Post-WWII 1950's & 1960's US Air Force uniform photos

[flyboy53]

Mr. "Scotch and Soda?"

[patches]

That is curious, there's no real info on him. Here's a undated photo of him Henry Thome the singer. Did the actual uniform belong to him, to this Thome?? don't know.

 

 

That song Scotch and Soda came out in 1961, that means he did it up when he was on active duty? Or was he in the Reserves at the time?

 

There might be something about him in WWII on this site, but I don't know how to look at it.

 

https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/30514342/

[seanmc1114]

Enlisted air crew member wearing the Military Air Transport Service SSI

[Konig]

Hi, Yes thats the person the uniform belonged to...I believe he passed away recently.

[seanmc1114]

Vietnam era Technical Sergeant wearing ribbons of three different Good Conduct Medals - Air Force, Army and Marine Corps

[IntotheBlue]

When I was in Germany in 67 - 68 there was a Stars and Stripes article about a sergeant re-upping into the air force from the army and he had also served in the marine corps! Same sergeant, I don't remember the details of the accompanying photo but there was a comment: What next, the navy? So it's possible. There might be the article in the S&S archives.

[COOKIEMAN]

Three GCMS in the 1960s were pretty common. All a troop had to do was serve one tour in the Navy or Marine Corps, then join the Air Force. The AF issued the Army GCM until 1964. After that the AFGCM was,issued. I enlisted in 1955. In 22 years I was awarded the 7 GCMs, 2 Army and 5 AF.

[patches]

Two nurses at McGuire Air Force Base New Jersey around the mid 1950s, the Base Chapel's spire looms above in the background.

 

I,m assuming they are both wearing the AF Flight Nurse Wings.

 

I also assume these wings came out in the late 1940s, would this be correct? can't seem to find a date.

[Lee Ragan]

Two Nurses.png

Two nurses at McGuire Air Force Base New Jersey around the mid 1950s, the Base Chapel's spire looms above in the background.

 

Flight Nurse USAF.jpg

I,m assuming they are both wearing the AF Flight Nurse Wings.

 

I also assume these wings came out in the late 1940s, would this be correct? can't seem to find a date.

Not all Air Force Nurses are Flight Nurses. There is a small shield shaped badge for nurses (It looks like the FN wings but is only the center shield)

Only nurses rated to work on aeromedical evacuation flights are rated as Flight Nurses.

[patches]

Not all Air Force Nurses are Flight Nurses. There is a small shield shaped badge for nurses (It looks like the FN wings but is only the center shield)

Only nurses rated to work on aeromedical evacuation flights are rated as Flight Nurses.

Lee Thank You I am aware of that, these two are wearing wings, hard to see them, as it's a 50s foto, mid 50s, I assume they are of the type depicted in the post, and not the WWII era below.

 

 

 

Question, what's the date of adoption of the USAF type?

[Lee Ragan]

I have the current design Flight Nurse Wings as being adopted on 30 June 1956. This may not be correct, but it's what I have in my notes on USAF wing authorization.

[patches]

The actor William Smith was a kid when he joined the Air Force in 1951, 18 years old, he was even back then a big kid despite the baby face. Interestingly he spoke Russian or at the very least learned it while still in the AF, from what we see so far he is not of Russian or Eastern European descent which makes it all the more intersting . In the 1984 movie Red Dawn he plays that Red Army officer right, I remember him speaking Russian, we now know it was natural for him as he's fluent in it, isn't that something .

 

 

http://www.williamsmith.us/biography.shtml

[patches]

A self explanatory foto, BUT a question......When did the Air Force stop wearing full color tapes/sleeve rank/officer collar insignia/qualification badges on their fatique items. I thought they switched to those Blue on OD ones, along with Sleeve ranks/officer collar insignia/qualification badges by at least 1972.

[COOKIEMAN]

Subdued insignia and ranks on the utility (fatigue) uniform became mandatory with the release of a new revised AFR 35-10, dated 18 July 1980. I found no reference of a wear out period for the white on blue insignia.

[patches]

Subdued insignia and ranks on the utility (fatigue) uniform became mandatory with the release of a new revised AFR 35-10, dated 18 July 1980. I found no reference of a wear out period for the white on blue insignia.

Thank's COOKIEMAN, here's another question.

