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Legacy Jacket Army Air Corps B-17 & P-51 -> USAF F-16

CayenneDan

New Member
Advice please on how to configure a legacy jacket. My father was a B-17 & B-29 IP. My father-in-law was in the P-51. My son is in a F-16.

How do I respectfully configure a replica jacket that honors all three and all those that have served? Which patches & where, any art, any help would be truly appreciated.

Dad was a B-17 IP then a B-29 IP finishing in the 3030th in Roswell. #0726732. Was in the Civilian Pilot training program prior to Dec 7th. Flew commercial after that finishing w/33,197 hours (also invented the wingtip strobe lights).

Father-in-law was in the 8th Air Force in England. 364th Fighter Group, 385th Fighter Squadron with 35 missions over occupied territory (also had one more take off than landing due to engine failure over Belgium).
 

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Steve27752

Well-Known Member
Advice please on how to configure a legacy jacket. My father was a B-17 & B-29 IP. My father-in-law was in the P-51. My son is in a F-16.

How do I respectfully configure a replica jacket that honors all three and all those that have served? Which patches & where, any art, any help would be truly appreciated.

Dad was a B-17 IP then a B-29 IP finishing in the 3030th in Roswell. #0726732. Was in the Civilian Pilot training program prior to Dec 7th. Flew commercial after that finishing w/33,197 hours (also invented the wingtip strobe lights).

Father-in-law was in the 8th Air Force in England. 364th Fighter Group, 385th Fighter Squadron with 35 missions over occupied territory (also had one more take off than landing due to engine failure over Belgium).

Welcome to VLJ Dave.
By way of an introduction, why not post a bit about yourself here.
http://www.vintageleatherjackets.org/forums/member-bios.21/
 

dmar836

Well-Known Member
Dan,
This is a great idea but I sure wouldn’t know how to do it tastefully. I say that because I personally don’t care for the modern jacket paintings with a pinup superimposed over an airplane flying out of a AAF star or flag or whatever. It just has a cheesy, 90s, “got it at an air show” look and is not reminiscent of WWII or any other earlier time period. That’s just me. But that is what I think of when thinking of combining multiple airplane “ages” on one jacket. My observation? You typically see such things at flyins and air shows on kids and unkempt, overweight adult male wannabes with huge cameras. This look appeals to the enthusiast and sells t-shirts to the “walk-in” traffic. Not sure the look you are after but I feel you would want to convey more than that of just an air show observer or fanboy as you have much more in the game than most. Hope I’m not being too judgy. Understand I’d love to see this pulled off but we just see a lot of “trying too hard” in this hobby.
To the point, you could tinker with such mural designs with say, as in the honor flights, three different period planes in formation. There are some talented painters out there. You could also have a patch of each group in a row on an arm - Top Gun style. A good thing is these need not be on an expensive leather jacket. A cloth windbreaker type is more appropriate IMO and a period correct jacket attempt takes away from the story you are sharing. An “affordable” replica leather jacket harkens to the souvenir look and detracts.
Though over-blinging a jacket is a risk, tribute jackets are an “in the eye of the beholder” thing. If it looks good to you... Regardless of what you come up with I’m sure it would give you opportunities to share your stories of a family heritage of service and that might be the greatest outcome. That’s something no one could criticize! I’m sure other ideas will follow.
Dave
 

Carl

Well-Known Member
Why not have a jacket for each member of your family ? might make it easier on the "eye" rather than loads of stuff on just the one jacket ?? just saying :)
 

Ken at Aero Leather

Well-Known Member
Why not have a jacket for each member of your family ? might make it easier on the "eye" rather than loads of stuff on just the one jacket ?? just saying :)

Carl and dmar836 have nailed it, otherwise it'll end up looking like a Top Gun Christmas Tree

Cayenne Dan...................Your family's history deserves better, if your budget can run to 3 jackets we'd be glad to help on the price of the basic jackets
I've never seen a Roswell jacket, that in itself is worth of a single jacket, my mind is racing with design ideas :>)
 

LJDRVR

Active Member
I'd say go straight vintage. Small leather nametag without the wings, AAC Flash on the left shoulder. And for something a bit off the reservation?

Below the name tag on the left side of the jacket, perhaps a painted tail flash. The 468th would have been a triangle with an "I" in the middle. I'm pretty sure your son could get away with wearing that on special occasions around his unit without any blowback. And it would be a total homage to his Grandfather. Folks would dig that.
 

CayenneDan

New Member
Carl, dmar836, Ken, & LJDRVR, thank you all for your thoughtful opinions. Interestingly, I was in New Orleans last week and spent two days at the National WWII Museum (if anyone hasn't been it needs to be on their list). The 3rd floor of the Boeing Flight Building has quite a few actual jackets that have been donated.

I will give some thought to three jackets.
  1. Heavy bomber shearling B3/B6/? like representing my Dad - for Minnesota winters with perhaps B-17/B-29 art. He was 3030th but also in other units I have not figured yet.
  2. A2 with my sons squadron art F-16 for Minnesota early spring / late fall.
  3. Cloth for Father-in-Law that could replicate his actual jacket that we have (see photos) and use it a light jacket.
    (will need to convince wife that I need three jackets)
Your thoughts?

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