Young men enlisting in USAF 1951 & Bell XP-59

[oose]

Hi, few shots here








Plus this XP-59 Jet wreck one of only a few made.





yours stu

 

[deand]

Interesting selection of jackets on those enlistees. Facial expressions, too.







dean

 

[havocpaul]

Should the guy wearing the Termite Control jacket have treated the Bell XP-59..!!

 

[Swing]

Interesting selection of jackets on those enlistees. Facial expressions, too.

dean

None of them look very happy, do they? :lol:

~Swing

 

[fraazierjo]

I was one of these guys when I enlisted in 1956 - leather "bomber jacket", DA, and the same look. I think our WWII AF uncles and their flight jackets were the inspiration.

 

[Andrew]

I was one of these guys when I enlisted in 1956 - leather "bomber jacket", DA, and the same look. I think our WWII AF uncles and their flight jackets were the inspiration.

Thanks for letting us know, cos I was wondering exactly that and their reasons for joining when I saw these shots. There are a lot of Mil inspired civvy jackets there. Other than having relations in WWII, did you have any other reasons for joining?

 

[fraazierjo]

Reasons? Well, I couldn't afford college and I had had uncles in the AF during the war when my fascination with the miltary began. They all had these really good looking leather jackets and the aura of heroism they implied. I was discharged honorably two years later as a "security risk" (i.e. left wing political views in the '50's!) but got the GI Bill and went on to Bachelo and Masters degrees.