oldskoolonly
Member
Hey Ray, thanks for posting your stuff! And im sure im speaking for everyone on VLJ, We are stoked to have you here!!!! 
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Korean War A-2 jacket
- Thread starter rayfel
- Start date
Clyde from Carolina
Member
Vcruiser said:oldskoolonly said:Hey Ray, thanks for posting your stuff! And im sure im speaking for everyone on VLJ, We are stoked to have you here!!!!
That's an 'absolutely'... :!:
Van
X 3 !!
Thanks for taking time to share some of your service experiences with us, and thanks for your service.
That's the best part of a forum like this.
did you see this one in the Gallery. From your unit
http://www.vintageleatherjackets.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=4736&start=30
http://www.vintageleatherjackets.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=4736&start=30
JGC said:I thought I'd post my only Korean War A-2. This jacket belonged to Major Laurence "Tiger" Herman. Lt Herman first saw action in Korean as a member of the 6147th Tactical Control Group, or Mosquitos. He flew over 100 missions above the 38th parallel in his T-6. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters. I'm not quite sure why he had the Canadian patch, but it is what it is.
rayfel
New Member
RCSignals
No I hadn't seen it, thanks for posting the Mosquito A-2 jacket. It's in so much better condition than mine. He probably didn't let his kids get a hold of it. The embroided patch is in excellent shape, I wonder if it was applied at a later time. They weren't available when I was there, so we all had them painted by locals. I can't remember the name, but the face looks a bit familiar. As I said in a previous post, after 60 years my memory is rather shaky.
Ray
No I hadn't seen it, thanks for posting the Mosquito A-2 jacket. It's in so much better condition than mine. He probably didn't let his kids get a hold of it. The embroided patch is in excellent shape, I wonder if it was applied at a later time. They weren't available when I was there, so we all had them painted by locals. I can't remember the name, but the face looks a bit familiar. As I said in a previous post, after 60 years my memory is rather shaky.
Ray
deand
Active Member
They did have caps, at least there are some shown at this site:http://www.bob-west.com/DEAN-DON.html The other picture collections have some interesting cap and jacket images, just wish they were all in color, bigger, sharper and more numerous. Love the MIDI file, too!
dean
dean
dean
dean
rayfel
New Member
Dave
No I didn't wear a decorated baseball cap. I don't remember anyone wearing wool baseball caps. Some people were able to score B-2 caps, which were highly desirable for winter wear. Supply was always out of them when I tried to get one. Many officers wore their crush caps, while some officers and EM wore what was called "C" (not an appropriate word for a family site) caps. I usually wore a cotton OD long billed cap with a miniature aircrew wings pinned on the folded up bill. At the time I was with the 6147th (3/51 - 4/52), there was no source for embroidered patches that I could find, even while on R&R in Japan. Maybe I wasn't looking that hard, I was having too much fun (read into that whatever you think a testosterone saturated 18 year old would be thinking about). Perhaps at a later time Japanese entrepreneurs went into the business making them.
Ray
No I didn't wear a decorated baseball cap. I don't remember anyone wearing wool baseball caps. Some people were able to score B-2 caps, which were highly desirable for winter wear. Supply was always out of them when I tried to get one. Many officers wore their crush caps, while some officers and EM wore what was called "C" (not an appropriate word for a family site) caps. I usually wore a cotton OD long billed cap with a miniature aircrew wings pinned on the folded up bill. At the time I was with the 6147th (3/51 - 4/52), there was no source for embroidered patches that I could find, even while on R&R in Japan. Maybe I wasn't looking that hard, I was having too much fun (read into that whatever you think a testosterone saturated 18 year old would be thinking about). Perhaps at a later time Japanese entrepreneurs went into the business making them.
Ray
rayfel
New Member
Hi all
Here’s a couple of photos of the “restored” jacket proudly displayed on Dave’s mannequin in a prominent place in my living room. Jerome Urbaniak painted the patch in a manner that’s appropriate with jacket’s age. The zipper is shot, so it will gape until I put a button and loop on the inside.
