COOKIEMAN Posted January 24, 2017 Share #626 Posted January 24, 2017 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. One more picture, summer of 1964. Wearing the silver tans shortly before phase out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefighter Posted January 24, 2017 Share #627 Posted January 24, 2017 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? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
COOKIEMAN Posted January 24, 2017 Share #628 Posted January 24, 2017 Yes, enameled center. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted January 24, 2017 Share #629 Posted January 24, 2017 Yes good stuff Cookieman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
COOKIEMAN Posted January 24, 2017 Share #630 Posted January 24, 2017 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. col_draper.jpg 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted January 25, 2017 Share #631 Posted January 25, 2017 Gotta love those 50s AF Recruiting Posters. 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). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin B. Posted January 25, 2017 Share #632 Posted January 25, 2017 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jtshorty Posted January 31, 2017 Share #633 Posted January 31, 2017 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Ragan Posted January 31, 2017 Share #634 Posted January 31, 2017 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted February 7, 2017 Share #635 Posted February 7, 2017 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. In Liverpool England (Burtonwood AFB) in 1950, think this guy is getting married,thus the Black Bow tie. 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Ragan Posted March 9, 2017 Share #636 Posted March 9, 2017 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted March 17, 2017 Share #637 Posted March 17, 2017 A 1959 portrait of USAF Chief Thomas D.White showing his custom made insignia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_D._White Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seanmc1114 Posted March 17, 2017 Share #638 Posted March 17, 2017 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted March 19, 2017 Share #639 Posted March 19, 2017 Two USAF ARRS Airman KIA Vietnam Thomas D. Prose http://www.virtualwall.org/dp/ProseTD01a.htm Charles D. King http://www.virtualwall.org/dk/KingCD01a.htm http://www.mu.iastate.edu/gold-star-hall/vietnam/charles-king/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted April 20, 2017 Share #640 Posted April 20, 2017 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/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seanmc1114 Posted April 24, 2017 Share #641 Posted April 24, 2017 Four buddies at Shepard Air Force Base, Texas - January 1951. Note the combination of uniforms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
INIMICUS Posted April 28, 2017 Share #642 Posted April 28, 2017 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? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Ragan Posted April 29, 2017 Share #643 Posted April 29, 2017 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyboy53 Posted April 30, 2017 Share #644 Posted April 30, 2017 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leatherwringer Posted May 21, 2017 Share #645 Posted May 21, 2017 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted May 21, 2017 Share #646 Posted May 21, 2017 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted May 21, 2017 Share #647 Posted May 21, 2017 Another USAF Aviation Cadet, a William Windham May or June 1953. http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/102367-usaf-aviation-cadet-commissioning-program/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leatherwringer Posted June 11, 2017 Share #648 Posted June 11, 2017 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefighter Posted June 12, 2017 Share #649 Posted June 12, 2017 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. 1.jpg Very cool. I wish we got the blue duffle bags and the carry bag when I was in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted June 22, 2017 Share #650 Posted June 22, 2017 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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