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EXAMPLES FROM
GENERAL OFFICERS
Lieutenant
General Richard Clark Lindsay, USAF
Retired
April 30, 1960
Died November 3, 1990
Figure 1: Official USAF Photo. Personal collection.
Figure 2: Early design USAF Shade 193 Summer Service Dress
with sewn on bullion and
medal insignia.
A beautiful example of the early design USAF Shade 193 summer service dress uniform. Identified general officer uniform grouping from Lieutenant General Richard C. Lindsay, USAF. The grouping includes the general’s summer service dress coat, belt and trousers. The tie and undergarment shirt are from another period USAF uniform. Obtained for this collection from a collector on the East Coast.
Figure 3: Sewn on bullion patch insignia, WWII
ribbons, first issue DOD
badge and early
cuff links
The general’s uniform was produced by Hamilton Tailors of Cincinnati, Ohio. The tailor tag is found inside the coat. Just above the tailor tag is the general’s initials embroidered into the uniform. Also found inside the internal breast pocket is the tailor identification tag with the general’s hand written signature, the date of 9 May 1950 and the order number.
Many officers had uniform produced that were direct embroidery.
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 unless the entire uniform was retailored 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 patches 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 193 summer service dress uniforms have a distinctive tan color that is different from that of the US Army. The early shade 193 will have a light silver tone effect which, when compared to the US Army tan or khaki, will be very distinctive. Because of the silver tone in the material, the USAF shade 193 uniform was referred to by many officers as “silver-tans”.
The buttons on the uniform are hallmarked Waterbury Button
Company of Connecticut. Waterbury was one of the early companies that
contracted with the government for USAF buttons. 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. The trousers are
matched and tailored by the same company and are so marked with the tailor
label. Also found on the tailor label is the signature of the general, the date
9 May 1950 and the order number.
Figure 4: Embroidered identification initials, tailor tag and
identification tag
The insignia found on the general’s uniform (rank stars, Command Pilot wings, and officers’ “US” insignia) is embroidered with silver aluminum thread on a matched tan background and then sewn to the uniform. The set of eleven ribbons are World War II vintage and are on three separate ribbon bars. All the ribbons are attached to the uniform by clutch and top hat clutch button. The DOD (Department of Defense) identification badge is one of the earliest. It dates to a period after WWII but before the Korean War period. It is hallmarked with a single NS Meyer shield with no number (their WWII type logo) and the word “sterling.” It is held to the uniform by three top hat clutch buttons.
The general’s uniform conformed to Air Force regulations. However, 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, the Bronze Star, Army Commendation Medal, American Defense Service Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with one star, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, WWII Army Occupation Medal and the Order of the British Empire.