Vet A-2 CBI Hump Pilot

[CBI]

Jacket worn by Gerald Houser from Paris, Arkansas. CBI C-46 pilot (many hump trips). Also ATC ferry pilot flying a/c to Alaska. 2,637 flight hours. Air Medal and DFC. “Carried many cases of beer in the C-46 so it would be cold for ground crews” Also an instructor pilot in Arkansas and Oklahoma. Born 1920, passed in 2003.

From the local air museum. It needed some Pecards so I had it at home for a day. Probably a size 38. Interesting narrowing epps. Lots of postwar re-do: lining, knits, maybe blood chit and zip?

 

[bseal]

Love it.

 

[SuinBruin]

Nice Bronco! :mrgreen:

 

[767fo]

Very nice!!!

 

[dujardin]

yesssssssssss

nice one

great you have it in your hands for some days
give this jacket a good care

as you mention, i found the blood chit too ''fresh''

 

[CBI]

Just returned it to the museum. Now they have asked for MY jackets for a display - yikes!

 

[767fo]

That's a rough spot to be in What did you tell them?

 

[dmar836]

Any before pics?
Dave

 

[CBI]

Just too big of an investment to have my own stuff out of my hands/eye!

No before pics on the CBI - just so little time.

I had offered to clean it up about 2 months ago and just got to it in the last day or two.

 

[handworn]

My grandfather was part of those Hump ground crews-- a meteorologist who they assigned to be a loadmaster-- and the story has come down from him about that practice of carrying beer on the Hump runs so it would be cold for the crews back in India.

 

[Roughwear]

My grandfather was part of those Hump ground crews-- a meteorologist who they assigned to be a loadmaster-- and the story has come down from him about that practice of carrying beer on the Hump runs so it would be cold for the crews back in India.

This is very interesting. Do you have any pics of your grandfather in his ground crew gear?