Bullhunter
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Post by Bullhunter on Jul 21, 2013 15:53:33 GMT 9
This pic was posted in the USAF Veterans Group. Brought back some old memories for me of the summer (July & August) of 1971. I guess the old WWII Wooden Barracks are all gone now except one they made a museum out of. When I arrive at Lackland AFB, TX they had just completed two each 1,000 man dorms with A/C. My group was not lucky enough to get put in one. We got the old WWII barracks. Now that I look back on it, it was a good thing as its the same type my Dad was in for training during his U.S. Army Air Corp days. Who thinks they can date this picture?   |
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Post by Jim on Jul 21, 2013 23:27:30 GMT 9
This pic was posted in the USAF Veterans Group. Brought back some old memories for me of the summer (July & August) of 1971. I guess the old WWII Wooden Barracks are all gone now except one they made a museum out of. When I arrive at Lackland AFB, TX they had just completed two each 1,000 man dorms with A/C. My group was not lucky enough to get put in one. We got the old WWII barracks. Now that I look back on it, it was a good thing as its the same type my Dad was in for training during his U.S. Army Air Corp days. Who thinks they can date this picture? View Attachment  near "modern times" for you, ancient times for me and Jim Too, these guys are wearing 2 piece fatigues and wearing baseball style caps.... The fatigues look like they are sage green which would make this sometime between 1960 and maybe 1964 when they were phased out and we went back to the "old" OD color like the Army and Marines wore.. A bit of nostalgia for you: That OD baseball style cap is a descendent of the WW 2 enlisted aircrew (flight engineers, gunners, radio operators and crew chiefs) flight cap and not from Westmoreland......... Anybody remember the optional Ridgeway cap |
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Post by LBer1568 on Jul 22, 2013 1:33:37 GMT 9
We wore the ridgeway at Lowry while going thru MA-1 School (1963). There were hell to keep clean. Mine always got sweat bands. We used coffee cans to "restarch" them and put the metal ring back in after washing. They were also expensive as I remember. But DI's loved them so we wore them. But only for daily formation and work details. We wore standard old gi issue as we marched to school.
Lorin
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Jim Scanlon (deceased)
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Post by Jim Scanlon (deceased) on Jul 22, 2013 3:20:34 GMT 9
Jim asked:
I was never issued one, nor did I buy one.
I don't remember seeing anyone on an ADC base wearing one, at least not at The SCAB, except for Sky Cops on some bases.
It looked like something stolen from the French, not an American cap.
I only owned what was normally issued or sold at the Clothing Sales Store.
Gary, the picture doesn't look at all like the area at Lackland where I started Basic.
In February 1952 there were so many troops going through basic, my Flight was assigned to 12 man tents, in a sea of South Texas mud.
The tents were on wooden pads, had plywood up to four feet on the sides, a stove in the middle of the tent, and a wooden walk from the tent to the main walkway, also wooden.
After 10 days, we were put on buses and moved to Shepherd Field for the rest of basic.
There we did live in the two-story WW2 barracks the picture from Lackland shows.
At the time I was in Basic there were four bases doing Basic Training: Lackland, Shepherd, Samson, at Seneca Lake, NY and Parks AFB at Dublin, CA.
Parks had been a SeeBee base during WW2.
All four bases had lots of WW2 buildings, and most of those buildings were still in use during Nam, and there may be some still in use.
If you want to get a look at what Basic was like, well sort of, in the 1950s, get hold of a copy of "No Time for Sergeants", with Andy Griffith, and Don Knotts in a minor role.
Jim Too
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MOW
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Post by MOW on Jul 22, 2013 7:23:04 GMT 9
Ridgeway caps were a left-over from the Army Air Corp weren't they, even though it took the USAF 20 years to get rid of them  |
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Post by Jim on Jul 22, 2013 8:53:47 GMT 9
Ridgeway caps were a left-over from the Army Air Corp weren't they, even though it took the USAF 20 years to get rid of them NO WAY IN HELL left over from ARMY AIR CORP (with an S)S.............  Ridgeway brought that damned thing to the Korean War with him, and it was never an army issue... AND I don't remember them ever being an AF issue- if so, I never bought the damned thing.....   Westmoreland style ... original USAAF/USAF 6 point....... see Pat's post for the true Ridgeway hat- always reminded me of Castro |
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Bullhunter
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Post by Bullhunter on Jul 22, 2013 17:36:59 GMT 9
Jim, I hate to tell ya, but that is not a 1960's vintage photo, so the poster said.
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MOW
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Post by MOW on Jul 22, 2013 19:58:49 GMT 9
That's not the Ridgeway cap I was thinking of when the topic came up. I was thinking of these below. And I believe you're right Jim that they were not issued, you had to buy them. Not sure how far back they go.  |
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Post by LBer1568 on Jul 22, 2013 23:58:52 GMT 9
Now that's what you would have to call a gathering of zebra's. The E-9 's with the star are Senior Enlisted or Command Sgt Majors. Must be some big meeting.
These were the Ridgeway's we wore at Lowry. And yes we had to buy them.
PS, I saw some ridgeways being worn by army guard at WPAFB last week. This post got me to remember them. Hadn't seen them in 30 years or more.
Lorin
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Post by LBer1568 on Jul 23, 2013 0:03:16 GMT 9
The hat labeled as Ridgeway looks like the early Marine fatigue caps. And from Korea days. I remember we had an old SSgt Grissom in MA-1 shop at 539th who wore that style. I don't know if it was legal, but no one said anything to him.
