Brigadier
General Walter P. Paluch, Jr., USAF
Retired
September 1, 1975
Figure 1: Early regulation first design overcoat from
the estate of General Everest
This coat is a beautiful example of the 1970s design USAF overcoat. Identified general officer uniform grouping from Brigadier General Walter P. Paluch, Jr., USAF. This grouping includes only the general’s overcoat.
Figure 2: Aluminum bullion stars continued to be popular in the early 1970s.
In the beginning of the 1970s there was a major change in the USAF overcoat. By the 1980s, the overcoat remained the same, but was referred to as the Men’s Overcoat Outer Garment. There were two different styles of the Men’s Overcoat Outer Garments. The first design Men’s Overcoat Outer Garment was USAF Blue shade 1549, wool and polyester serge, double breasted, six button, and with provisions for removing the liner. The coat has epaulettes, is semi-form-fitting, slightly suppressed at the waist. It was not recommended for use with civilian clothes because of the USAF buttons on the coat and, in the case of the general officer, military braid around the lower sleeves.
Accouterments for the coat include the scarf, gloves earmuffs and Blue Winter Cap. The scarf is Gray USAF shade 1155 or 1164, all wool or cotton simplex, with or without napped surface. The scarf may be flat or tubular knit with a width that does not exceed ten inches. The scarf must be worn tucked in. The gloves are USAF gray shade 1155 knitted wool or black or gray leather plain design without ornamentation or zipper. The earmuffs may be commercial design of any material but they must be plain, solid dark blue, black or gray.
General Paluch’s overcoat is the USAF blue shade 1549
coat. It is a government issued coat purchased through base clothing sales. It
has the official government label found inside the breast pocket which states
“OVERCOAT, MAN’S POLYESTER/WOOL SERGE, 13 OZ. BLUE 1549 – DSA100-71-C-0145 –
60% POLYESTER 40% WOOL.” The general’s name is written on the label for
identification. The brigadier general stars are made of aluminum bullion
thread. The coat has an internal lining but no provisions for the lining to be
removed.
Figure 3: Only the general rank overcoat displays the dual arm bands
on the sleeve of the
overcoat.
All general rank officers were required to have sleeve
braid on their overcoat. The sleeve braid distinguished them from all other officers.
Overcoats used by other officers had no sleeve braid. The braid consisted of
two mohair bands around the bottom location on the overcoat sleeve. It would be
a one and one-fourth inches braid beneath a one-half inch braid, USAF Blue
shade 95. The bottom thick braid would be located two and one-half inches from
the bottom of the sleeve. There is a one and one-half inch separation between
the lower and upper braid. The rank of the officer was worn on the shoulder
epaulettes.
Figure 4: Regulation gray
leather clothes belonging to the general. Note the USAF
certification stamp dated 1
March 1968.