To put it bluntly, there is no error in the officer and enlisted uniforms as depicted in the movie. Enlisted Marines do not have a 'blood red stripe' down their dress blue trouser legs; only NCOs, SNCOs, and officers have 'blood red stripes' down their trouser legs in memory of all the blood lost in the taking of Chapaultepec Castle during the Mexican War. General officers have a 2 inch 'blood red stripe;' company grade and field grade officers have a 1.5 inch 'blood red stripe;' and non-commissioned officers and staff non-commissioned officers have a 1.125 inch 'blood red stripe' down their dress blue trouser legs. The hanging dress blues is a staff sergeant uniform and probably is there as a model for recruits to see. It definitely does not belong to the lieutenant, or sergeant at the desk in front of the lieutenant. The lieutenant's dress blues uniform is darker, almost black, than a NCO or SNCO uniform per regulation. I served in the USMC 1968 to 1972 and was released as a sergeant. I wore dress blues on active duty as that was the uniform of the day. Again, there is no mistake in dress blues except your call in judgment of who wears dress blues in USMC which is completely wrong. Semper Fi
Review of Black Irish
