WWII Garand Poster

I ran across a fold out poster (24" x 18" from "News Map, Southwest Pacific" Vol 2, No 5, dated 4 August 1944. One side shows a picture of a determined looking man armed with a Garand against a background picture of amphibious landings in the Pacific. The theme of the poster is the "Infantry", the "Arm of Close Combat" which all other branches, Air Force, Armor & Artillery, support.

The reverse is a series of small articles: "New US Drive in Normandy"; "Soviet Artillery Pounds Warsaw"; "Allies Continue Italy Advance"; "Marianas Invasion Proceeds Steadily" and the headliner, "Monokwari Bypassed - New Landings Isolate Jap Garrison".

The paper is incredibly brittle and several chunks broke off before I got it home. I taped the pieces back together & had it laminated to stabilize it. I know it is the wrong way to 'conserve' something like this but that's what I did. It will go in a frame on the wall.

Anyone see any inconsistencies with the picture? I'll allow I see at least two things that look odd to me.

Gas trap garand with a lockbar sight?

Right! Others don't involve the rifle.

Striped uniform? Cool score though!

I believe it is called herringbone twill. Who wore such uniforms? Soldiers or Marines? And, no wear or even speck of dirt. Nicely creased, too.

Both Army and Marines wore HBT's. The plainer-weave green fatigues we are familiar with today did not come until the late 50's time frame. We were still buying those in Army surplus stores in the 60's when I was in high school ROTC. I understand the real "old Corps" guys in the Marines made a big deal of hoarding those and wearing them as part of their saltiness. All of the HBT's I've ever seen have the black metal "5-star" buttons. There are modern repros made.

Griff:

Thanks; I knew the Marines wore the HBT but did not know the Army did also. Now, what about the helmet? I doubt a gas trap Garand would encounter a GI wearing an M1 helmet in 1944. I'd think a doughboy helmet would go with the gas trap.

Is this a mixmaster GI: early Garand; late bayonet & hemet; clean, pressed uniform? It looks to be a posed, stock picture, not taken in the SW Pacific.