Soldier shopping spree -- Late 60s or early 70s

[cdowell]

I was sent some scans from a box of inherited slides and -- geopolitics aside -- enjoyed seeing all this mint camera equipment. (The pull-tab cokes and buds look okay, too.) Pretty sure I have the camera that took these photos right now, a hand-me-down that eventually made it to my wife. It is a Konica rangefinder.

 

[wiltw]

A whole bunch of Captains, likely all Armor officers, out enjoying themselves! with Nikon F and one rangefinders....undoubtedly PX purchases. And early-1960s, judging by the lack of Photomic finders.

 

[mrosenlof]

let's see, first photo, blonde captain has a Pentax Spotmatic
second pic, guy on right has a Konica something in case.
third, Probably Yashica Electro rangefinder on left, and Captain Pentax from photo no. 1
fourth, On left, Nikkormat, center, Nikon in case, probably an F or maybe F2. Everything else was a Nikkormat until the FM or maybe the EL got called Nikon.
fifth and last photo, I don't recognize the tripod.

I'm going to guess later 60s or early 70s based mostly on the Spotmatic. Fun to see.

 

[AgX]

Already that molded strap padding should exclude the 60's.

 

[wiltw]

let's see, first photo, blonde captain has a Pentax Spotmatic
second pic, guy on right has a Konica something in case.
third, Probably Yashica Electro rangefinder on left, and Captain Pentax from photo no. 1
fourth, On left, Nikkormat, center, Nikon in case, probably an F or maybe F2. Everything else was a Nikkormat until the FM or maybe the EL got called Nikon.
fifth and last photo, I don't recognize the tripod.

I'm going to guess later 60s or early 70s based mostly on the Spotmatic. Fun to see.

I should have viewed the images magnified!

• Yes, Spotmatic...which came out in 1964-76.
• The Nkkormat name was good 1965-77, change to Nikon was EL
• The rangfinder, a Yashica Electro G series chrome 1966-68, when GT was black in 1969.

...so likely 1966-1968

 

[cdowell]

Wife say's her dad left for Vietnam in 1971. The slides "near" these in order seem to show Japan and Hawaii, so I guess the JAG Corps was taking a week off.

 

[cdowell]

And here's what they looked like when they weren't drinking on the deck of a ship. I think this an interesting picture because it looks like a staff meeting at any other job. Staff meetings rarely make the movie version of a war.

 

[grahamp]

You can still see desks like that in some offices at UC Berkeley! Solid steel - very reassuring as a last ditch earthquake refuge.

 

[Danner]

Pic one, pen is a Parker T-Ball Jotter.

 

[wiltw]

And here's what they looked like when they weren't drinking on the deck of a ship. I think this an interesting picture because it looks like a staff meeting at any other job. Staff meetings rarely make the movie version of a war.

With a full bird Colonel in the staff!

 

[cdowell]

With a full bird Colonel in the staff!

I still refer to my father-in-law as "the General." My father carried a rifle as a draftee, so we've got both ends covered.

 

[wiltw]

I still refer to my father-in-law as "the General." My father carried a rifle as a draftee, so we've got both ends covered.

The guy at the desk in the 'staff meeting' photo appears to be scarcely out of OCS, much less be a General officer! Maybe he was simply the General's aide-de-camp and the guys sitting around were waiting to be admitted.

 

[cdowell]

The guy at the desk in the 'staff meeting' photo appears to be scarcely out of OCS, much less be a General officer! Maybe he was simply the General's aide-de-camp and the guys sitting around were waiting to be admitted.

An early assignment -- these things definitely take time.