P-38 pin?

[Vintage]

I just uncovered two of my father's old pins that had been kept by one of my siblings.  

[Vintage]

Hmm some trouble with my first post, I will continue here. 

I was surprised by this little P-38 pin. I know dad did fly the P-38, picture below. But I'm guess the P-38 pin wasn't an official thing? Does anyone know anything about these?

Also my sibling had a small silver pair of wings. Maybe a lapel thing?

 

[atb]

What does it look like? A description or image is needed.

[Vintage]

[atb]

The wing is a miniature US Army Aviator badge. The design was adopted in about 1951. The P-38 pin looks like a souvenir-type thing widely available at museums and surplus stores.

[Vintage]

It's beautifully formed, even the bottom is detailed.

[Vintage]

1 minute ago, atb said:

The wing is a miniature US Army Aviator badge. The design was adopted in about 1951. The P-38 pin looks like a souvenir-type thing widely available at museums and surplus stores.

Interesting. I can't imagine him wearing something like this "out of uniform". He never even talked about his service. Maybe it was a gift for my mom...

[Vintage]

I think that while I would never wear Dad's old wings, as I didn't earn them... maybe I can put the P-38 pin on my lapel on special days. ;-)

[atb]

The P-38 pin would be nice to wear to member your father's service. Did d your father stay in the Army after WW2 to be awarded or earn the Army Aviator badge?

[Vintage]

Dad was eventually Air Force. flew everything including going through helicopter training... but apparently barely made it through that and went out after a couple years of reserve duty, sometime in the 60's. I'm sure that was his badge, I have vague memories of him explaining his various wings to me when I was a kid. After he passed in 1988, we divided his stuff among the three kids. I hadn't seen the P-38 badge in my memory. 

 

 

[Vintage]

Dad had talked about being Army Air Corps, and that "becoming" the Air Force. 

[Vintage]

26 minutes ago, atb said:

The P-38 pin would be nice to wear to member your father's service. Did d your father stay in the Army after WW2 to be awarded or earn the Army Aviator badge?

Hey, I looked in my ancestry records, and I actually have a newspaper article from  Jan 20, 1955, Stating Dad earning the Aeronautical designation of Army Aviator and the Army Aviator badge. COOL!