Navy Peacoat

[Kevin]

My dad was in the Navy. I'm not sure what years, but it was after high school and before college. He's 92 these days. He was stationed in Texas and I think it was around the time of the Korean War. But I really don't know much about it. But being born in 1932 he would have been 18 right at the start of the Korean War.

But a few years ago, he was cleaning out his garage, and gave my daughter his old Navy Peacoat. We brought it home and my wife stuck it in the back of beyond closet. Being in Texas, 9 months out of the year I wouldn't even think of a winter coat.

Anyway, since we had this week off for Thanksgiving, and it's cold enough she finally dug it out for me. It needs cleaned and a new liner, or at least get the liner sewn back up. It's ripped in a few places.

I just looked it up, they quit issuing the Peacoat in 2018 because of costs. Older samples are going for $300 to $400. I'm going to find a place that can get it cleaned up for my daughter. It actually fits her very well.

And darn it all, he didn't leave any loose $100 bills in any of the pockets!

The buttons are the coolest thing about this jacket. There is a glare from the sun, but this button looks like it fell off and got re-attached with different thread.

 

[JohnL]

One of the best foul weather coats made.

The English Duffle Coat is another. Also available in a Navy blue color but mostly camel or tan. I prefer the blue as it hides dirt,

 

[gunman42782]

I had one when I was a teenager. Sure wish I would have kept it!

 

[Jeepnik]

I had an uncle that was a career sailor. He was one of the few WWII mustangs not Rifted. A specialist in small ship tactics he spent a lot of years teaching at the Naval War College in Monterey, California.

I spent quite a a bit of time there, mostly summers but also spring break.

The image in my mind of my uncle is him in his pea coat in the drizzling morning. A small man he seemed at once overwhelmed by the coat and larger than life. Quiet and unassuming the left breast of his dress uniform seemingly unable to carry all his ribbons.

At times such as this I always think, where do we get such men. And thank God we do.

 

[Fox Mike]

My uncle Bill was a Chief and he 'acquired' one for his son and me. They were WARM to say the least. Wish I still had one.

 

[jimbo1096]

Don’t remember what I did with mine. I just remember it was heavy and a pain to button up, especially with late nights in town.

 

[gnappi]

Don't remember what I did with mine. I just remember it was heavy and a pain to button up, especially with late nights in town.

I probably left mine in my parent's house and it got thrown out after a time.

 

[Watertender]

My friend and mentor Chief Machinery Repairman L. W. Aiken Jr. United States Navy 1948-1968. The best pump and blower man ever! He was presented his Chief's Crow by none other than Chief John Finn in 1960.

I was honored to call him a friend for over 20 years before his passing in 2012.

 

[375hh1973]

When i got out i left anything that was still usable on a table in the mess deck.

Kept a seabag and 3 ball caps with my ship name one them.

Remember having to go to the Navy-Marine reserve center to get an ID made. At the time I did 4 years active then they said 4 year in the inactive reserves which meant nothing.

Anyway the day I went down there the first person that greets me is a Gunny Sgt. Takes one look at my goatee and decides to go full Marine. Starts asking me where my full seabag is etc etc...

I said gunny, I'm not in ur navy anymore but if something major were to happen and I got called up, I'm pretty damn sure that the USNavy would find me something to wear.

Got my ID and got the hell out of there

 

[WAYNO]

I kept every stitch of every uniform, kind've secretly hoping I'd get called back in.

50 years later, I still have all my uniforms. Not much chance they'll call me up, but I still can't get rid of these uniforms.

 

[6GUNSONLY]

My dad was Navy active duty 1956-1958 then Reserve till 1963. If he had a peacoat I never saw it, though I remember other pieces of uniform and gear in my childhood.

 

[Busterswoodshop]

I remember back in the 60's and 70's those Peacoats were everywhere.
You don't see them much anymore.

All my uniforms are long gone.
My wife did keep my dress hat for some reason.

 

[Kevin]

Some great stories here. I have no idea why my dad kept this coat all these years.

But this thread really makes me want to get this coat cleaned up and wearable now.

