ARMED FORCES: Sea Change

After listening to the squawks of World War II civilian-sailors for four long years, the Navy authorized the first basic change in the bluejacket’s uniform since 1817. It ruled that in 1952 the pants of dress blues will be equipped with full-size pockets for the first time and that the 13 button-drop front (an incongruous symbol of the first 13 colonies, according to tradition) will be replaced by a zippered fly.

There seemed to be scant applause from the fleet. Since V-J day most of the complaining civilians have disappeared. “Why pockets?” grumbled one bosun’s mate 1st class. “As soon as we get them the Navy will have a regulation that we can’t put anything in them.”