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Show First Choice in the Service J i If you've ever noticed the top of j a Marine Officer's visor cap, you've seen on it something you won't find on any other cap worn in Uncle Sam's service a neat "X" of looped braid. There's a story back of that braided "X", and it goes back more than 150 years, to a time shortly after the U. S. Marines ) were first organized. 1 In those days of sailing ships, naval battles often ended in close hand-to-hand fighting, as the crew I of one ship tried to board the oth- er and Marines, of course, were ' in the thick of the fight. Some were ! in the boarding party, and some ! were posted in the rigging to fire j down on the enemy. It was because be-cause of those men firing from ' high on the masts that Marine of-' fleers whose uniforms from above , resembled the enemy's fixed "X'S" on their hats. j In other words, that braid meant' to the Marines in the rigging, "X marks the spot not to shoot at!"; Since those days, the "X" on the; cap has become a standard part ; of the Marines' uniform. Another ; piece of "standard equipment" you'll notice among Marines these days whether they're wearing j dress uniform or combat dunga-' rees is the American cigarettes they carry with them wherever', they go. In all those news pictures; you've seen of Uncle Sam's fight- j ing men, snapped as they are re- ' laxing while "off duty," you'll find that in most cases they will be smoking a cigarette. And what brand do they prefer? Well, actual sales records show that the favorite favo-rite with men in the Marines as in the Navy is Camel. Likewise, i according to the sales records, j Camels are first choice with men j in the Army. Fighting men who have come back from jungles, deserts, and mountains wherever Uncle Sam's forces are stationed give one pretty good reason for this choice. They say that Camels stay fresh that out in the jungles of Guadalcanal, Guadal-canal, for instance, the Camels they get are actually just as fresh-tasting fresh-tasting and full-flavored as the ones they used to get back home. Of course, the millions of men in training camps here at home want their cigarettes just as much i as soldiers. Your dealer now has , Camels in special Christmas car-i tons, gay and colorful and he , will be glad to wrap them for you, for mailing. Adv. j |