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


Bob Hudson
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Some additional comments about the Blue Ike. I was stationed with the Armed Forces Police, Washington DC, 1963-1964. The preferred winter uniform was the Ike and trousers, while the summer uniform was Silver Tan gabardine shirt and trousers. Both of these uniforms were phased out on 30 June 1964.

 

A couple of comments about the uniform in the attached pictures. The cap is a Navy Chief Petty Officer's, with USAF cap badge, side buttons and chin strap. It was easier to maintain (bill did not have to be spit shined) and was lighter and cooler to wear.

 

If you will look closely at the Ike jacket, you will see that uniform blue belt loops have been added. These made it easier to wear the Sam Browne equipment, as well as, made for a better / sharper appearance.

 

These pictures were taken 54 years ago, so you can imagine I can even think about fitting into that uniform.

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One more picture, summer of 1964. Wearing the silver tans shortly before phase out.

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Some additional comments about the Blue Ike. I was stationed with the Armed Forces Police, Washington DC, 1963-1964. The preferred winter uniform was the Ike and trousers, while the summer uniform was Silver Tan gabardine shirt and trousers. Both of these uniforms were phased out on 30 June 1964.

 

A couple of comments about the uniform in the attached pictures. The cap is a Navy Chief Petty Officer's, with USAF cap badge, side buttons and chin strap. It was easier to maintain (bill did not have to be spit shined) and was lighter and cooler to wear.

 

If you will look closely at the Ike jacket, you will see that uniform blue belt loops have been added. These made it easier to wear the Sam Browne equipment, as well as, made for a better / sharper appearance.

 

These pictures were taken 54 years ago, so you can imagine I can even think about fitting into that uniform.

 

 

Great pictures, story, and description.The AP badge looks to have the enameled center?

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Not strictly a "uniform" picture, but here's one from the Truman Library collection of Col. William Draper, pilot for President Eisenhower, dated 1959, wearing Army-pattern presidential aide devices.

 

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Great picture, thanks for posting. I have had a pair of the Presidential insignia, like depicted in your picture, for a long time. I always assumed they were samples as I could never find a reference in documentation. The are the same design as the Army, except in silver vice gold, and made by Balfour.

 

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Gotta love those 50s AF Recruiting Posters.

 

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This one is the greatest of them, this the cover of the November 1951 issue of AIR FORCE magazine. Note the depiction of all the shoulder patches of the Air Forces (Though I think the 6th was worn by the Caribbean Air Command at this time, and the 11th by the Alaska Air Command. Qualification needed).

 

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Great picture, thanks for posting. I have had a pair of the Presidential insignia, like depicted in your picture, for a long time. I always assumed they were samples as I could never find a reference in documentation. The are the same design as the Army, except in silver vice gold, and made by Balfour.

 

 

Wow! Really cool. I had assumed that the ones in the photo were gold, but now I don't know. The silver would certainly look better on the blue suit.

 

Great Air Police info and photos, too, thanks a lot!

 

Justin B.

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Guest jtshorty

Hello

I am new to the forum and never posted, I am retired Air Force/Air National Guards and trying to put together a time line

of uniforms from WWII to the present. My question is that I have seen the uniform color starting in 1949 being Blue 84.

Recently I purchased an overcoat with a Blue 85, is this an accepted color also for that time period?

Thank you John

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The shade 85 overcoat was made of heavier weight wool than the shade 84. The shade 84 overcoat replaced the shade 85 starting in 1965. Either overcoat would be appropriate for a shade 84 blue service uniform.

If you are going to collect USAF uniforms, I would suggest you getting the books "Into the Blue", by Lance P. Young. (Lance is a member of this forum.). The first two volumes have been printed and Vol. 3 is coming out this year. The books are available from Amazon .com.

Hope this helps.

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Paul W. Airey, the very first Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, wearing the insignia of that rank in 1967.

 

Two found for tonight.

 

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In Liverpool England (Burtonwood AFB) in 1950, think this guy is getting married,thus the Black Bow tie.

