Sunglasses in times of war.........

[cyclerdoug]

During WWII, Ray-Bans were Bausch & Lomb.

 

[Rollbar]

Randolph Engineering first started appearing with pilots in the early 70's...I think they may just have made The Vietnam war but it would have been private purchases among pilots. They were started in 1972 I believe but could possibly have gotten a few pairs into some hands in-country...but they didn't start to make any moves for big military contracts until much later that decade. If there were any in Vietnam it was certainly very few. And they probably would have been confused with Ray Bans if they were photographed!

Yes...not an expert but Randolph would be near the end of Vietnam...you right.

 

[cyclerdoug]

In Vietnam I think most guys wore American Originals.

Correct, Pierre. AO was around since the 1800's, and had "factories" with the troops in Europe during WWI! Called "Mobile Optical Units" they actually supplied troops with glasses and goggles and had spare parts and equipment to fix them right there.

 

[Rollbar]

aoeyewear.com

 

[Rollbar]

Correct, Pierre. AO was around since the 1800's, and had "factories" with the troops in Europe during WWI! Called "Mobile Optical Units" they actually supplied troops with glasses and goggles and had spare parts and equipment to fix them right there.

That's amazing.

 

[cyclerdoug]

They (AO) also had huge contracts with the US government during WWII to supply glasses and goggles to the troops in theater, and also ground the lenses for most of the bombsights we used. They were a pioneer in polarization for goggles and glasses in the early 1940's.

 

[Rollbar]

Randolph only became "approved" US Mil Eyewear in 1982.

 

[Tom.]

Randolph Engineering first started appearing with pilots in the early 70's...I think they may just have made The Vietnam war but it would have been private purchases among pilots. They were started in 1972 I believe but could possibly have gotten a few pairs into some hands in-country...but they didn't start to make any moves for big military contracts until much later that decade. If there were any in Vietnam it was certainly very few. And they probably would have been confused with Ray Bans if they were photographed!

Right.......I can´t help to think that if the guys in Vietnam had access to sunglasses, perhaps several lives would have been saved. Well, maybe i am wrong, but i think it´s a possibility ?

Pretty sure the rugged vietcong had no sunglasses whatsoever, but they were also used to the harsh sun and light conditions.

 

[Rollbar]

I love military type eyewear...I only wear SI M Frame 3 now........Vietnam was also a brutal insurgency war....very hard to win those.

 

[cyclerdoug]

Right.......I can´t help to think that if the guys in Vietnam had access to sunglasses, perhaps several lives would have been saved. Well, maybe i am wrong, but i think it´s a possibility ?

Pretty sure the rugged vietcong had no sunglasses whatsoever, but they were also used to the harsh sun and light conditions.

The pilots had access to them, both glasses and goggles for aircrew alike, the groundpounders not as much. You have to remember the time and context of the Vietnam war. WWII had our country and it's industrial might saving the world, and Vietnam was nowhere near that popular. I will not get into political dissertations in this forum, so suffice it to say our soldiers and sailors were not as well supplied as they were during the bigger conflict. I am in agreement that more purposeful eyewear would have made an impact!! Those soldiers were no less important than their predecessors, no matter the war, and they should have had access to anything they needed as well as our thoughts and prayers from home!