell me whether this jacket would be a tour of duty jacket or more commemorative? I only ask because I do not see any patches like the other jackets I found. Thanks!!

[indythings]

Nice jacket, not authorized for on duty use, but off duty A OK.

Commemorative, but that across the line quote on the bottom.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Ogden_(LPD-5)

"On 10 November 1976, June 1987, 1992, and again in November 1999, Ogden crossed the Equator and the International Dateline simultaneously."

The rest of those ports are a Vietnam era thing.

Just my opinion

[lordirae]

Thanks for your thoughts! I ended up listing it with tour of duty and souvenir in the title because I thought the same thing...its like a mishmash of different things related to the USS Ogden. Thanks again!

[herecometheplayas]

This is a sort of souvenir/commemorative jacket sailors have made when they go to sea for depolyment. I'm not sure where they have them made anymore, unless they still get them in the Philippines. My ex hubby had one made there when he was on the USS Ranger.

WESTPAC 85 denotes the 6-9+ month cruise the ship took to the western Pacific in 1985. Some hit all Asian ports and usually Hawaii, others made it to Perth, Western Austrailia, Madagascar, or Diego Garcia. Long Beach was probably their home port, all the other places listed were their liberty ports. While on the WestPAC they crossed the equator and had initiations for all those who had never crossed the line before. Valient Usher and Cobra Gold were probably military training exercises they participated in with their carrier group and/or foreign Navies