I’m moved by all the advice and information offered, and interest shown, by members of this forum. Thank you all.
I especially want to acknowledge Dave’s (DMAR 836) heroic effort to get the mannequin to me, which arrived this afternoon. I didn’t realize what I’d be putting him through when I asked if it was possible to ship it to me, after he offered: “If you are inclined, and possibly not too far from the midwest, I have some "bust" mannequins. I'm modifying a few and a 38 fits if you need one.” I am too far from the midwest and I’m grateful and humbled.
Also, my special appreciation to Tim (Tim P), who offered to paint a mosquito patch on my 10 year old AVIREX. Because of the hassle of international shipping, we agreed that painting and mailing a leather patch would be easier. He did two, one is an original flat style and the other a shaded artistic version. My heartfelt thanks. Here’s a photo.
In a direct email ([email protected]), I was asked about the bullet hole in the L-19. As I told him in the reply, it looked like it was made by a rifle round. Tracing the path from the entry to the exit hole, the round passed between the observer’s (not me) legs. Had he been leaning forward, it would have been a head shot. At some point we got some armor plate and attached it to the seat bottoms. We were more concerned about protecting our cojones than our heads. It goes to prove the old adage about where a young man’s brains are located.
One last thing I’d like to bring out, since I don’t think it’s documented anywhere. We would fly pretty low and the L-19’s OD paint job made it hard to see by the incoming flight of F-84s against the dull landscape. It was crucial for them to have visual with us because sometimes we had to designate a well camouflaged target by doing a roll maneuver as we passed over it. Someone came up with the clever idea of securing a large hose clamp in the crotch between the wing and wing strut on both sides. Before each mission, red smoke grenades would be fixed in the clamp with cables attached to the pins, which would be run to the observers position. If an incoming flight couldn’t see us, we’d tell the flight leader that we’d be at a certain heading and look for red smoke, at which point the observer would yank the cable. They couldn’t fail to see us, neither could the ground. This was strictly a jury rigged kluge and I don’t know whether it’s been covered anyplace, so I’d like to get it on the record.
Best regards
Ray
Here’s a couple of photos of the “restored” jacket proudly displayed on Dave’s mannequin in a prominent place in my living room. Jerome Urbaniak painted the patch in a manner that’s appropriate with jacket’s age. The zipper is shot, so it will gape until I put a button and loop on the inside.
I’m moved by all the advice and information offered, and interest shown, by members of this forum. Thank you all.
I especially want to acknowledge Dave’s (DMAR 836) heroic effort to get the mannequin to me, which arrived this afternoon. I didn’t realize what I’d be putting him through when I asked if it was possible to ship it to me, after he offered: “If you are inclined, and possibly not too far from the midwest, I have some "bust" mannequins. I'm modifying a few and a 38 fits if you need one.” I am too far from the midwest and I’m grateful and humbled.
Also, my special appreciation to Tim (Tim P), who offered to paint a mosquito patch on my 10 year old AVIREX. Because of the hassle of international shipping, we agreed that painting and mailing a leather patch would be easier. He did two, one is an original flat style and the other a shaded artistic version. My heartfelt thanks. Here’s a photo.
In a direct email ([email protected]), I was asked about the bullet hole in the L-19. As I told him in the reply, it looked like it was made by a rifle round. Tracing the path from the entry to the exit hole, the round passed between the observer’s (not me) legs. Had he been leaning forward, it would have been a head shot. At some point we got some armor plate and attached it to the seat bottoms. We were more concerned about protecting our cojones than our heads. It goes to prove the old adage about where a young man’s brains are located.
One last thing I’d like to bring out, since I don’t think it’s documented anywhere. We would fly pretty low and the L-19’s OD paint job made it hard to see by the incoming flight of F-84s against the dull landscape. It was crucial for them to have visual with us because sometimes we had to designate a well camouflaged target by doing a roll maneuver as we passed over it. Someone came up with the clever idea of securing a large hose clamp in the crotch between the wing and wing strut on both sides. Before each mission, red smoke grenades would be fixed in the clamp with cables attached to the pins, which would be run to the observers position. If an incoming flight couldn’t see us, we’d tell the flight leader that we’d be at a certain heading and look for red smoke, at which point the observer would yank the cable. They couldn’t fail to see us, neither could the ground. This was strictly a jury rigged kluge and I don’t know whether it’s been covered anyplace, so I’d like to get it on the record.
