By 
This is a Life magazine image from the Korean War from the Chinese Huanqiu news site. There is no caption with the image so I am left to guess that this is an image of American prisoners of war modeling Chinese cold weather gear provided for them in their prison camp.
Link via Adam Cathcart.
6:26 am on May 6th, 2010 1
The title from the picture on the website says "US Reporter Under Lens – Korean War"
I hardly believe the cold weather gear their modeling is chinese and there is no way I could believe they are in a chinese prison camp. I received a cold weather issue in Hawaii that included the Mukluk boots and the boot liners along with the "3 finger" mits and liners and parka and the socks. The caption above the soldiers is likely to dispel myths that the cold weather gear issued to soldiers sucked.
The photographic story documents the execution of 25 or so South Korean and US Soldiers that had been captured near hill 303 near Pusan in August of 1950. The photojournalist worked for LIFE and aparently jumped between South Korea/US and North Korea/Chinese units.
Simply the story is about the war through the lens of a photojournalist. Look at picture #2 where the executed soldier has his hands bound behind his back.
8:54 am on May 6th, 2010 2
Hmmmmm
All of that stuff is definitely the late 1940's stuff we were issued with right through the 1980's.
9:23 am on May 6th, 2010 3
The cold weather gear didn't suck…when it was issued. Frostbite was a big problem during the Korean War.
11:13 am on May 6th, 2010 4
I always thought THESE were typical Chinese uniforms in the Korean War.
I think the stencil writing in the sign indicates American origin, not Chinese.
8:34 pm on May 6th, 2010 5
…dispel myths that the cold weather gear issued to soldiers sucked.
dis·pel /dɪˈspɛl/ Show Spelled[dih-spel]
–verb (used with object), -pelled, -pel·ling.
1. to drive off in various directions; disperse; dissipate: to dispel the dense fog.
2. to cause to vanish; alleviate: to dispel her fears
myth /mɪth/
–noun
1. a traditional or legendary story, usually concerning some being or hero or event, with or without a determinable basis of fact or a natural explanation, esp. one that is concerned with deities or demigods and explains some practice, rite, or phenomenon of nature.
2. stories or matter of this kind: realm of myth.
3. any invented story, idea, or concept: His account of the event is pure myth.
4. an imaginary or fictitious thing or person.
5. an unproved or false collective belief that is used to justify a social institution.
Origin:
1820–30; < LL mȳthos < Gk mŷthos story, word
—Related forms
coun·ter·myth, noun
9:08 pm on May 6th, 2010 6
Look at the building's construction. Note the evenly spaced and matching nail/screw marks on the wallboard. And the cutouts for the root trusses. That is not something hastily built to house POWs.
10:28 pm on May 6th, 2010 7
Do I have to bring stats on frostbite during the Korean War (treated cases among US soldiers)? I have those right here on a book on my desk.
Oh, and vapor barrier boots (Mickey Mouse boots), that's what they had to protect their feet on long marches in cold weather. Ever worn those while marching? I have. They are stiff and heavy. It's like walking with two lead shoes. I didn't feel they kept my feet particularly warm, either. Maybe just a bit drier, but certainly not warmer.
10:46 pm on May 6th, 2010 8
I think you guys are right now that I take a closer look at the picture. The soldiers must have had a very low opinion of the cold weather gear to put that sign up.
12:24 am on May 7th, 2010 9
It's not clear to me whether the sign means that the clothes are better than you think or that they are worse.
2:33 am on May 7th, 2010 10
1st Please read the definitations of the words I chose to use.
2nd If you wore Vapor Barrier boots on long marches in cold weather as you say, you are either lying or you are stupid.
4:31 am on May 7th, 2010 11
1. You're talking about this, "The caption above the soldiers is likely to dispel myths that the cold weather gear issued to soldiers sucked"?
Once again, whether the gear sucked or not won't change the fact that it often took half a week for supplies to be delivered. Often, the troupes were already back in the field by then.
Another problem is that the soldiers from warmer areas didn't always understand the dangers of frostbite and the appropriate preventive measures.
2. I was in the military, not a hiking club. We were made to wear those during basic training.
3:33 pm on May 7th, 2010 12
Perhaps the sign and the clothes are unrelated? It might have been part of the old PT program, jumping to conclusions, shirking responsibility…
12:12 pm on May 8th, 2010 13
Yup, that was standard issue cold weather gear back during the Korean War. Fishtail parka, liners, and wool garments. I'm surprised there are no Mickey Mouse boots showing in the display.
Without getting into too much detail, back then nobody knew anything about the layering principle that today's US military practices with the PCU and ECWCS. The idea was to bundle up with as much thick clothing as possible in order to retain body heat. However, that would be great if you were pulling static guard duty. If you were running up and down Korea's hills in -40 degree temps while fighting off hundreds of Chinese troops, you were bound to add another 20 lbs of soaking sweat to all those cotton and wool layers making you even more miserable. I can understand why the first line troops hated the gear.
However, I won't knock the gear altogether. The fishtail parka is actually a collector's item thanks to the Mod scene. People actually pay good money for a mint condition M1951 parka. Check out http://www.fishtailparkas.com if you don't believe me.