-
When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Nice color shots of SAC crews, lots of Nylon
- Thread starter oose
- Start date
Weasel_Loader
Active Member
Love the photos. Photos were taken between 1958 and 1963 when the 436th Bomb Squadron was assigned to the 4238th Strategic Wing at Barksdale AFB, La. I believe they flew B-52Fs at the time. I also believe that is Maj. Gen "Sundown" Wells in one of the photos. As an I.G. inspector, his crew declared an in-flight emergency and showed up unannounced at a SAC base for an O.R.I. When the General walked in the brief the base commander, Rock Hudson happened to be visiting the base at the same time to learn about SAC for the upcoming movie "Gathering Of Eagles". From watching the movie, they must have learned a lot since that movie is the most accurate of all Air Force movies of that time and since.
The general earned the nickname "Sundown" because he once failed a commander and his wing and gave him till sundown to leave the base! :shock:
BTW, the yellow hats were made of leather and remained quite popular in SAC units till around the mid 60s. Not sure what squadron the blue hats in the photos were from. I'll have to do a little research on that.
The general earned the nickname "Sundown" because he once failed a commander and his wing and gave him till sundown to leave the base! :shock:
BTW, the yellow hats were made of leather and remained quite popular in SAC units till around the mid 60s. Not sure what squadron the blue hats in the photos were from. I'll have to do a little research on that.
greyhound52
New Member
Great photos what a collection of nylon, L-2Bs, MA-1s, B-15D (with fur collar) and maybe a B-15D mod as well as a blue colored nylon on the AP (with M2 auto carbine real cool). I really like looking at photos as this. Great info Danny I thought the hats were leather too. Yeah what is the blue ones? Do the numbers on the hat mean anything??
usafwso
Active Member
I did a a little color correction on the images. The LIFE magazine website apparently did minimum color correction.
What really strikes me is how old these guys look. In my day when I was a young Captain, I looked like we were in our early to mid 20's. Most of those guys look late 30's - 40's. Lots of high mialage one would guess.
Looks as if one of the guys in the front row is wearing a pair of F-1A flight trousers as well.
Oh, how I remember and hated those early morning commander's calls. :x Usually taking place in the base theater with the previous evenings stale popcorn odor lingering in the air.
Some of those guys look to be smoking pipes. :x
Oh well, those must have been the grand old Curtis LeMay don't walk across the grass days in SAC. :?
What really strikes me is how old these guys look. In my day when I was a young Captain, I looked like we were in our early to mid 20's. Most of those guys look late 30's - 40's. Lots of high mialage one would guess.
Looks as if one of the guys in the front row is wearing a pair of F-1A flight trousers as well.
Oh, how I remember and hated those early morning commander's calls. :x Usually taking place in the base theater with the previous evenings stale popcorn odor lingering in the air.
Some of those guys look to be smoking pipes. :x
Oh well, those must have been the grand old Curtis LeMay don't walk across the grass days in SAC. :?
Weasel_Loader
Active Member
The blue hatters are 913th Air Refueling Squadron which flew KC-135As. Didn't think about tanker aircrew till I noticed the 135 in the background of the AP photo.
One other observation was how dirty the General's jacket looks. These were the dog days of SAC though. They lived and breathed exercising for nuclear warfare. With the cold war over and emphasis shifting to the war on terrorism, our lax policy towards controlling of nukes went to the wayside and we've paid dearly for it. This is all changing as we speak and SAC is sort of coming back!
Here are my favorite SAC slogans (taken from Wiki)
"To err is human. To forgive is not SAC policy" -- from a poster using SAC's gauntlet emblem. Instead of lightning, the gauntlet was redrawn to hold a pair of bloody testicles.
"Peace Through Strength -- Victory Through Devastation"
"The Cold War didn't just end, it was WON!" Motto of the Society of the Strategic Air Command
"In God We Trust. Everybody else has to have the right (SAC security) badge and know the right (response) numbers."
SAC's Motto was also: "PRIDE" or "Professional Results In Daily Effort." In 1969, the inside joke was that it was changed from "PRIDE" to "SHAME" or "Sustained Half-Assed Minimum Effort."
Number one has to be: "Peace Is Our Profession", which was at the front gate of virtually every SAC base.
One other observation was how dirty the General's jacket looks. These were the dog days of SAC though. They lived and breathed exercising for nuclear warfare. With the cold war over and emphasis shifting to the war on terrorism, our lax policy towards controlling of nukes went to the wayside and we've paid dearly for it. This is all changing as we speak and SAC is sort of coming back!
Here are my favorite SAC slogans (taken from Wiki)
"To err is human. To forgive is not SAC policy" -- from a poster using SAC's gauntlet emblem. Instead of lightning, the gauntlet was redrawn to hold a pair of bloody testicles.
