Question: Did US Pilots wear A-2' s during Vietnam war?

[Luftwaffe-Jacket-Wanted]

Any info whether US pilots wore WW2 A-2's during the Vietnam war?
Saw some photos of pilots wearing them during the Korea war...but Vietnam?
Thx for any info or photos.
all the best.

 

[Peacoat]

Army and Air Force wore nylon. Navy and Marine Corp. probably wore the G-1, so the answer is more than likely, no. Also, remember that VN is a hot climate. The only time jackets would have been worn while on the ground would have been at bases in the Central Highlands during the rainy season, and probably only at night when the temps dropped . In the flatlands (delta), and on the coast, I doubt jackets were worn very often during the rainy season, even at night. There were two seasons in VN: hot and dry and hot and wet.

Korea was a cold climate. The A-2 evidently was still being worn some. I don't know the year the AF transitioned to nylon, but I would have thought it would have been during, or before, Korea.

 

[Big J]

I imagine the humidity would have rotted them in a week.
I don't think they could have been worn for flight duty by then due to fire regs.
Although, there is a doc on youtube that shows a former USAF F-4 pilot (I'm sorry to say I can't recall his name- maybe Dan Cherry?), traveling to Hanoi to meet a former N. Vietnamese Airforce pilot that he shot down. In the doc, he is wearing a recent issue A-2 and chatting to this guy in the park. He must've been hot.

 

[Luftwaffe-Jacket-Wanted]

All arguments accepted except the weather...the weather, please see the weather in CBI theater and in other regions.and still A-2 around.
Most of the (former) USAF and USAAC airbases in hot climate have very similar weather to VN.
Please remember Gen. McArthur in Manila and region...wearing an A-2.
Believe its not only the weather if...
BTW in the Seoul/South Korea- War museum, there are many photos of pilots in A-2's. South Korea weather is very hot and humid as well in summer.
Thx and best

 

[Luftwaffe-Jacket-Wanted]

A-2 in Vietnam...

 

[Peacoat]

All arguments accepted except the weather...the weather, please see the weather in CBI theater and in other regions.and still A-2 around.
Most of the (former) USAF and USAAC airbases in hot climate have very similar weather to VN.
Please remember Gen. McArthur in Manila and region...wearing an A-2.
Believe its not only the weather if...
BTW in the Seoul/South Korea- War museum, there are many photos of pilots in A-2's. South Korea weather is very hot and humid as well in summer.
Thx and best

All I can tell you is what I wore while there and saw others wearing while I was there. The only time it was cool enough to wear a flight jacket on the ground was during the rainy (cooler) season at night.

I was in the central highlands where it was cooler than the delta and the coast. Seems as though the low temps would be in the 50s and 60s (F) and 13-16 (C) at night during the rainy season. That was all a long time ago, and I never carried a thermometer, so my memory of the actual temps is a bit hazy. I just remember it being cool enough at night for a flight jacket during the rainy season.

 

[Luftwaffe-Jacket-Wanted]

OK, great respect.
thx for you valued comments.
respectful thx.

 

[Otter]

I wonder if Robin Olds still had his A2, that would have been something, the stories that jacket could tell!

 

[thor]

Or Michael Novosel, Army CWO helicopter pilot in Vietnam (and Medal of Honor recipient) who also flew B-29's in WWII.

 

[AdeeC]

I imagine the humidity would have rotted them in a week.
I don't think they could have been worn for flight duty by then due to fire regs.
Although, there is a doc on youtube that shows a former USAF F-4 pilot (I'm sorry to say I can't recall his name- maybe Dan Cherry?), traveling to Hanoi to meet a former N. Vietnamese Airforce pilot that he shot down. In the doc, he is wearing a recent issue A-2 and chatting to this guy in the park. He must've been hot.

Having been to Vietnam eight times I can confirm that it does get cool enough to wear an A2 in Hanoi during the very short winters up north. But then there were no airforce personel anywhere near Hanoi unless on missions or POW's during the War. The highlands are also cooler but humid and I'm not sure if there were many bases at altitude.

 

[Luftwaffe-Jacket-Wanted]

CBI during WW2 had the same climate, the Southern US states same...still wearing A2's
Guess they run out of them after 1945 ...but anyway thx to all for the info.

 

[Stearmen]

CBI during WW2 had the same climate, the Southern US states same...still wearing A2's
Guess they run out of them after 1945 ...but anyway thx to all for the info.

I don't think you can compare The Hump to the Smokey Mountains! It is estimated that more pilots and crew are missing in that area then any where else on the planet. Here is a telegram to the next of kin of a Hump pilot. And the last photo is an air crew returning from a "Walkout," after their plane crashed. Note the Leather schearling jackets!

 

[Big J]

I don't think you can compare The Hump to the Smokey Mountains! It is estimated that more pilots and crew are missing in that area then any where else on the planet. Here is a telegram to the next of kin of a Hump pilot. And the last photo is an air crew returning from a "Walkout," after their plane crashed. Note the Leather schearling jackets!

Yeah. It's really cold flying over the Himalayas, where you would need shearling. Nothing like the heat and humidity of Asia. In fact, I'm just remembering the Vietnam memoir 'Chicken Hawk', written by a helicopter pilot who says that when he got his orders for Vietnam, he bought a leather shoulder rig for his S&W revolver, to wear when flying in case he was shot down. He says that in a week in country (IIRC) shoulder rig rotted.

 

[Cocker]

What is the guy on the right wearing? M41 jacket??

 

[Luftwaffe-Jacket-Wanted]

Thx, very interesting.
Please just google "cbi pilots" hundreds of A2 photos. A lot of them from the cbi theater.
Again, thx and great great info from all of you.

 

[Big J]

Thx, very interesting.
Please just google "cbi pilots" hundreds of A2 photos. A lot of them from the cbi theater.
Again, thx and great great info from all of you.

Like I said, Himalayas. Maybe you know, but the temperature at the top of Everest is quite cold, hence the jackets in heated cockpits. This is nothing like the temperature and humidity of S. E. Asia.

Seriously, I don't know why you bothered asking for information, you seem to have already convinced yourself.

 

[Luftwaffe-Jacket-Wanted]

Hi
thx, yes I know the temps. over the Himalayas, I fly over it approx. 4x month , both ways from Germany to Asia and return ....In a heated and pressurized cabin and at approx 900km/H .
Thx for your valuable contribution.

 

[Otter]

Or Michael Novosel, Army CWO helicopter pilot in Vietnam (and Medal of Honor recipient) who also flew B-29's in WWII.

Hell of a guy, over two and a half THOUSAND missions!

On another subject , I believe icing was one of the major hazards on the Hump routes. Not just wing ice loading but as I understand water contamination of the fuel could be an issue. Only a small amount of contamination and your carbs ice up. Not fun in the Himalayas.

 

[Doctor Damage]

What is the guy on the right wearing? M41 jacket??

Yes. They were wool lined and therefore not totally useless in cold weather, although infantry reportedly didn't like them much. One could argue that infantry never like anything.

Speaking more generally, I'm sure someone somewhere was wearing an A-2 jacket in Viet Nam, but he was probably a desk jockey. Most of the A-2 jackets which are seen in photos of the Korean war were pretty close to being worn out, so I doubt any survived another 10 to 15 years to be later worn in southeast Asia.

 

[Cocker]

Yes. They were wool lined and therefore not totally useless in cold weather, although infantry reportedly didn't like them much. One could argue that infantry never like anything.

Interesting! Do you know of other pictures with pilots wearing M41 jackets??