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Post by Jim on Jul 23, 2013 0:45:43 GMT 9
The hat labeled as Ridgeway looks like the early Marine fatigue caps. And from Korea days. I remember we had an old SSgt Grissom in MA-1 shop at 539th who wore that style. I don't know if it was legal, but no one said anything to him. The Marine hat was a 8 point, the old army and AF hats were 6 point and they too had their own way to be folded... The 27th CO told us that the first guy he saw with a Ridgeway hat would get an Article 15 for violating an order- and he meant it..... The old AF hat was an optional item for almost 15 years........ |
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Jim Scanlon (deceased)
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Post by Jim Scanlon (deceased) on Jul 23, 2013 0:46:09 GMT 9
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Post by Jim on Jul 23, 2013 2:00:57 GMT 9
Jim, I hate to tell ya, but that is not a 1960's vintage photo, so the poster said. Why not tell us when it taken then? ?? Like I said- looks like sage green which came out in early 60 and became mandatory about a year later. If Olive green, it could be either before or after..... |
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Post by Mark O on Jul 23, 2013 5:18:52 GMT 9
I remember in the mid-2000s when the USAF had those damn 8-point, USMC-style hats for the desert BDUs. I personally never wore one, as it just made my stomach turn. Most of the guys I worked with just wore floppy hats over in the desert when we wore them at all. (Going to and from work, to the chow hall, etc.) I had a few of the traditional caps in desert BDU colors that I wore (found one in a box when I was moving) but preferred the floppy because it offered more protection from the sun. Of course we didn't wear them on the flight line, so... In fact, I wore one with my flight suit as well, and yes, we were authorized to over there.
Here is a thread I found with a photo, and a bit of the story on that hat, although I don't remember much of those details.
www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?100708-USAF-and-8-point-covers |
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Post by Mark O on Jul 23, 2013 5:29:32 GMT 9
The E-9 's with the star are Senior Enlisted or Command Sgt Majors. NCO Call? Looks like late 50s/early 60s. I really liked those uniforms! With just the star it would be a Sergeant Major. With a wreath around the star it is a Command Sergeant Major; which wasn't created until 1967. www.ncohistory.com/files/SGMhistory.pdfEdit: BTW, these SNCOs are from the 2nd Armored Division ("Hell on Wheels") and were unique that they wore their division patch over their hearts on fatigue, and utility uniforms right up to their deactivation in 1996. Lots of stories about that -- Patton is mentioned as starting it -- but it's still cool! I was in the 1st Armored Division ("Old Ironsides"), and we wore ours in the tradional spot on our left shoulder. |
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Post by pat perry on Jul 23, 2013 23:08:10 GMT 9
This pic was posted in the USAF Veterans Group. Brought back some old memories for me of the summer (July & August) of 1971. I guess the old WWII Wooden Barracks are all gone now except one they made a museum out of. When I arrive at Lackland AFB, TX they had just completed two each 1,000 man dorms with A/C. My group was not lucky enough to get put in one. We got the old WWII barracks. Now that I look back on it, it was a good thing as its the same type my Dad was in for training during his U.S. Army Air Corp days. Who thinks they can date this picture? I was in one of these barracks 12 Nov 1965. Don't remember the number of the building. Is that Parade field black top or close mowed grass? I think our PT field was grass and we drilled on the streets mostly. Smok'em if ya got'em. 2 minutes later, "FALL IN". Best haircut I ever had. Hispanic barber said, "How would you like your hair cut?" Ten seconds later it was all on the floor. Some of the shoulder length hair guys had tears in the eyes when they left. At clothing issue, the tape measure guy measured your specs in 8 seconds calling out the numbers while supply guys pulled your stuff off the shelf. Some of it still fit after basic training, but a lot looser. Remember any good cadence calls? "I don't know but I've been told... Green grasshopper got a red a$$hole". Almost cracked up when I first heard that one. Ah the good old days. No bills, no money, no worries. No bathroom stalls to clean, just chrome and porcelain, open seating, no first class. I didn't get a Ridgeway until I got to Castle AFB. Only one who wore one but nobody objected. Pat P. |
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Post by adart on Jul 25, 2013 6:28:24 GMT 9
The USAF had reservations for me in one of the old WW II wooden barracks, second floor top bunk in 1967. We had the olive green garb back then. Went to the bottom bunk when someone washed out. Thinking back it was a fun and educational time in my life. Road Guards Post!!!
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Post by shadowgunner on Jul 26, 2013 10:17:06 GMT 9
The USAF had reservations for me in one of the old WW II wooden barracks, second floor top bunk in 1967. We had the olive green garb back then. Went to the bottom bunk when someone washed out. Thinking back it was a fun and educational time in my life. Road Guards Post!!! I can relate, I arrived in June 67. Olive green uniforms and pith helmets. I only remember marching everywhere; scrubbing and cleaning everything in sight. Doing KP, and then marching back to barracks. When I left for Lowry for 462 school I breathed a sigh of relief; until I arrived in the 3440 Sturon. Turned out to be the "harda**" squadron and wound up marching everywhere on base, doing runway FOD checks, dorm inspections, and etc. Oh, and only occasionally getting our weekend pass. |
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Post by Jim on Jul 26, 2013 13:04:10 GMT 9
 note the mixture of khaki and 505 uniforms- both were optional at the time this pic was taken |
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Post by Jim on Mar 12, 2014 4:24:56 GMT 9
Anyone identify the tail dragger in this picture? ?  |
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Ridgeway brought that damned thing to the Korean War with him, and it was never an army issue... AND I don't remember them ever being an AF issue- if so, I never bought the damned thing.....
