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Astronaut Chaffee and Cernan in L-2b and patched MA-1
- Thread starter oose
- Start date
watchmanjimg
Well-Known Member
That appears to be David R. Scott. My best guess is the 32nd TFS, redesignated in 1958 from the 32nd Fighter Day Squadron:
According to the following, Scott was assigned to 32nd TFS from 1956-60, which coincides perfectly with the apparent vintage of the jacket in the photo as well as the patch:
http://www.examiner.com/space-education ... -astronaut
According to the following, Scott was assigned to 32nd TFS from 1956-60, which coincides perfectly with the apparent vintage of the jacket in the photo as well as the patch:
http://www.examiner.com/space-education ... -astronaut
Rutger
Well-Known Member
A familiar wolfhound patch indeed.
Being Dutch, I can not resist adding that the 32nd Fighter Squadron was based at Soesterberg in the Netherlands for forty years from november '54 (initially as the 512th FDS) until the autumn of '94. They operated the F-86, F-100, F-102, F-4 and F-15.
They were an outstanding unit and it was great to see their F-15s practice day and night air combat over our village when I was still a teenager.
Very nice to see such an unexpected appearance in a forum on old jackets, thanks for those pictures!
Being Dutch, I can not resist adding that the 32nd Fighter Squadron was based at Soesterberg in the Netherlands for forty years from november '54 (initially as the 512th FDS) until the autumn of '94. They operated the F-86, F-100, F-102, F-4 and F-15.
They were an outstanding unit and it was great to see their F-15s practice day and night air combat over our village when I was still a teenager.
Very nice to see such an unexpected appearance in a forum on old jackets, thanks for those pictures!
sealbeachbum
Member
Geoff, I'm pretty sure that's Gene Sernan, the last man to walk on the moon, and yes he was Navy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_Cernan
Hamsterbear
Member
One thing I noticed about those "ancient" photos is how primitive the field gear is that they are using- the Brunton compass in a leather pouch on the belt, a huge tape recorder with a shoulder strap that probably weighed a ton with a dozen "D" batteries in it, military jackets and caps/gloves, regular denim jeans, standard issue Corcoran jump boots, an old 35mm film camera......
This looks like field training for eventual moon surface exploration.
Contrast this to all the "modern" equipment we have today- Gortex fabric, high-tech waterproof footwear, digital cameras, handheld GPS, a "phone" that is essentially a small pocket computer/camera/recorder/GPS and more.....
Most having been invented out of the very space race they were training for in the mid 1960's.
This looks like field training for eventual moon surface exploration.
Contrast this to all the "modern" equipment we have today- Gortex fabric, high-tech waterproof footwear, digital cameras, handheld GPS, a "phone" that is essentially a small pocket computer/camera/recorder/GPS and more.....
Most having been invented out of the very space race they were training for in the mid 1960's.
unclegrumpy
Well-Known Member
I agree, I don't think those are Army "jump" boots, but rather the Air Force version. I don't think those are "boondockers" either, since those would be roughouts. What they look like to me is a pair of Redwings I had in the 1970's.
watchmanjimg
Well-Known Member
unclegrumpy said:
I agree that David Scott is wearing Air Force-issue flight boots with laced-in zippers. The seam running more or less parallel to the sole is a giveaway. As the dress code for this particular exercise was clearly informal, it appears the guys just took along whatever practical gear they had lying around from their former military assignments (another example being Scott's 32nd TFS-patched flight jacket).
As to Cernan's boots, my first thought was that they were USN-issued but I suppose they could be Red Wings. The boots worn by the stout gentleman in the blue NASA windbreaker are more obviously of civilian origin.
unclegrumpy
Well-Known Member
Technically, the Army shoes your are referring to were known as "service shoes". They were nicknamed "roughouts" because the rough side of the leather was on the outside.....just like the version the Navy and Marines wore....which the Marines called "field shoes", but they are more commonly known by the nickname "boondockers"....because that is where you were destined to go if you had those on your feet.Monsoon said:
unclegrumpy
Well-Known Member
What is more historically interesting, but can be somewhat confusing today, is both services used both nicknames interchangeably....especially the term "roughouts". That's because both the Army and Marines early in the war and before had similar ankle height footwear with the smooth side out, which the Marines called "dress shoes" and the Army "service shoes".
The term "roughouts" for both services dates back to WW I and probably well before. The term "boondocks" is Americanized slang that came from butchering a Philippino word for the outback that the troops picked up during the Spanish American War/Philippine Insurrection. The Army was by far the biggest provider of manpower, and was fighting in the Philippine's far longer....right up to 1913....so it is interesting that the Marine footwear ended up to more commonly known as "boondockers". Maybe one of you guys know why.
The term "roughouts" for both services dates back to WW I and probably well before. The term "boondocks" is Americanized slang that came from butchering a Philippino word for the outback that the troops picked up during the Spanish American War/Philippine Insurrection. The Army was by far the biggest provider of manpower, and was fighting in the Philippine's far longer....right up to 1913....so it is interesting that the Marine footwear ended up to more commonly known as "boondockers". Maybe one of you guys know why.
Willy McCoy
Member
M51 winter cap, L-2B, selvedge denim Levi's and boots with laced in zippers. Pretty informal.
