Doesn’t even look like a real “year” if you one of those born in the last century. In high school we all were memorized by how old we’d be when the year 2000 hit. Nobody thought about twenty three years beyond that number. “Party like it’s 1999” is about as far as we got. Oh well, just glad a pandemic year isn’t on my headstone. Nice to have survived all that crap. I do feel every bit of loss for the millions who did not however, don’t get me wrong. But you have a slightly different take on all this if you are student of history. Pandemics won’t quit just because we humans don’t like them. Humanity crossed the 8 billion mark, and the world is changing in many new ways. Fun to be on the ride is all. This new year we’re going to try to get some of the products that made us famous back in a normal supply routine, but it’s not guaranteed. If you were not aware already, Service of Supply has no “full time” employees. Just a collection of folks and family who love history and like making stuff. No, we’re not looking for investors. We’re not trying to “grow the brand” or open new warehouses across the planet. We’re not going to be around forever and I’m cool with that. We are going to keep making some unique items to fill out your awesome WWII impression, and I’m going to be selling a lot of the collection I’ve enjoyed for over 25 years. You’ll see some great items up for sale in the coming weeks and months and the prices will surprise you- in a good way. I just want to make my investment back, and take the family out to dinner from time to time. Every item of historical value I’ve picked up over the decades was destined to move from my possession to another collector eventually. That’s the way it is. So I’m pretty pleased to know that my customer base (you) are worth of taking the role of custodian for these amazing artifacts for a few years or decades until you pass them along once again. Cheers to 2023 and beyond!
Author: SOS
Owner of Service of Supply Militaria & WWII Reproductions
Spring Cleaning & Scrounging
Service of Supply will have a delay in shipping orders between April 2nd and April 8. Anything ordered will go out about the 8th or 9th- sorry, but we’re going to revamp some space in the shop and take a little “junking” tour. Call it a vacation, but really, who doesn’t work through vacation when your job is eat, sleep, and breath military history? We apologize in advance for any inconvenience this may cause. You can still text Bryan with any questions, but if you need an item in 3 days, it can’t happen. Gotta do what we gotta do. Thanks for understanding.
Veterans Day 2021
Running for Veterans
My son, and one of Service of Supply’s employees, ran a 🎃 fun run today wearing full Vietnam era combat gear. The 5k is raising money for great community organizations, but Ian is asking for sponsors to help raise money for the VFW Foundation. Help him through his GoFund Me.
Highlights of 2020- Surviving Quarantine
Coronavirus Face Masks
We’ve made over 1,200 masks at the time of this post. It’s crazy to see the demand for these keep steady. We’re not out of the woods yet, this dumb virus is persistent for sure. We humans have the power to stop it. Unfortunately it takes a lot of knowledge and a team effort. Wear the darn masks people. It’s not going to kill you to wear a mask- but it’s going to kill our economy, our whole way of life- if we don’t. And that’s the argument I can make if you aren’t already thinking of your fellow humans who can die from COVID-19. I wear a mask in public because I don’t want to be the one who inadvertently passes it along. I’ve been VERY safe over these last few months. I wear a mask, I touch nothing (except with Lysol wipes which I stocked up on pre-covid) and I avoid crowds. Other than run Service of Supply, I’m a high school history teacher, and we’ve been out of classes since March 13. When working in my shop, I use hand sanitizer like crazy. I wouldn’t say I’m paranoid. Not at all. I’m just going to be the last person on the earth who gets this virus. The masks have been pretty fun to make, I can successfully binge watch Netflix while sewing at the same time. I’ve been making reproductions since 2001, so it’s safe to say I sew more than a dozen pajama-making grandmothers. 1,200 masks, but that’s nothing. To date I’ve made 1,548 first aid pouches, 1,307 bandoleers, 1,130 gas brassards, 604 handkerchiefs, 536 neckties, and 479 PE bags. That’s a bit of sewing. Worn out two sewing machines along the way too. So I’m going to keep cranking out COVID masks, you all keep wearing them. Do it for a fellow citizen if not for yourself. And wear one with a little style. I’m keeping the price WAY low so you can be sure to wear one. Please, let us work together to make the coronavirus extinct.
Art in Arms Press
Very interesting website with some great photography and incredible information about vintage and modern weapons.
Veterans Day School Assembly and Yakima Veterans Day Parade 2018
I had the privilege of working with 24 awesome high school students who wore the uniforms of American service men and women from the last 100 years. I’ve collected uniforms for a very long time, and this is the best, by far, way to display them! Walking in the parade for the 100th commemoration of the end of WWI was incredible. Yakima turned out in great numbers to honor our veterans. It was an awesome day!
Redding California Military History & Combat Vehicle Show!
Students Involved in Military Tributes, Parades and Events – Over the Years…
Service of Supply is not just a business. It’s a personal collection, a way to honor our nation’s military veterans, and a vehicle for getting students involved in our patriotic history. Bryan Dibble collects uniforms of all eras and puts them to use for Veterans Day, demonstrations, living history displays, and much more. Students from our city eagerly volunteer to represent the military men and women of the past. Our group is called SERVE – Students Engaged in Re-creating Veteran’s Experiences. SERVE teaches students about the period of time they are representing. We meet veterans at the VFW and learn more about what they experienced in the service. Students who are wearing uniforms also are called upon to teach others, especially younger kids, what that uniform represents and who the people were called up to serve at that time in American history. Since the late 1990s, hundreds of students have worn the uniforms and “walked a step in their shoes.”
Bryan Dibble in one of many Veterans Day parades over the years
KATS FM Radio giving us a cool tribute for Veterans Day
KATS FM posted a cool little video last year for Veterans Day. We do this every year, and it’s fun to see the students wearing the uniforms and interacting with the vets at the FVW in Yakima, WA. Thanks to KATS for being there and sharing what these great kids do for our vets!
Separating a sticky helmet liner and steel pot
Fix a hole in a wool jacket
This is a YouTube link for a great video using fuse it powder to repair holes in wool suit jackets. We have a number of uniforms on the site that need this, but for the price, we’re not going to do the work. I’ve done it with a few of my jackets, and it works. You can buy the Bo Nash Bonding Powder on Amazon and other places.
Reenacting Event Reviews
Did you go to an event recently? Provide some feedback for the event organizers and other reenactors.
Best of the Reproductions
Give your take on who is making the best reproductions when it comes to authenticity, quality, and price.
What are the items you have bought from the major dealers? At the Front? WWII Impressions? What about What Price Glory?