During WWII, the Marine Corps officially experimented with the M-42 Frog Skin battledress camouflage, while other U.S. troops, especially airborne pathfinders in Normandy, used hand-painted splotches, stripes, and foliage for camouflage. After the war, the US Military sought to develop a broader camouflage pattern. Between 1948 and 1953, field tests led to a trial in Panama of eight designs. Two complementary patterns emerged as effective: the green-hued Wine Leaf for spring and summer, and the brown Mitchell pattern for fall and winter, named after artist and former Marine Meldon Mitchell. This combination was implemented in the two-sided Pattern-53, with Mitchell becoming synonymous with both sides.

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