 

[XUSNORDIE]

I remember it well. This is a picture taken the night of Boot Camp graduation. I had relatives that lived an hour or so from Great Lakes and they took me home for dinner that night. I had turned 19 in Boot Camp.
I still have it and most of my uniforms all folded up in a sea bag in storage.

……and no I can’t come close to fitting into it …it was many years and pounds ago….

 

[Johnnu2]

I dumped everything as soon as I got out.......... BUT I did keep the P-coat until a beautiful woman told me that she always wanted one.
I think I still have the sea bag full of hunting clothes up in the attic.... I think!!
J.

 

[Fox Mike]

I kept every stitch of every uniform, kind've secretly hoping I'd get called back in.

50 years later, I still have all my uniforms. Not much chance they'll call me up, but I still can't get rid of these uniforms.

All the stuff I bought I kept and then a few that I didn't 'purchase'. I still have my flight helmet and survival vest. When early on in my 'career' I was a supply sergeant. You learn how to 'move' items to CYA

 

[Bennj1]

Although I never served, I had a full length (below the knees) pea coat. It was heavy, navy blue, with double-breasted gold buttons that I think had the anchor stamp. This was in '71 and, as mentioned above, pea coats were all the rage. Being a high schooler with limited funds, my dad took me to an honest to goodness 'army navy surplus store' near us. The place was full of military stuff, including firearms. I wish I paid more attention, but didn't notice any barrels of rifles.

 

[protoolman]

I think my sister stole mine right after I got home. Pretty sure she still has it but I barely weighed 130 lbs when It was issued. At 210 no way it would fit now. I do wish I could have kept a green flight deck cold weather jacket. Those were warm!

 

[redhawker]

That brings back memories. I once had my Dad's WWII Navy Peacoat, but only God knows where it is now.

 

[XUSNORDIE]

Although I never served, I had a full length (below the knees) pea coat. It was heavy, navy blue, with double-breasted gold buttons that I think had the anchor stamp. This was in '71 and, as mentioned above, pea coats were all the rage. Being a high schooler with limited funds, my dad took me to an honest to goodness 'army navy surplus store' near us. The place was full of military stuff, including firearms. I wish I paid more attention, but didn't notice any barrels of rifles.

That was not a "pea coat".....most likely what you had was a Officers overcoat.

I think my sister stole mine right after I got home. Pretty sure she still has it but I barely weighed 130 lbs when It was issued. At 210 no way it would fit now. I do wish I could have kept a green flight deck cold weather jacket. Those were warm!

At one point in my career I was in a F14 Squadron. I still have my flight deck greens, and a green M65 field jacket w/liner. When on NorthPac we were issued the green arctic flight jackets w/fur lined hoods. Ex Wife took that when she split with 95% of the house.

I also have most of my Woodland camo blouses, trousers, and 8 point covers from my time at Station Weapons Range/Armory DIV, EODMU3 and Base ASF/Security. I actually still have a set of Chocolate Chip desert cammies and boonie hats but have no idea what happened to the 8 point covers.

Had a bunch of green canvas jungle boots, and flight deck boots. They seemed to have vanished.

I averaged about 215 lbs during my career. I'm over 280 now.....in my boot camp pic I was about 175lbs....bu the time I got out of "A" School and reported to my first command nothing fit anymore. My Son who is in now has the same issue. He was a big boy, starting Offensive line from Freshman year to the end....he lost a ton of weight before Boot Camp, and a ton more in Boot Camp......is issued stuff from Boot Camp doesn't fit him anymore either. He rotates soon and needs to buy all new uniforms.

 

[The.Tumbleweed]

Don't remember what I did with mine. I just remember it was heavy and a pain to button up, especially with late nights in town.

The Peacoat and watch cap are all I saved of my navy uniforms. Sadly, I've grown a bit bigger around than I used to be at that time.

Good to know they aren't issuing them anymore. Something of value for my kids when I'm gone.

 

[tazbigdog]

I wore my Dad’s coat when I was in High School in the ‘70’s. He served from ‘46-‘48. White cap too.

