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T-shirt Army Grey Star (Black)
SKU: EOS - 31-19T-shirt with grey (gray) star made of 100% cotton. It has a tapered neck and fits perfect.
Made of 100% cotton
Tapered neck and perfect fit!
About that white star in the circle!
It began as an aerial marking for all allied forces around 1943 after previous designs received complaints from airmen trying to decipher them from their planes. This was particularly true in North Africa where allied airmen had a hard time distinguishing between not only the various tanks on the battlefield but also their symbols. The German cross was too close to a plain star! Basically they were a way for all allied air support from various nations to quickly identify friendly forces on the ground so it had to be very clear who was on whose side. By the time of the D-Day Landings at Normandy, it was the universal symbol in use for that purpose
It was phased out officially due to changing army camouflage and vehicle marking protocols. This is most likely due to two factors: One is more obvious... As WWII ended, the "allies" no longer existed as a unified army and therefore all symbols of that uniformed, multinational force would become obsolete over time. Remember this wasnt just a symbol used by the US. The UK, Canada, Australia, Free French, and other allied forces all would have painted that white star in a circle on their vehicles. Continuing on with it after the war could be potentially confusing. The other reason is less 'official' so take it with a grain of salt. During the Vietnam war it became rather apparent that painting a large white star on your tanks and trucks was a great way to get them noticed and shot at in the jungles and at night. Considering the nature of air support changed, communications got better, and the enemy was largely un-mechanized... the need for a clear visual marker on top of tanks and trucks to prevent friendly fire and aid in recon just wasn't there anymore. And so the star became nothing but a liability on the battlefield.
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