 

We know the Air Force had Ground Combat and Combat Support units in the 70s, units like Para Rescue, Special Ops, Combat Air Controllers, Prime Beef etc etc, these troops in the 70s generally wore ERDLs and as the 70s wore on, those ERDL like Rapid Deployment Force (RDF) types, what then did they wear as TAPES and Ranks on these camouflage uniforms? Did they continue wearing the Vietnam era subdued stuff, IE Black on OD?

[COOKIEMAN]

Have no info so can't answer your question. I left the AF 1977, so have no real feel for what special troops wore later.

[IntotheBlue]

Just finished up that chapter in the book and the info you requested is 1 January 1981 was the manditory date for the phase out of the colored insignia and the phase in of the subdued. I tried to attach the AFR 35-10 23 Feb 1978 memos but they are to large a photo file for the forum but I will have them in the Fatigue chapter of the book.

 

Hope that helps

 

Lance

[patches]

Have no info so can't answer your question. I left the AF 1977, so have no real feel for what special troops wore later.

Roger

 

I guess then they wore Black on OD stuff in the post Vietnam 70s on the Cammies.

[flyboy53]

It depended on the assignment.

 

Of that late 1970s-early 1980s era, MA-1 flight jackets and fatigue jackets had a mix of subdued or colored name and USAF Tapes -- depending on the command or unit. Vietnam SP veterans generally continued to wear the uniforms they wore in Vietnam along with the Vietnam police star patch on the left shoulder. Others (like those coming from SAC) wore the standard blue and white tapes and colored insignia.

 

I'm of that era. I was issued OD green fatigues with colored insignia in basic training. At the Security Police Academy, the instructors wore a mix of uniforms described above. The first time I saw the OD green fatigue with the blue on green tapes and insignia was at Camp Bullis in 1978. As I remember, the uniform was optional.

 

I was assigned to the Alaskan Air Command in the fall of 1978. The uniforms were in transition, so I had different fatigues with colored and subdued insignia. I was issued a MA-1 flight jacket then -- that I still own and wear on weekends -- that had a blue on green name tape, but the command and wing patches are a mixture of subdued blacks, greens and maroon red insignia. The shield was subdued black on green and the SP qualification badge was blue on green cloth.

 

When I reported to Mountain Home AFB, in 1980, then the "TAC Alpha Unit" of the Rapid Deployment Force, we were directed to remove any colored insignia. The fatigues were still OD green and I remember cutting the sleeves off the shirts for comfort.

[patches]

I do remember as of mid 81 to late 82 AF guys I seen had the Blue on OD tapes and ranks, we seen AF people a quite a bit as we flew Air Force fairly often in the old 4th of the 9th Inf in Alaska, their ships coming to Wainwright on the tarmac of the old Ladd Air Force Base, (Ladd was turned over to the Army in the early 60s), so there was a small AF detachment at Wainwright for liaison purposes, don't think I ever seen the 60s White on Blue stuff, That I would of remembered for sure, plus we trained at Eielson Air Force a lot, it was a very large reservation, we would occasionally see their base people out and around in the bush doing there thing.

 

In May 82 we had for the very first time AF Combat Air Controllers out with us during our huge ARTEP, these guys wore the EDRL/RDF stuff still and the Blue subdued tapes and ranks, and carried CAR 15s, other then that, they had GI LBE and steel pots.

[seanmc1114]

1957 basic training photo from Keesler AFB. Note at least three of the airmen are still wearing Ike jackets.

[patches]

1957 basic training photo from Keesler AFB. Note at least three of the airmen are still wearing Ike jackets.

 

 

Interesting, see that man in the first row far right, the Airman 2nd Class (an instructor???) he seems to be wearing foreign wings right?

[patches]

 

Here's a 50s flick showing the AF, it from that 58 Horror movie, or was it Sci Fi? Fiend Without a Face . (the one guy with the bomber jacket is a U.S. Naval officer)

 

Haven't seen it in like 40 years, but turns out it was a British movie, something I never knew, and when it was released a lot of Britishers were, because of it weird grisliness.........Not Amused

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiend_Without_a_Face

[doinworkinvans]

I would love to see some member submissions of their own collection - I know they are out there!

 

 

here is my addition from another thread I Started

 

EDIT: to add photos

[Lee Ragan]

 

 

Interesting, see that man in the first row far right, the Airman 2nd Class (an instructor???) he seems to be wearing foreign wings right?

He is wearing the Air Training Command Instructors Badge, or the "Flying Popsicle" as it was often called. When wearing fatigues, the badge would be worn on the Ridgeway cap. This series of badges was relpaced in the late 60's by the round enamelled Instructors badge.