post WWII, 50's & 60's US Air Force uniform photos

[dag]

...

Now this would have been in Chapter 15 of Into the Blue Volume 3, fatigues to the ABU IF Schiffer would print it. They declined as sales for volume 2 was slow. I tried to convince them that this was an entirely different subject but... If you can email Schiffer's and ask when volume 3 will be out it would certainly help. Lt.Col. Shulz has sugested we cut it into two volumes WW2 USAAF to the last issue BEFORE thw Woodland. Then the next volume would be camoflauge. A thought.

 

Thanks guys who have purchased 1 and 2. Hope they helped.

 

I just sent my email to Shiffer inquiring about Volume three. Somehow I missed Mr. Young's post (above) and wish I had emailed the publisher even sooner. I own (and enjoy) the first two volumes, but am looking forward most to Vol. 3 on work uniforms.

 

I encourage everyone else even remotely interested in this subject area to also do the same and contact Shiffer to publish this book.

[firefighter]

Some various photos from the 20 year career of one Joann Bolitho, USAF 1958-1978.

 

 

o-1.jpg

Graduation portrait as a 2nd Lieutenant 1958.

 

ho-2.jpg

Vietnam as a Captain circa 1967

 

tho-3.jpg

Retirement portrait as a Lieutenant Colonel 1978

Interesting that she doesn't wear the NURSE career field badge below her flight nurse wings. Every nurse should have that badge and that as an 0-5 she still has the basic Flights Nurse wings.I would have thought at least a senior or master.

[patches]

How about the GI combat boots say in the 53-57 period, Brown was the standard color issue boot up till the late 56-ish September 1, 1956 (ref. DA Circular 670-5, July 1956), for the Army, and unlike the Marine Corps who had their own style issue boot, as well as web gear, the Air Force used Army stuff.

I think it would stand to reason though that AF people directly assigned to Army combat units during the Korean War, that's in Korea, in combat 1950-53, would be wearing Army GI boots.

[flyboy53]

Interesting that she doesn't wear the NURSE career field badge below her flight nurse wings. Every nurse should have that badge and that as an 0-5 she still has the basic Flights Nurse wings.I would have thought at least a senior or master.

 

She's wearing flight nurse wings. Isn't that enough?

 

Gotta understand the Air Force where wings, missile badges and jump wings said it all. Of course, I'm a former SP. When I left the career field, that badge (not the shield) said it all.

[patches]

 

A great depiction of the early 50s AF (1952) and with a coca cola theme. seems back in those days the depiction of service personal (and related military themes) with the drink was most popular.

 

 

[patches]

Now here's a couple of Airmen outfitted as Infantry for a march or field problem of some kind, to include M1 Garands, this is in the 50s but unsure where, maybe Germany? too bad we can't tell what color their GI boots are, Brown or Black. Note too how one has his boots bloused, while the other, the Air Policeman doesn't, with this one, if you zoom really close to his boots, it seems he has a modified zipper pair.

[Bluehawk]

That looks a lot like our 1963 era fatigue shirt (Lackland issue), but I don't recall the buttons being covered... maybe they were though. Seems like TI Thacker was often yelling at us about our buttons, so maybe he could see them unbuttoned.

This is the Air Force sage green fatique shirt. This came from the same estate as the Ike and bush jackets above: this guy enlisted in AAF in 1944 and retired from USAF in 1964 and left two trunks of uniforms spanning the years. The shirt's labels were missing but I believe this was late 1950's:

 

[Edelweisse]

Recently picked OG-107 CMSgt (E-9) Shirt/Jacket with silk Blue "US Air Force" Tape and CMSgt Stripes...name tape removed. Size: SMALL but can't read the contract label which faded. I like this type stripe vs. the current...but I guess it's me

[Edelweisse]

Here is the CMSgt 1963 4-Pocket service jacket

[patches]

Recently picked OG-107 CMSgt (E-9) Shirt/Jacket with silk Blue "US Air Force" Tape and CMSgt Stripes...name tape removed. Size: SMALL but can't read the contract label which faded. I like this type stripe vs. the current...but I guess it's me

Nice Non Merrowed Edge Flat edge chevrons.

[Edelweisse]

The OG-107 is a Type#1...came with trousers size: MEDIUM

[IntotheBlue]

I just sent my email to Shiffer inquiring about Volume three. Somehow I missed Mr. Young's post (above) and wish I had emailed the publisher even sooner. I own (and enjoy) the first two volumes, but am looking forward most to Vol. 3 on work uniforms.

 

I encourage everyone else even remotely interested in this subject area to also do the same and contact Shiffer to publish this book.

[IntotheBlue]

It's been a fight to publish volume three. Right now it looks like our best chance is to self-publish through Amazon. Unfortunately the product will not be the glossy large table top type finish but it will be the 11X8'1/2 soft cover like MSgt Chris Arnold's Peacekeepers series. It will still contain all of the info on the fatigues. Then we will look at the years of camouflage now up to the USAF adoption of the Army’s OCP uniform.

 

Thanks guys, I will try to get it out as soon as I can. It’s a complicated process.

 

Lance

[IntotheBlue]

The only Fatigue shirt (AKA jacket) to have covered buttons was the Sage green issue. As seen in Bluehawk's photo above. I tried to upload a photo of a complete set of Sage Greens from Ridgeway Sage Green cap down to Sage Green trousers. The file is too big or it won't take the Tiff format. It will be in Into the Blue vol 3 when I get it printed.

 

The sage green fatigues had a relatively short life span, although the shirt underwent one pattern change. It appears from studying QM labels of numerous shirts, trousers and field jackets, the sage green fatigue uniform began mass production in 1956. In 1957, it replaced the one and two-piece HBTs as the issued utility uniform for enlisted male personnel. At this point, the one-piece coveralls became an alternate issue utility uniform and a specialty uniform obtained through organizational issue. This is also further validated by period photos of basic trainees at Lackland AFB between 1956 and late 1959. However, within a few years a decision was made to convert to the QM Shade OG 107 (olive drab) cotton sateen fatigues being worn by the U.S. Army since 1952. In July 1959, the new OG 107 cotton sateen fatigues replaced the sage green fatigues as the issued utility uniform. The sage green fatigues remained in the inventory until July 1969 when they were phased out along with the HBTs.

[P-40Warhawk]

Great information, I'm looking forward to the volume on work uniforms. Years ago I was given some VN era shirts, and that would help sort out what they are.

[patches]

The Sage Green Fatiques being worn by Air Force Academy K-Dets 1961, from C.B. Colby's 1962 book on the Air Force Academy.

 

[patches]

Found some new ones to share.

 

 

A 1964 foto, note the White tape on the one side, rather than saying as was common at this date, U S A F, it says CRASH RESCUE, and both tapes appear to be embroidered rather than the typical for the period, Stenciled/Stamped style.

[patches]

Para Rescue I presume, a Master Parachutist already at the rank of E-5, stateside I presume too, circa 1965.

[patches]

Nicely patched up fatique shirt on a Tech Sgt of an unknown unit, numbered 526 (any ideas on unit you Flyboys?) foto from the late 60's lets say.

[patches]

And this one, a recruit??? or permanent party Airman???, the fourragère, don't know if it is a French rope, can't tell if there's Red Flecking, or some kind of unit thing, a solid Green, but then I think only a Beligian fourragère was awarded to USAAF units or a unit during WWII anyway. Photo circa 1966.

 

.

[flyboy53]

Not the fourragère.

 

Green rope means student leader in tech school. Others were white, blue, yellow and red. I don't remember the ranking, other than a yellow rope was a class leader and blue rope was pretty much like a student commander. White was a chapel leader.

 

There were similar "ropes" for those students held in casual status awaiting either discharge of tech school assignment. those ropes were the same colors intertwined with white.

[patches]

Not the fourragère.

 

Green rope means student leader in tech school. Others were white, blue, yellow and red. I don't remember the ranking, other than a yellow rope was a class leader and blue rope was pretty much like a student commander. White was a chapel leader.

 

There were similar "ropes" for those students held in casual status awaiting either discharge of tech school assignment. those ropes were the same colors intertwined with white.

Thanks flyboy, then this sort of thing had no metal finial? Certainly has the clover leaf configuration on the rear shoulder, a signature of French made fourragère's, I think there are some solid types in the Shoulder Cords Fourragère topic in main Uniforms forum, for reference, let me look around and see.

[patches]

Thanks flyboy, then this sort of thing had no metal finial? Certainly has the clover leaf configuration on the rear shoulder, a signature of French made fourragère's, I think there are some solid types in the Shoulder Cords Fourragère topic in main Uniforms forum, for reference, let me look around and see.

Found a mention of this in this very topic. see poat 607 with ID by Lee Ragan post 613.

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/5846-post-wwii-50s-60s-us-air-force-uniform-photos/page-25&do=findComment&comment=2100044

[flyboy53]

Thanks flyboy, then this sort of thing had no metal finial? Certainly has the clover leaf configuration on the rear shoulder, a signature of French made fourragère's, I think there are some solid types in the Shoulder Cords Fourragère topic in main Uniforms forum, for reference, let me look around and see.

 

 

Actually, it did -- brass as I recall.

[patches]

 

 

Actually, it did -- brass as I recall.

Right.