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EXAMPLES FROM
GENERAL OFFICERS
Lieutenant
General Robert Whitney Burns, USAF
Retired
August 10, 1964
Died September 5, 1964
Figure 1: Courtesy of the United States Air Force Web Site
Figure 2: Early design USAF Shade 84 Service Dress
Coat with all direct
embroidery insignia and ribbons
A beautiful example of the early design USAF Shade 84 service dress coat uniform. Highly identified general officer uniform grouping from Lieutenant General Robert Whitney Burns, USAF. The grouping includes only the general’s service dress coat. The tie, undergarment shirt and trousers are of a later USAF uniform and not the proper period shade of blue. Obtained for this collection from a collector on the East Coast.
Figure 3: All direct embroidery insignia
The general’s uniform coat is an artistic piece of tailored work. The entire uniform is direct embroidery. None of the insignia or ribbons have been sewn to the uniform but directly embroidered by the tailor as the uniform was produced. Such type uniforms are extremely rare. Usually, such uniforms were produced overseas in Europe or Asia to be cost effective for the officer. General Burns’ uniform was produced by James S. Lee & Company, International of Tokyo, Japan. The tailor tag is found inside the coat along with the general’s embroidered name. Also found inside the internal breast pocket is found the tailor identification tag with the general’s typed name, the date of 2 February 1961 and the order number.
Fully embroidered uniforms, in many cases, had a short life span. Many officers found it too costly to continue to have fully embroidered uniforms produced. Once produced, the uniform could not be changed. Since the ribbons were directly embroidered into the uniform they could not be changed or upgraded if another ribbon was added unless the entire uniform was tailored with the update. The same was true for the rank or grade insignia. If the officer was promoted an entire uniform may have to be produced. Fully embroidered uniforms became rare as the officers found it more cost effective using separately embroidered ribbons and rank that could be added to the uniform after tailoring. In this manner, ribbons and rank could be changed without having an entire uniform tailored.
The early, first design, USAF Shade 84 service dress uniforms have a distinctive blue color that is different from later shade Air Force uniforms. The early shade 84 will have a light silver or gray blue effect while later Air Force uniforms will have a deeper blue without the silver or gray effect. However, some shade 84 uniforms produced by overseas venders may have a deeper blue tone such as this uniform.
The buttons on the uniform are not hallmarked. Many buttons
produced overseas did not carry a maker name. The two lower large pockets on
the uniform would eventually and affectionately be referred to as Captain
Kangaroo pockets for obvious reasons for those of us who remember the Captain.
Figure 4: Close up of direct embroidery
The insignia found on the general’s uniform (rank stars, Command Pilot wings, officers’ “US” insignia and overseas stripes) is embroidered with silver aluminum thread. The ribbons are composed of regular colored embroidered single continuous threads. The general’s uniform conformed to Air Force regulations. By 1961, AFM 35-10 will state that if aluminum threat is used, all insignia should be aluminum thread. If medal insignia was used then all insignia should be medal. Mixing of aluminum thread and medal insignia was discouraged. Ribbons were not effected. In time, aluminum thread insignia would no longer be regulation and is still the case today.
The general’s ribbons include the Army Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star, Air Medal with oak leaf cluster, Army Commendation Medal, American Defense Service Medal with one star, American Campaign Medal with one star, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with six stars, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, National Defense Medal, Air Force Longevity Service Award with seven oak leaf clusters, French Croix de Guerre, the Order of the British Empire, Chilean Order of Merit (first class) and the Belgian Croix de Guerre.