"Peace Through Strength -- Victory Through Devastation"
"The Cold War didn't just end, it was WON!" Motto of the Society of the Strategic Air Command
"In God We Trust. Everybody else has to have the right (SAC security) badge and know the right (response) numbers."
SAC's Motto was also: "PRIDE" or "Professional Results In Daily Effort." In 1969, the inside joke was that it was changed from "PRIDE" to "SHAME" or "Sustained Half-Assed Minimum Effort."
Number one has to be: "Peace Is Our Profession", which was at the front gate of virtually every SAC base.
usafwso
Active Member
Once, many, many, many, many, many and more years ago - - - 1982, when I was but a young and stupid USAFA Cadet on a "summer" trip to see the real USAF, a couple of fellow cadets and I spent a few summer weeks at Norton AFB flying with C-141 aircrew and my first and only flight to Antarctica. More accurately, flew over it and dropped stuff out the side doors in the dark! That being "their" winter. It was a pretty exciting experience for a young and stupid college kid like me playing C-141B loadmaster wannabe.
Back to Southern California in the early 1980's. Another pair of our Cadets was at March AFB, about 25 minutes away from Norton by car. March AFB in those days was totally over the top B-52 flying SAC and "DO NOT WALK OVER THE GRASS sort of SAC base". My first and only experience there until recently. So that was always my opinion of SAC bases, don't walk on the grass.
Now parts of March are a warehouse for Fresh & Easy supermarkets...
Back to our Barksdale friends from the 1960's and before. Some of my ancestors sold a bit of family land to the government upon which the base was built. Long history, some timberland and cotton fields and such.
Is one of the individuals in that series wearing a pair of F-1A trousers?
One might wonder if anyone can make a few of those yellow leather hats??? I wear a size 7 1/8th just in case anyone might have one stashed.
Back to Southern California in the early 1980's. Another pair of our Cadets was at March AFB, about 25 minutes away from Norton by car. March AFB in those days was totally over the top B-52 flying SAC and "DO NOT WALK OVER THE GRASS sort of SAC base". My first and only experience there until recently. So that was always my opinion of SAC bases, don't walk on the grass.
Now parts of March are a warehouse for Fresh & Easy supermarkets...
Back to our Barksdale friends from the 1960's and before. Some of my ancestors sold a bit of family land to the government upon which the base was built. Long history, some timberland and cotton fields and such.
Is one of the individuals in that series wearing a pair of F-1A trousers?
One might wonder if anyone can make a few of those yellow leather hats??? I wear a size 7 1/8th just in case anyone might have one stashed.
Great pics, SAC is an interesting outfit. I recall the shudders if USAF colleagues I worked with when I was seconded would mention the B.S. and just so ethic of SAC bases.
In choosing a recreation of an ensemble I might look further than a unit that wore yellow leather caps. I am sure it was regulation but its not to my taste. each to their own of course and I cant help thinking it is very evocative of the era.
In choosing a recreation of an ensemble I might look further than a unit that wore yellow leather caps. I am sure it was regulation but its not to my taste. each to their own of course and I cant help thinking it is very evocative of the era.
watchmanjimg
Well-Known Member
usafwso said:
Nat:
Are you referring to the guy in the third photo from the top, with his arms folded across his chest? I think he's wearing a CWU-1/P. If you look above him you'll see another guy wearing one. The zippered pockets are totally different from the configuration of the F-1A.
EMBLEMHUNTER
Well-Known Member
as to the hats being leather yes they are, and I know there were other units in that time period that had them, I did some leather unit patches for a woman who knew an AF pilot and thiers was red, so it must have been a fairly popular thing at that time !
better duck
Well-Known Member
Quite a gathering / herd / crowd / flock of captains we see in those first pics. How come, didn't they have any other rank there? Just kidding, but curious all the same ...
Just kidding, but curious all the same ...
Phantomfixer
New Member
usafwso said:
an old post...does anyone know if they used red leather hats??? I think I passed on one, but would go back for it if...
bebel
Active Member
jzist said:
See there!
Franck
http://www.vintageleatherjackets.org/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=11709&start=40
herk115
Active Member
I fell in love with those leather hats the minute I first saw that photo. To my knowledge, no repros being made. But today, on totally unrelated business, I walked into the local biker shop and, son of a gun, they had a rack full of leather baseball-style caps, some of them yellow, and for only $15 apiece. I quickly grabbed a yellow one and a green one. Though they are not exactly the same style as seen in this picture, they will do until a decent repro comes out. I'm also fairly confident that some unit somewhere probably wore a more baseball-style cap than pictured here. Anyway, my point is, until a good repro comes out, head down to your local biker leather shop and see what they have. Failing that, drop me a note and I'll head back to the local shop here and see what I can do for you.
Doctor Damage
New Member
It's an interesting question and I have no idea what the answer is, but if I had to guess I'd say it was because SAC wanted the most experienced and knowledgeable people it could get, and they probably got first pick.
"It's not the years.....it's the miles."
