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Tell me what you think the story is on this army uniform


pennsylvaniaboy
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pennsylvaniaboy

I would be interested in any and all thoughts on this uniform. Picked it up in Albuquerque during the height of the Halloween costume craze. A flea market dealer had this and I grabbed it pretty quick. Patches are all sewed on with the same thread and stitching. So what is the story? Is it a put together or what? Not my personal area of collecting so hoping for some education on the piece. Condition is okay with some moth holes and it is missing the buttons, collar insignia, etc.

 

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Was in the USAF during the Korean War and branch transfered to the US Army at some point after that. Uniform probably dates from the very early 1960's.

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KurtA's assessment seems about right to me. At first glance, I would've thought WWII Air Corps service then crossover, but no WWII service ribbons or even occupation medal for postwar "tail end" service, but 5th AF was in Korea, and those ribbons match up to their service and they were still getting Army Good Conducts at that time I think. Would also account for the National Defense ribbon.

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pennsylvaniaboy

Thank you both!! it was one of those cases where I saw it and bought it right away and then it started to gnaw on me as to the patches. The explanations make perfect sense.

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pennsylvaniaboy

I wish it did. Just a Barrister co. label and the date of 7 December 1955. No laundry marks or anything.

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It could also have been straight army service, the USAF was pretty young at the time of the Korean War and could be "loaned" Army units if needed, SCARWAF Engineers being maybe the best-known example.

 

Justin B.

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Fort Susquehanna

Maybe Army Reserve SF- 12th Group was out there before they were deactivated. 19th Group was National Guard in Colorado.

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My first question would be whether the USAF ever wore patches, and if so, when did they stop wearing them? I honestly don't know.

 

The ribbons seem to be Korean War service, and the USAF was established in '47. Did USAF airmen wear patches during the Korean War?

 

I've seen soldiers wearing USMC patches but never saw one wear a USAF patch.

 

The general rule on combat patches is that soldiers are only allowed to wear a patch from another service if the service wore that patch at the time the soldier was serving. That's why USMC patches from WWII were permitted. USMC patches from Vietnam were not officially sanctioned, as far as I know, because the Marines in Vietnam didn't wear patches as part of their uniforms. Of course, lots of former Marines who later went into the Army did wear USMC combat patches on their Army uniforms, and I think this practice was tolerated, especially in the 1970's when the all-volunteer force was being established and there were lots of unorthodox changes being made to US Army uniforms.

 

USMC patches are also authorized for Army soldiers who served under USMC command in Iraq and possibly in Afghanistan (though I don't know if that's the case.) There were a couple of Marine divisions that had command of Army units and the soldiers in those units are authorized to wear the corresponding USMC combat patch (the most common ones I see are 1st and 2nd Marine Division.) What's funny to me is that a Marine who served in one of those units at the same time who then subsequently joins the Army is NOT authorized to wear the USMC patch. It's a weird rule but I guess it makes sense to the Department of the Army.

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pennsylvaniaboy

Thanks everyone for their feedback. It struck me as most mysterious as I had never seen air force and army mixed like this. I went over it pretty carefully and the patches are stitched on with the same thread and stitching so they all look contemporary to the jacket. The coat itself was good quality although now a little mothy.

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Interesting that he was SF with no Vietnam service. I wonder if maybe that uniform pre-dates Vietnam. The green class-A jacket was introduced in 1957 I believe and I'm not sure when the "electric butterknife" (SF patch) was approved.

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CNY Militaria

My first question would be whether the USAF ever wore patches, and if so, when did they stop wearing them? I honestly don't know.

 

The ribbons seem to be Korean War service, and the USAF was established in '47. Did USAF airmen wear patches during the Korean War?

 

To answer your second question, Yes. Typically the 5th AAF Patch on KW era blue uniforms from the USAF.

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@Martinjmpr, have you see these two topics? If not check em out.

For Air Force shoulder patches being worn way way past the time they were supposedly discontinued. It's a long one, 24 pages.

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/5846-post-wwii-50s-60s-us-air-force-uniform-photos/

 

 

And this one, for Air Force and Marine Corps combat patches worn by soldiers, an equally long one at 25 pages.

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/166035-uncommon-and-obscure-combat-patches-being-worn/

 

 

 

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Captainofthe7th

Neat uniform. I've seen a lot of Army Ike jackets with the 5th AAF SSI on them worn in Korea. I haven't taken time to learn about it yet, but there were both Army and Air Force personnel wearing the 5th AAF SSI at the time on both brown and blue jackets. My guess is that this guy would have been in the Army the whole time, but we'll never really know.

 

Rob

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  • 2 weeks later...

I am sure it is a good one.. I have an army green uniform from a guy who was in the 5th AF in Korea, got out of the AF went in the Navy, got out, went in the Army National Guard. It has nice older air crewman wings with a 5th AF patch on the right and 50th Armored on the left. With all those services ribbons on the chest I would have never even considered taking the uniform but luckily he gave me the uniform and a bunch of certificates showing service in each branch so I have no doubt on its authenticity... I can imagine the comments if I listed that on ebay... LOL

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Looks like a great uniform.Nothing wrong with it at all.

 

Any signs of a Jump wing?

 

Some place I have a photo of a Cold War era vet who is wearing a Air Force Blue Ike with a WW2 5th Ranger Scroll on the right sleeve and 5th AF on the left.

 

I own a post was AF uniform with a 25th ID combat patch on the right sleeve.

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About 20 years ago at an air show at March AFB I saw an older guy w/ an Army greens uniform. He had the 6th Army on the left, and the 8th AAF on the right. He was an officer, retired, and wore his uniform to the show.

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pennsylvaniaboy

Sorry for the delay but I had the coat in the deep freeze to rid it of moth eggs. No sign of jump,wings.

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Sorry for the delay but I had the coat in the deep freeze to rid it of moth eggs. No sign of jump,wings.

Maybe a Candy Striper, a non SF qualified member of a SF Group HQ, who was also non Jump qualified in a support postion?

 

Still too, a National Guard and or Reserve SF Grp?

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