Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1000484
The first flak jackets were massively introduced during World War II for air crews. In the very same time, first infantry specific vests were developed. Unfortunately, all early vests had a lot of shortcomings, they were uncomfortable and heavy, while their efficiency was questionable. After war, American forces participated, on several occasions, in further conflicts and the best protection of soldiers was of key importance. Vests became the inherent part of the GI's image during the Vietnam War. That conflict revealed many weaknesses of the solutions used at that time. So, soldiers were reluctant about wearing the vests or did not use them at all. At the beginning of the 1970s, higher ranks started to wonder on a solution to the situation. Different kinds of armor had been used for hundreds of years. First, we had leather armors. Then, steel armor was invented. When swords and sabers were replaced by muskets and rifles, all armies in the world ceased to use protection of upper body parts since it was heavy and, at the same time, inefficient against firearm rounds and artillery (apart from some exceptions, but those solutions were used only to a very narrow extent). Such was the doctrine that was dominant for over two hundred years, by the beginning of the 20th century. The world had to experience a global conflict to force people during another, second, global conflict to do something about the mortality rate during wars. During WW2, the United States not only designed and produced flak jackets for air crews, but also created at least two models for the infantry. For USMC, M41 was designed. It was a Herringbone Twill (HTB) jacket with Doron panels sewn inside. The US Army The history of body armor in US Army and USMC. www.fragoutmag.com