 

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And from Japan, foto description says 1952, was the ODs still worn that late? Also we see at least one with the new four pocket Blue uniform. Of note is the 14th AF patch worn there, must be the weird AF fashion as a combat patch and was starting to be done like this in the late 40s transitional period, would have to be, as the 14th AF was not in Japan then, it5 was back in the states where it had elmts all over the Southeast as far west as Texas/Oklahoma.

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  • 1 month later...

Airmen were allowed to wear their wartime combat unit patch on the LEFT sleeve for a time during the transition period. This was stopped when SSI were dropped from the service uniforms in the mid 1950's.

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Screen shots of LTG Glenn O. Barcus, commander of the Northeast Air Command from 1954 to 1957. Note the embroidered rank insignia on his eppaulettes and what appears to be a dark blue shirt worn underneath his uniform coat. Sorry the quality isn't clearer.

 

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  • 1 month later...

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A real nifty foto of an AF guy from a 1952 C.B. Colby book I got, with service cap and flight suit, does it look like he's removed the grommet in his cap to you all? That doohickey he's monkeying with is in fact a weapon, the USAF M6 Survival .22 Cal/410 Gauge Rifle/Shotgun.

 

Here's a good talk on the gun.

http://www.guns.com/2013/08/07/the-m6-survival-gun-backpackers-breakaction-combo-video/

 

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this is a 1949-dated us civil air patrol tunic, employed by the civil air patrol. impressive heavyweight wool as used then - a far cry from my 'blend' in the early '70s! was it norma; for the c.a.p. to use

bone stock a.f. unis?

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this is a 1949-dated us civil air patrol tunic, employed by the civil air patrol. impressive heavyweight wool as used then - a far cry from my 'blend' in the early '70s! was it norma; for the c.a.p. to use

bone stock a.f. unis?

This CAP Cadets uniform looks to be the winter weight shade 1084 blues. It appears to have pilots wings on it, which is most unusual.

Yes CAP used standard USAF uniforms, but the buttons had to be changed to the CAP type and of course any US military insignia that was worn had to be done so by a veteran of the armed forces. The use of US military insignia was restricted to things like ribbons and some badges. Note also that NO cadet could be a veteran mainly because of the age of cadets.

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Also, in addition to what Lee just noted, the ribbons are pre-1966 when the new cadet program took effect. The blue Cadet Civil Air Patrol breast patch and the C.A.P.C cutouts were still worn on uniforms in the winter of 1966 when I joined as a cadet.

 

Of note, this very active Ohio Wing CAP Cadet sports an International Air Cadet Exchange Ribbon, Certificate of Proficiency Ribbon, the original Encampment Ribbon and the red, white and blue cadet training ribbons, among others. My guess is that the laminated ribbons were made by Wolf-Brown.

 

The 1949 date is just a contract number.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Leatherwringer

Just got a duffle bag filled with early 1960's USAF uniforms from a local veteran. This was a treat to be the first person to unpack it in over 50 years!

 

I can take more pics if anybody wants. just let me know!

 

I am interested in finding out more about the ultramarine scarf (ascott?) that was in the bag....I have gone through this whole thread and have not seen a blue one.

 

pictures of the unpacking

 

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WOWEE!

 

Here.s one from the Korean War being worn, in this example this Airman seems to wears his as a walking out item I should think, but the scarf itself would become a parade honor guard sort of item as the 50s wore on into the, what 80s, maybe even to this day.

 

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  • 3 weeks later...
Leatherwringer

Just found some more USAF goodies at a garage sale yesterday! The gym bag had the vets blue duffel bag in it and in the duffel was 2 ties, 2 belts, a blue hat cover and his garrison cap!

he states it is all from 1960.

 

 

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firefighter

Just found some more USAF goodies at a garage sale yesterday! The gym bag had the vets blue duffel bag in it and in the duffel was 2 ties, 2 belts, a blue hat cover and his garrison cap!

he states it is all from 1960.

 

 

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Very cool. I wish we got the blue duffle bags and the carry bag when I was in.
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  • 2 weeks later...

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A George Sponsler USAF, 100th Missile Maintenance Squadron, May 1964 – May 1968, phot I gather taken at Lackland in 1964, with that Light Blue Rope (one used by the Army Infantry) being a training unit insignia.

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