Dieges & Clust NAC pin

[5thwingmarty]

Does anyone have an idea what this pin was for? Ron Burkey also has one on his site but does not know what the pin was for either. My efforts to find an organization with the initials NAC that had a similar logo have failed so far.

 

 

[skypilot6670]

Possible “National Air College” still in business , founded in 1957. Dieges and Clust were in business until 1979 so it’s possible. A google search will bring the school up. Email to them may give an answer. Nice Badge. Mike

[5thwingmarty]

I checked out the National Air College and have my doubts. I am leaning towards a group called the "National Aviation Club". Although I haven't found any details on its history, I found a medal from this club that was awarded to Glenn Curtiss, and in 1999 this club gave Audrey Poberezny an award. The National Aeronautic Association (NAA) indicates on their website that the National Aviation Club is now part of the NAA, but the site only gives a history of the NAA without mentioning the NAC.

 

The identical pin Ron has was reportedly owned by R.O.D. Sullivan, a famous pioneer Naval Aviator who passed away in 1955 in North Carolina where he had lived and worked. He had also stopped flying in 1943 after he crashed and most of the passengers on his plane were killed, so he would not have had anything to do with a west coast flight school founded in 1957.

 

Another D&C flying club pin Ron has for sale with identical hallmark and very similar in style is reportedly from the 1930's, so I am hoping this is of the same vintage. I have tried to contact the NAA to see if they can give me any info on the NAC.

 

Marty

[skypilot6670]

Sounds like you’re on the right track. Good hunting Marty. Mike

[5thwingmarty]

I have found a bit more information on the National Aviation Club (NAC), but nothing that definitively proves this pin is from this club. I did get a response from the NAA, but although the NAC became part of the NAA, they have absolutely no knowledge of the history of the NAC. I have reached out to the Smithsonian to see if they have any info on the NAC, or if they can at least tell me when the NAC awarded a medal to Glenn Curtiss. Marty

[5thwingmarty]

I turned up more info on the National Aviation Club that became part of the NAA, and it does not appear that this particular club was the source of the pins. This particular club was founded in 1951 as the Aviation Executives Club, and then changed its name in 1954 to the Washington Aviation Club. Sometime between 1954 and 1969 they changed their name again to the National Aviation Club. The insignia for this club that I can find has a shield shape, topped with a left-facing eagle and what looks like a Wright flyer in the center of the shield.

 

It is possible there was another National Aviation Club prior to this, but I have no evidence of it other than a medal supposedly awarded to Glenn Curtiss. in the "International Handbook of Aerospace Awards and Trophies" book published by the Smithsonian, the only medal it lists him as receiving is the Langley Medal, presented by the Smithsonian itself.

 

As another note, I picked up a second example of this pin. It is identical in size and appearance to the first one, except it was made by Robbins. Still scratching my head on this one, and wondering if it was some sort of early Naval Aviators Club.

[mds308]

I just found this same pin-tie tack. It came from the estate of a retired (now deceased) NACA / NASA employee. Prior to this he served in WWII on the USS Baltimore CA68. The back has a sterling clutch. My guess is the pin is pre WWII or around the early 1940s. I thought it may have had an NACA connection but like everybody else, I have found no other information. Always looking for answers and still finding more questions. Thanks.

[5thwingmarty]

Thanks for adding this example. It looks like your pin is also about 1" wide.

 

My only update is that the medal that the Smithsonian has WAS NOT awarded to Glenn Curtiss by the NAC. They checked and the medal was awarded to him by a motorcycle club and their reference to the National Aviation Club was completely erroneous. They also sent me copies of some documents about the National Aviation Club which confirmed the info I had found previously.

 

It was suggested that these pins are possibly related to Naval Aviation or Naval Aviator Cadets, but I have not been able to find anything to confirm or dispute that.

[5thwingmarty]

I just picked this pin up as it looks like a more modern version of the NAC pin. It is similar in size and the letters are also similar. I still have no idea what group/organization these are for. Does anyone recognize this hallmark?

 

[5thwingmarty]

Here is the hallmark a little larger.

 

[mtnman]

Probably not helpful but the designation Naval Aircrewman is officially abbreviated by the Navy NAC. Here is a link to a 1995 copy of Naval Aviation News, which uses copious allusions to Naval Aircrewman as NAC.

 

https://books.google.com/books?id=sVPNrMbNZeoC&pg=PA23&lpg=PA23&dq=wwii+naval+NAC&source=bl&ots=Q9iE_lvMx4&sig=ACfU3U2mLpZ4CYVHl-91ikvv5JrsKAxL9Q&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi_-eKFj7jlAhWQm-AKHf9-Al8Q6AEwGnoECAkQAQ#v=onepage&q=wwii%20naval%20NAC&f=false