Michael D. "Mike" Beaver was one of the core contributors to modern collector knowledge on uniforms and acoutrements of the SS. Mike's dedication to the hobby is evident in the spectacular volumes he wrote, including Camouflage Uniforms of the Waffen-SS (Schiffer Publishing Ltd.). Mike was one of those rare collectors who had to know everything about the hobby he was pursuing. He thoroughly examined and researched every detail of SS textiles, insignia, distribution systems, design and manufacturing specifications and the like. His meticulousness paid off in the superb quality of his uniform series, thus leading to the fortunate circumstance that every serious collector of the SS items is the most solid, factual, and authoritative information he or she could possibly have. This is by far the greatest compliment a man can pay his fellow collectors, to contribute in this way to their professional understanding of this intensely historical pursuit. Mike was taken from us in May 2005, a