Best regards
Ray
Andrew
Well-Known Member
rayfel said:
Great job Ray, that looks fantastic and the best part to me is that it's your original. Priceless.
Just an aside regarding Jerome, did he paint that patch recently and do you have his latest contact details? Couchy (Ausreenactor) has been trying to get him for 2 years!
Clyde from Carolina
Member
Patches and jacket Look great and thanks for sharing them- and your memories -with us.
rayfel
New Member
AndrewAndrew said:
The patch was painted a few weeks ago after Grant put me in touch with him. His email address is: [email protected] and you can see lots of his work at: http://www.picturetrail.com/jrome
Davedmar836 said:
The Pecards worked wonders. The leather is much more supple and some of the color has been restored. Recall certainly diminishes with age, in my case it's mostly names and to a lessor degree faces.
Ray
Willy McCoy
Member
Nice to see you here Ray and thank you very much for sharing your experience. My father, Sgt. Ramon Collins was in Korea early in the conflict. He never shared stories much with us kids but it did haunt him with night terrors. He was in the US Army Engineers. He was a cartoonist with the Seattle Post Intelligencer Newspaper and the Army thought it would be good to have his keen eye in the intelligence branch. They sent him up as an observer to count strengths, movements and to direct air cover accordingly. I got this information from my Aunt. They are very close to this day. She reported that he had witnessed NATO troops hit by friendly fire and that was the cause of his night terrors. When I was growing up he preferred to listen to jazz and to air his distaste for war. He encouraged us kids to play music and draw. I thank him for that daily. He adopted two Korean brothers over there and eventually they survived the war. He made an oil painting of the two brothers that hung in the living room for 18 years.
Here is one of two photos I have of him in Korea. He sent this to me via e-mail and the jpg. information states: Forward_Airstrip_3. The caption read: I said "This low wing airplane is a great observation platform" and the pilot said "Duh".
My father was diagnosed with ALS syndrome in 1984 and given 2 years to live. He is still going strong in Boulder City Nevada. He will be 80 next month.
Here is one of two photos I have of him in Korea. He sent this to me via e-mail and the jpg. information states: Forward_Airstrip_3. The caption read: I said "This low wing airplane is a great observation platform" and the pilot said "Duh".
My father was diagnosed with ALS syndrome in 1984 and given 2 years to live. He is still going strong in Boulder City Nevada. He will be 80 next month.
rayfel
New Member
Hi Willy
Thanks for your father’s memories and how they affected him. Unfortunately, friendly fire has always been part of warfare. I’m aware it happened to UN forces in Korea and every other action before or since. I know I never called in fire on friendlies, but the concern I might, was always uppermost in my mind. It looks like your father is next to an L-17. The 3rd Infantry Division’s forward controllers had a few of them. They and I agreed with the observation of the pilot “Duh" to the comment: ”This low wing airplane is a great observation platform”. In other words, not so good! I wonder if “Forward_Airstrip_3” is the 3rd Inf Div forward air strip?
Give your dad my best and tell him to hang in there.
Ray
Thanks for your father’s memories and how they affected him. Unfortunately, friendly fire has always been part of warfare. I’m aware it happened to UN forces in Korea and every other action before or since. I know I never called in fire on friendlies, but the concern I might, was always uppermost in my mind. It looks like your father is next to an L-17. The 3rd Infantry Division’s forward controllers had a few of them. They and I agreed with the observation of the pilot “Duh" to the comment: ”This low wing airplane is a great observation platform”. In other words, not so good! I wonder if “Forward_Airstrip_3” is the 3rd Inf Div forward air strip?
Give your dad my best and tell him to hang in there.
Ray
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