Budget, i.e., "Econo" leather jackets

[TXFlyGuy]

Yeah..would otherwise look strange to another Vet..maybe even Dad.
HD

Perhaps. My desire was to highlight his awards. He was not drafted, he volunteered in 1944. His older brother was drafted in 1943. Both sons served in WWII.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

' I think what you have listed would be OK. The round US Army patch should be bigger though( around 5").
HD

 

[TXFlyGuy]

' I think what you have listed would be OK. The round US Army patch should be bigger though( around 5").
HD

I do appreciate all of the feedback on this. Want the jacket to look the part, and something that my Dad will be proud to wear. He turns 90 in June. Golfs two times a week, drives his F-250 Super Crew Cab from Minnesota to South Texas twice a year. Spends a month fishing on the Canadian border. Still goin' strong!

 

[RailRoad]

I do appreciate all of the feedback on this. Want the jacket to look the part, and something that my Dad will be proud to wear. He turns 90 in June. Golfs two times a week, drives his F-250 Super Crew Cab from Minnesota to South Texas twice a year. Spends a month fishing on the Canadian border. Still goin' strong!

Hope he has 90 more.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

I do appreciate all of the feedback on this. Want the jacket to look the part, and something that my Dad will be proud to wear. He turns 90 in June. Golfs two times a week, drives his F-250 Super Crew Cab from Minnesota to South Texas twice a year. Spends a month fishing on the Canadian border. Still goin' strong!

That's great.
I think you are getting close. Pins or painted leather rank patches (I have seen SGT rank) on the epaulets would be great along with a larger US army round patch. Set up very nearly WW2 AAF correct should make him very proud indeed.
HD

 

[TXFlyGuy]

OK...here is what I've got so far. I do not like the size of a 5" patch (5 inch plate in photo), and while I like the 3 inch patch, a 4 incher would be perfect. Might have a leather one custom made. Note the U.S. pin and the Infantry pin on the epaulets, normally worn on the collar. I have ordered a pair of corporal chevrons to go here. OK...feel free to let me know your thoughts!

 

[RailRoad]

Don't know as I'd go with the metal insignia. Not the enlisted version anyway.

 

[Deacon211]

You know,

You could still keep the CIB if you go with leather. Another nice way to go is to use Tipsy Gypsy. He makes beautiful embossed nametags and might have the CIB badge on file....

http://www.tgpatch.com/Nametags.html


As for the Army patch on the chest, I'd look into these guys....

http://welldonebadges.com/product/united-states-army-blazer-badge/

They look like they do custom work, so you could theoretically get bullion for his division patches as well which I think would look spectacular. Might be expensive however.

As for the rank, I'm very curious what the enlisted aircrewmen wore in WWII. There weren't too many, but some had to wear the A-2 and they would have had to have rank. Perhaps ask over at militaria forum?

 

[HoosierDaddy]

You might take the time and browse some actual WW2 photos of various patched leather A2s on various sites for how everything was actually positioned on A2s.
Possibly have painted leather rank made for the epaulets as that was mostly the norm.
HD

 

[TXFlyGuy]

You might take the time and browse some actual WW2 photos of various patched leather A2s on various sites for how everything was actually positioned on A2s.
Possibly have painted leather rank made for the epaulets as that was mostly the norm.
HD

Thanks, I'll contact my leather patch guru and see what, if anything, he can whip up!

 

[TXFlyGuy]

Don't know as I'd go with the metal insignia. Not the enlisted version anyway.

Those actually are worn on the collar, and he was enlisted 24th Infantry. These are seen on WWII uniforms, not necessarily dress uniforms...I think. Is wearing these in this application verboten?

 

[Deacon211]

Those actually are worn on the collar, and he was enlisted 24th Infantry. These are seen on WWII uniforms, not necessarily dress uniforms...I think. Is wearing these in this application verboten?

I'm pretty sure that they didn't wear any insignia on the collars of A-2s. I've been looking for an example of an enlisted A-2 jacket, but can't find one or can't tell which suggests that they didn't wear arm insignia.

Deacon

 

[TXFlyGuy]

I'm pretty sure that they didn't wear any insignia on the collars of A-2s. I've been looking for an example of an enlisted A-2 jacket, but can't find one or can't tell which suggests that they didn't wear arm insignia.

