“Who Won the Second World War?”: Getting to Know a Flyer through his Jacket

[Paul Glover]

Great photos, excellent story!, there is something special about owning and wearing something with such provenance! Well done to you both.Thanks for sharing, your efforts are much appreciated.

 

[Megan.Wade]

Thank you so much for this! Rip was my grandpa and I was actually just doing a google search to find something on him when this website popped up. It was so amazing reading all of your research! I so appreciate the time you spent getting to know him and giving life and a story to that amazing jacket!

 

[mulceber]

This is incredible! Getting to know Rip is one of my favorite experiences on this board, and I'm really glad a family member of his got to read this thread (and liked it)! I wish I could have met him - he would have been a great guy to get to know personally. Thank you for joining the board to post this (welcome to the VLJ, btw)!

Also, if you're on facebook, the 345th bomb group has an association for friends and family: https://www.facebook.com/345th-Bomb-Group-Association-358993024120604

 

[B-Man2]

No way!! I’m blowin away by this new development.
This is so cool .... welcome to the forum Megan.
Your grandad was from Swissvale Pa right outside of Pittsburgh Pa . Are you from there as well ?

 

[mulceber]

Also, @Megan.Wade, if you'd like to read through the documents that @Nnatalie and I were able to dig up on Rip, I'd be happy to send them to you.

 

[LDePascal]

I found this article very interesting, maybe because Rip DePascal was my father...my niece found this and sent it to me...little did she know at the time that this jacket was in my posession since my fathers passing in 2002...i sold it on ebay many years later to a gentleman who had s travellng ww2 museum and he took it to schools all over the country... it is so gratifying to know that so many people got to see it and enjoy it as much as I did and now the gentleman who owns it if you see this I would love to hear from you
....

 

[Smithy]

Missed this thread the first time around but what an absolute cracker Jan and well done you and Natalie!

This may very well be the aviation/museum historian in me talking but this for me is the epitome, an original with provenance, duly researched using primary documents to tell the story of the person who used the object.

People can arse on about repros and how "accurate" they are but this demonstrates how even the most highly accurate repro will never come close, and always be a pale pretender to the real deal.

Whenever I was handling something like an A-2, a flying helmet, a pair of goggles, etc, etc at the museum which had seen service the thing that always hit me and I never lost the impact of that feeling was how that object had "been there".

Not only have you wonderfully detailed an artefact (wanky word I know but that's the technical term!) which has "been there" but you've documented the life of the man who lived those dangerous moments in it.

That will always put even the very best repro to shame.

 

[Flightengineer]

What an incredible twist to this story! This proves that these are not just jackets.

 

[JimO]

Jan-

The A-2 gods chose wisely when they sent this jacket your way. YOU were meant to be its keeper.

I'm sure @Megan.Wade, @LDePascal and Rip himself wholeheartedly agree...

 

[Silver Surfer]

The jacket gods see, and hear all. A-bloodymazn

 

[mulceber]

I'm thrilled that Rip's family has gotten to see this! I've just sent you a message, @LDePascal!

 

[Nnatalie]

This may very well be the aviation/museum historian in me talking but this for me is the epitome, an original with provenance, duly researched using primary documents to tell the story of the person who used the object.

People can arse on about repros and how "accurate" they are but this demonstrates how even the most highly accurate repro will never come close, and always be a pale pretender to the real deal.

Whenever I was handling something like an A-2, a flying helmet, a pair of goggles, etc, etc at the museum which had seen service the thing that always hit me and I never lost the impact of that feeling was how that object had "been there".

Not only have you wonderfully detailed an artefact (wanky word I know but that's the technical term!) which has "been there" but you've documented the life of the man who lived those dangerous moments in it.

That will always put even the very best repro to shame.

I agree completely. You put my feelings into words better than I could have. There's something special about "the real deal," even when it's just an authentic civilian item rather than something that has seen service. I remember buying a late-19th century book about Napoleon when I was maybe nine years old--I had no particular interest in Napoleon, but I just thought that it was so cool that I could hold and own this piece of history. Add the gravity of the war and the sacrifices the wearer would have made (even if he came away physically unscathed), and it's something else...

 

[Silver Surfer]

Hahahahaha ha, yeah the premise of this forum. Vintage leather jacket.........nothing beats an original, period.