Now here's a pick that I didn't have to pick. It was a freebie from a second-hand dealer whom I have patronized for some time. I never get out of his shop empty-handed, so out of appreciation, he gifted me with this aluminum helmet, painted red and inscribed with "East Binondo", which I assumed was a fire brigade in that Chinatown district. There is a logo: OCR-PICAG AFP, which I found out after googling, stood for Office for Civil relations-Public Information Civic Action Group, a defunct group of the Armed Forces during the Martial Law years.
It's apparent that this helmet has seen better days--it's been repainted several times as seen from the paint layers--it must have been blue before it was red! Maybe this was not even a fireman's helmet before, perhaps a protective gear from the violent rallies that went before the infamous Sept. 21, 1972 date.
There are Chinese incriptions written in permanent marker,on the inside of the helmet. Maybe you can figure that out, as I can't read Chinese. In the meanwhile, I left this helmet hanging on a wall shelf--it's rather off when displayed together with my antique salakots. I may never have use for this, but it's nifty to think that I have a genuine 'occupational collectible" from the Martial Law period!!
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment