Wearing a G-1 Flight Jacket Off Base?

I haven't seen anyone wearing Aviation Greens since the mid 80's. They are
still in the Uniform Regs though. (As someone stated earlier, we have
enough uniforms to drag around with us.)

JD

"Doug "Woody" and Erin Beal" wrote in message
...
On 10/27/03 3:34 PM, in article
, "Justin Broderick"
wrote:

(Rich) wrote in message
. com...

During the war Fleet Admiral EJ King designed a grey uniform that he
proposed to be all purpose, eliminating khaki and the service dress
blues (which he felt, reportedly, were too much like the Royal Navy).
Never a popular uniform and generally only worn in King's presence or
in East Coast commands where he was likely to appear, it barely
survived his tenure and was no longer authorized after 1948.


Working gray was supposed to replace working khaki, but not service
dress blue. After early '43 blues could be "dress," which was the
basic pre-war SD blues (A, B or C), or "service" which could have
stripes only halfway round the sleeves and could be worn with the
"service" combination cap (black chinstrap instead of gold and no
scambled eggs) or blue garrison cap. Service blues could also be worn
with the gray shirt and collar insignia, another of King's ideas that
didn't really catch on.

Gray short-sleeved shirts and shorts were also supposed to replace
tropical khaki, but I don't know if anyone ever actually wore it.
Grays were considered something of an abomination in the PTO.

For a brief time in the 1980's aviation greens were not authorized and
the use of brown shoes with khakis was likewise done away with, but in
recent years greens have made a comeback and are authorized to be worn
with brown shoes.

Did Lehman bring back the aviation greens?

--Justin

They never went away. It's just that most folks choose not to buy them,
and
since their a working uniform, no aviation skipper I know of has ever
required their wear.

--Woody

I haven't seen anyone wearing Aviation Greens since the mid 80's.
They were pretty expensive- You could blow about $650 on the whole set real
fast. I located my jacket and pants in a thrift shop, so all I had to get
was a few long sleeve shirts at the uniform shop.

I made it a point to wear mine for the 50th anniversary of the bombing of
Pearl Harbor when I was stationed at Barbers Point, Hawaii. I was amazed how
many folks had never seen it before. I always thought it was a really cool
looking uniform and I enjoyed the "nostalgia".

Yes, the wool was kinda warm during the day- oh well :-)

Larry
AECS (AW/SW/MTS)
Disabled Combat Veteran
USN Retired

20 years of Navy in my rear view mirror
and getting further away every day ;-)






"Jake Donovan" wrote in message
news:dahnb.1208$Re.840@lakeread06...
I haven't seen anyone wearing Aviation Greens since the mid 80's. They
are
still in the Uniform Regs though. (As someone stated earlier, we have
enough uniforms to drag around with us.)

JD

"Doug "Woody" and Erin Beal" wrote in message
...
On 10/27/03 3:34 PM, in article
, "Justin Broderick"
wrote:

(Rich) wrote in message
. com...

During the war Fleet Admiral EJ King designed a grey uniform that he
proposed to be all purpose, eliminating khaki and the service dress
blues (which he felt, reportedly, were too much like the Royal Navy).
Never a popular uniform and generally only worn in King's presence or
in East Coast commands where he was likely to appear, it barely
survived his tenure and was no longer authorized after 1948.


Working gray was supposed to replace working khaki, but not service
dress blue. After early '43 blues could be "dress," which was the
basic pre-war SD blues (A, B or C), or "service" which could have
stripes only halfway round the sleeves and could be worn with the
"service" combination cap (black chinstrap instead of gold and no
scambled eggs) or blue garrison cap. Service blues could also be worn
with the gray shirt and collar insignia, another of King's ideas that
didn't really catch on.

Gray short-sleeved shirts and shorts were also supposed to replace
tropical khaki, but I don't know if anyone ever actually wore it.
Grays were considered something of an abomination in the PTO.

For a brief time in the 1980's aviation greens were not authorized
and
the use of brown shoes with khakis was likewise done away with, but
in
recent years greens have made a comeback and are authorized to be
worn
with brown shoes.

Did Lehman bring back the aviation greens?

--Justin

They never went away. It's just that most folks choose not to buy them,
and
since their a working uniform, no aviation skipper I know of has ever
required their wear.

--Woody

Larry- They were pretty expensive- BRBR

Loved mine but were not a 'liberty' uniform, working uniform only so some that
memorized the uniform regs would whine when ya wore them off base...

I wore my greens often w/o blouse, with leather flight jacket until I retired
in 1992....
P. C. Chisholm
CDR, USN(ret.)
Old Phart Phormer Phantom, Turkey, Viper, Scooter and Combat Buckeye Phlyer

Loved mine but were not a 'liberty' uniform, working uniform only...

Too bad! I thought they were a darn good-looking uniform.

(And not just because they sorta resembled marine greens!) ((:-))

vince norris

I second that.

Next to my father's Service Dress Whites (called Summer Whites back when I
was growing up in the 60's and 70's) it was my favorite uniform. I remember
him wearing it a lot. According to Dad when he arrived at his first duty
station, VW-11 in Argentia, as a brand new NAO it was not uncommon for
officer flight crew to wear the Greens instead of flight suits. Even when he
transitioned to the VP community and flew the P2V's, some folks still wore
their Greens instead of flight suits.

I asked him about whether it was considered a working uniform versus being
an optional dress uniform. He responded that it was a "working uniform",
especially where the surface/submarine community was concerned. He recalled
how the marine sentry standing gate guard between NAS Norfolk and the Naval
Station where his carrier was moored would remind officers and chiefs coming
aboard the naval station of the Admiral's strict orders that folks wearing
aviation green were to make a beeline to the ship with no stops in between.

It's ironic that some of the prior posts here speak of them being worn by
folks at NAS Brunswick, ME. That's where I last remember Dad wearing his
Greens from 70-72. After that he took command of a reserve center where he
was the only aviation type onboard. When he arrived at his next duty
station, a pacific coast naval air station in 1975, both the Greens and old
style khakis were history.

In fact Brunswick was the last place he wore the old Service Dress Khaki
(the one with long sleeves, tie, dress coat and brown shoes). I'm surprised
he didn't wear it while at the reserve center since it was an authorized
optional uniform until the Summer of 1975. However, he relates that toward
the end it wasn't as comfortable a uniform as it had been when he was first
commissioned. He said that his first uniforms had bellowed pleats whereas in
later years they tended not to be tailored that way and often looked a
little frumpy. Nonetheless I thought it was a neat looking uniform and a far
better sight than the current short sleeve CNT version of khaki that passes
for a dress uniform today.

Also, from what I can gather from various historical photos and from what
I've been told, the Aviation Green uniform's popularity waned considerably
after the Korean War era, especially among tactical aviation folks. And when
patrol, transport and other squadrons flying prop driven aircraft adopted
flight suits as required clothing while in flight, I think that started the
initial demise of the uniform.

I was hoping that when then-Secretary Lehman brought back the Greens and
brown shoes he would also replace the CNT with the old style dress khaki -
no such luck! However, the brown shoe did make the CNT's a bit more
respectable looking. While a summer intern at a naval station I noticed
aviation types assigned to the naval base staff wear them with pride.
However, folks didn't take to the Greens. Even my old college roommate, a
NFO in the E2C community, wore the shoes but didn't bother with the Greens.
I've seen them a few times around Whidbey, but not like I did growing up.

One final note. While perusing the old family photo albums I came across
pictures of my father's sister's wedding. He was the one who walked her down
the aisle. Since he was the only one in his family to have served in the
military he was always asked to wear his uniform. Looking closely at the
picture I realized he was wearing neither dress blues, dress whites, nor
even dress khakis. Instead he walked his sister down the church aisle in a
Aviation Green working uniform!! When I asked him about it, he shrugged and
said that it was a busy weekend with two reserve squadrons being called up
in response to the Pueblo Incident. He and all the other active duty cadre
were getting folks mobilized and it was either that or a flight suit. At
the time he was stationed at the former NAS New York (Floyd Bennett Field).
His family couldn't tell an American naval seaman from a Royal Navy Admiral
of the Fleet. He just had to stay clear of the Brooklyn Navy Yard and the
freckled face kid wearing his weekend sailor suit could care less what
uniform he wore as he drove out the maingate. As an epilogue, a couple
years ago while visiting relatives in New York that I hadn't seen in ages.
My aunt related that the only good thing about her wedding day was having
her older brother walk her down the aisle in his sharp looking navy uniform.
--

vincent p. norris wrote in message
...
Loved mine but were not a 'liberty' uniform, working uniform only...

Too bad! I thought they were a darn good-looking uniform.

(And not just because they sorta resembled marine greens!) ((:-))

vince norris

"TAH" wrote
In fact Brunswick was the last place he wore the old Service
Dress Khaki (the one with long sleeves, tie, dress coat and
brown shoes).

Jeeeze...can someone tell us what commissioned officers are
wearing now? I left the Navy in 1967 after 10 years of service.
My uniform didn't change much though, double-breasted blue to
single-breasted blue at PanAm.

Bob Moore

Here in Washington State, Navy Region Northwest has Service Dress Blues as
the service uniform from October through April. Summer Dress Whites (short
sleeves) from May through September. Service Dress Khakis (CNT's with
devices and ribbons) may be worn year round. Usually if you are standing
the duty or attending a function where coat and tie are appropriate, one
wears the blues or whites. Otherwise folks wear khakis. Through the early
90's working blues were authorized during the winter months, but with khakis
being authorized year round I don't see them as much. And of course,
everyone finds an excuse to wear cammies it seems - exaggeration but you get
the point.

--

Robert Moore wrote in message
...
"TAH" wrote
In fact Brunswick was the last place he wore the old Service
Dress Khaki (the one with long sleeves, tie, dress coat and
brown shoes).

Jeeeze...can someone tell us what commissioned officers are
wearing now? I left the Navy in 1967 after 10 years of service.
My uniform didn't change much though, double-breasted blue to
single-breasted blue at PanAm.

Bob Moore

Obviously, you haven't been around NAS Brunswick

There are quite a few folks up here who wear them; I would be among them if
I had the extra cash...

Dano, AWC


"Jake Donovan" wrote in message
news:dahnb.1208$Re.840@lakeread06...
I haven't seen anyone wearing Aviation Greens since the mid 80's. They
are
still in the Uniform Regs though. (As someone stated earlier, we have
enough uniforms to drag around with us.)

JD

"Doug "Woody" and Erin Beal" wrote in message
...
On 10/27/03 3:34 PM, in article
, "Justin Broderick"
wrote:

(Rich) wrote in message
. com...

During the war Fleet Admiral EJ King designed a grey uniform that he
proposed to be all purpose, eliminating khaki and the service dress
blues (which he felt, reportedly, were too much like the Royal Navy).
Never a popular uniform and generally only worn in King's presence or
in East Coast commands where he was likely to appear, it barely
survived his tenure and was no longer authorized after 1948.


Working gray was supposed to replace working khaki, but not service
dress blue. After early '43 blues could be "dress," which was the
basic pre-war SD blues (A, B or C), or "service" which could have
stripes only halfway round the sleeves and could be worn with the
"service" combination cap (black chinstrap instead of gold and no
scambled eggs) or blue garrison cap. Service blues could also be worn
with the gray shirt and collar insignia, another of King's ideas that
didn't really catch on.

Gray short-sleeved shirts and shorts were also supposed to replace
tropical khaki, but I don't know if anyone ever actually wore it.
Grays were considered something of an abomination in the PTO.

For a brief time in the 1980's aviation greens were not authorized
and
the use of brown shoes with khakis was likewise done away with, but
in
recent years greens have made a comeback and are authorized to be
worn
with brown shoes.

Did Lehman bring back the aviation greens?

--Justin

They never went away. It's just that most folks choose not to buy them,
and
since their a working uniform, no aviation skipper I know of has ever
required their wear.

--Woody

On 10/29/03 1:37 AM, in article ,
"dano" wrote:

Obviously, you haven't been around NAS Brunswick

There are quite a few folks up here who wear them; I would be among them if
I had the extra cash...

Dano, AWC


My last trip to Brunswick was January 1995 for a week. DANGED cold! I was
flying some test hops in the Intruder in my poopie suit--two 2 hour flights
per night from 2200 - 0000 and from 0130 - 0330 mostly at low altitude. The
locals must have loved us.

I didn't see enough P-3 types on those working hours to get a good enough
sampling of uniform habits.

You guys should get medals for surviving those winters.

--Woody

Doug \"Woody\" and Erin Beal wrote:
My last trip to Brunswick was January 1995 for a week. DANGED cold!

snip

You guys should get medals for surviving those winters.

I remember the time I was relaxing in Norfolk in 65 degree heat, and got
the call to shoot up to Brunswick so we could Link 11 with a ship at
Bath Iron Works. Milk run. Full stop included, so we could get some
lobsters for HomeLant. Check the weather...20 degrees and blowing snow.
Ouch!

Good thing I was the plane commander, so the nugget could preflight for
the way back.