I second that.

Next to my father's Service Dress Whites (called Summer Whites back when I
was growing up in the 60's and 70's) it was my favorite uniform. I remember
him wearing it a lot. According to Dad when he arrived at his first duty
station, VW-11 in Argentia, as a brand new NAO it was not uncommon for
officer flight crew to wear the Greens instead of flight suits. Even when he
transitioned to the VP community and flew the P2V's, some folks still wore
their Greens instead of flight suits.

I asked him about whether it was considered a working uniform versus being
an optional dress uniform. He responded that it was a "working uniform",
especially where the surface/submarine community was concerned. He recalled
how the marine sentry standing gate guard between NAS Norfolk and the Naval
Station where his carrier was moored would remind officers and chiefs coming
aboard the naval station of the Admiral's strict orders that folks wearing
aviation green were to make a beeline to the ship with no stops in between.

It's ironic that some of the prior posts here speak of them being worn by
folks at NAS Brunswick, ME. That's where I last remember Dad wearing his
Greens from 70-72. After that he took command of a reserve center where he
was the only aviation type onboard. When he arrived at his next duty
station, a pacific coast naval air station in 1975, both the Greens and old
style khakis were history.

In fact Brunswick was the last place he wore the old Service Dress Khaki
(the one with long sleeves, tie, dress coat and brown shoes). I'm surprised
he didn't wear it while at the reserve center since it was an authorized
optional uniform until the Summer of 1975. However, he relates that toward
the end it wasn't as comfortable a uniform as it had been when he was first
commissioned. He said that his first uniforms had bellowed pleats whereas in
later years they tended not to be tailored that way and often looked a
little frumpy. Nonetheless I thought it was a neat looking uniform and a far
better sight than the current short sleeve CNT version of khaki that passes
for a dress uniform today.

Also, from what I can gather from various historical photos and from what
I've been told, the Aviation Green uniform's popularity waned considerably
after the Korean War era, especially among tactical aviation folks. And when
patrol, transport and other squadrons flying prop driven aircraft adopted
flight suits as required clothing while in flight, I think that started the
initial demise of the uniform.

I was hoping that when then-Secretary Lehman brought back the Greens and
brown shoes he would also replace the CNT with the old style dress khaki -
no such luck! However, the brown shoe did make the CNT's a bit more
respectable looking. While a summer intern at a naval station I noticed
aviation types assigned to the naval base staff wear them with pride.
However, folks didn't take to the Greens. Even my old college roommate, a
NFO in the E2C community, wore the shoes but didn't bother with the Greens.
I've seen them a few times around Whidbey, but not like I did growing up.

One final note. While perusing the old family photo albums I came across
pictures of my father's sister's wedding. He was the one who walked her down
the aisle. Since he was the only one in his family to have served in the
military he was always asked to wear his uniform. Looking closely at the
picture I realized he was wearing neither dress blues, dress whites, nor
even dress khakis. Instead he walked his sister down the church aisle in a
Aviation Green working uniform!! When I asked him about it, he shrugged and
said that it was a busy weekend with two reserve squadrons being called up
in response to the Pueblo Incident. He and all the other active duty cadre
were getting folks mobilized and it was either that or a flight suit. At
the time he was stationed at the former NAS New York (Floyd Bennett Field).
His family couldn't tell an American naval seaman from a Royal Navy Admiral
of the Fleet. He just had to stay clear of the Brooklyn Navy Yard and the
freckled face kid wearing his weekend sailor suit could care less what
uniform he wore as he drove out the maingate. As an epilogue, a couple
years ago while visiting relatives in New York that I hadn't seen in ages.
My aunt related that the only good thing about her wedding day was having
her older brother walk her down the aisle in his sharp looking navy uniform.
--

vincent p. norris wrote in message
...
Loved mine but were not a 'liberty' uniform, working uniform only...

Too bad! I thought they were a darn good-looking uniform.

(And not just because they sorta resembled marine greens!) ((:-))

vince norris