Deacon

At any rate, I have a pair of metal (3/4 inch) Corporal chevrons ordered. I think those would look OK on the epaulets. Right?
The fact is, enlisted personnel in the 24th Infantry did not wear A-2's at all. That is why I need a bit of artistic license...just like Hollywood when they make a movie!

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Those actually are worn on the collar, and he was enlisted 24th Infantry. These are seen on WWII uniforms, not necessarily dress uniforms...I think. Is wearing these in this application verboten?

They weren't worn on an A2 collar..that's for sure. Rank insignia was on epaulets. Nothing on A2 collars.
HD

 

[HoosierDaddy]

At any rate, I have a pair of metal (3/4 inch) Corporal chevrons ordered. I think those would look OK on the epaulets. Right?
The fact is, enlisted personnel in the 24th Infantry did not wear A-2's at all. That is why I need a bit of artistic license...just like Hollywood when they make a movie!

Would be OK. Metal rank was worn..but more often small leather rank painted squares sewn on epaulets. You're right..but I have seen painted SGT stripes on A2 epaulants. Pretty rare though. I think you could take the corporal stripe license,tho..and it would look good for your Dad.

HD

 

[Deacon211]

At any rate, I have a pair of metal (3/4 inch) Corporal chevrons ordered. I think those would look OK on the epaulets. Right?

My personal opinion is that they would look fine on the shoulders. I don't know if it's wholly accurate, but you are trying to essentially make a "Infantryman's Leather Jacket" so I think some liberties can be allowed.

Alternately, if you have a leather painter guy already, he could very easily paint up some leather epaulette rank, which I think would be more period authentic...especially if the corporal rank looks different in WWII which I think is at least a little true.

I don't believe they had metal enlisted rank at all until relatively recently (70s,80s,90s). I think it was stripes on the arm for enlisted and collar or shoulder rank for officers.

Somewhere in there all ranks also wore rank and service on the leather name patch too, but that was post WWII for the Army/Air Force.

I do think there is something to be said for less being more. Even a basic A-2 with his name, a nice leather or bullion army patch and his division insignia would look very classy. It certainly was enough to make the A-2 iconic in the first place.

Anyway you go, I have no doubt he'll wear the hell out of it.

Deacon


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[TXFlyGuy]

Would be OK. Metal rank was worn..but more often small leather rank painted squares sewn on epaulets. You're right..but I have seen painted SGT stripes on A2 epaulants. Pretty rare though. I think you could take the corporal stripe license,tho..and it would look good for your Dad.

HD

Thanks! Got work to do now trying to find painted leather Cpl. Tech. stripes.

 

[TXFlyGuy]

My personal opinion is that they would look fine on the shoulders. I don't know if it's wholly accurate, but you are trying to essentially make a "Infantryman's Leather Jacket" so I think some liberties can be allowed.

Alternately, if you have a leather painter guy already, he could very easily paint up some leather epaulette rank, which I think would be more period authentic...especially if the corporal rank looks different in WWII which I think is at least a little true.

I don't believe they had metal enlisted rank at all until relatively recently (70s,80s,90s). I think it was stripes on the arm for enlisted and collar or shoulder rank for officers.

Somewhere in there all ranks also wore rank and service on the leather name patch too, but that was post WWII for the Army/Air Force.

I do think there is something to be said for less being more. Even a basic A-2 with his name, a nice leather or bullion army patch and his division insignia would look very classy. It certainly was enough to make the A-2 iconic in the first place.

Anyway you go, I have no doubt he'll wear the hell out of it.

Deacon


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"Less is more" has always been my motto. Thanks for reminding me!

 

[RailRoad]

You know thinking about it and going on the assumption of less is more he might be happy with just his combat patch on the right shoulder and his CIB on his left chest. You might check to see if it could be direct embroidered by computer.

 

[TXFlyGuy]

You know thinking about it and going on the assumption of less is more he might be happy with just his combat patch on the right shoulder and his CIB on his left chest. You might check to see if it could be direct embroidered by computer.

I'm pretty much set on the 24th Inf. patch, the Western Pacific patch, a leather name tag with the CIB embossed, and the 4 inch US Army patch on the right breast...just like a presidential A-2, well, sort of. But that would be enough, and I don't think it would be overkill.

Think we'll frame whatever we don't use on the jacket. It will look good!