 

[XUSNORDIE]

The Peacoat and watch cap are all I saved of my navy uniforms. Sadly, I've grown a bit bigger around than I used to be at that time.

Good to know they aren't issuing them anymore. Something of value for my kids when I'm gone.

I still have my watch cap and itchy black wool sweater from boot camp. An Rain coat. Neither of which would come close to fitting. Only one thing from my Navy days fits me and that's an 8 point cover......unless command caps count.....I still have my Small Arms Instructor cap that fits.....only because of the adjustment on the back though

This is the parka that replaced the Pea Coat....I've seen my Son's and it's nice:

They also issue an "Eisenhower" jacket now. It's sort of like the black Eisenhower or "Ike" jacket issued in my day, but better quality.

 

[Chief]

I was in the Navy 1974-97. I was a Chief Aviation Machinist Mate. In those days the Navy had made the decision to change the E-6 and below uniforms. This consisted of ash canning the blue denim and chambray dungarees in favor of an almost black set of trousers with a dark blue pullover shirt ( which would itself be changed to a button down). This Adm Zumwalt inspired change also saw the Cracker Jack uniform replaced with the Officer and Chief double breasted dress blue uniform except it had silver buttons. Standing in formation back then was eclectic sight. The uniform change overlapping the older style. Different uniforms, wear regulations, beards, covers. What a mess. By the time Ronald Reagan was elected president the Navy saw fit to revert back.
The P coat survived it all , with exception of a shift to silver buttons for a short time. The older coats have a taller collar and block wind better.
My personal coat had the black buttons when issued, changed to silver the never worn again until I made Chief then gold buttons were applied. I still have it and wear it on occasion. I also have a real nice Bridge coat ,knee length with large gold buttons, belted back and epaulets.

 

[Deer Hunter]

Although I never served, I had a full length (below the knees) pea coat. It was heavy, navy blue, with double-breasted gold buttons that I think had the anchor stamp. This was in '71 and, as mentioned above, pea coats were all the rage. Being a high schooler with limited funds, my dad took me to an honest to goodness 'army navy surplus store' near us. The place was full of military stuff, including firearms. I wish I paid more attention, but didn't notice any barrels of rifles.

That would be an officers "Bridge coat". I have 2 of them. My sister wanted my pea coat, so I traded for my BIL's USMC M65. She wore that thing like a lifer for about 35 years til it was shot. Still warm but, fugly.

 

[vito]

In the late '40's and early '50's lots of us kids had peacoats. They were very common but not considered very stylish. They worked well as a winter coat, but you needed a warm sweater underneath since the wind could get through despite the double breasted buttons. A zipper would have worked better but zippers break or get jammed so I see why the Navy never moved to that, at least in those days.

As a little kid I also had a genuine "Eisenhower" Army jacket, the short jacket with a belt at the waist. My uncle gave it to me when I was about 5, which would have been in 1948, and told me if was a genuine Army item. As a 5 year old it did not occur to me that there was not likely to be a soldier small enough for this jacket, and it was many years later that my uncle told me that the jacket had been for a WAC (Women's Army Corps), and that he knew that if he had told me that at the time I would have not wanted to wear "a girl's" jacket.

When I retired from active duty, after 24 years in the Army, I pretty much dumped all of my old uniforms. I saved my dress blues and my Field Jacket and that was about it. But since I was about 165 pounds at the time, and now am about 200, I would not even go through the embarrassment of trying to wear either of those items. I'm proud of my service, but when I became a civilian after 24 years in uniform it took me all of 24 hours to get used to being called "Mister" instead of "Colonel" and I pretty much stopped thinking about my military years until much later in my life. I have no idea where the medals that I was awarded are, nor the ribbons for them that I wore on my Class A uniform. About the only thing I made sure I saved was my discharge document, the DD214.

 

[redfernclan]

Mine is still hanging in the hall closet. My wife and kids have worn that and my dress blues/whites for various costume parties over the years. Still have my ball cap and a few white caps but that about it. every few years when we clean out the closet, a few more pieces go away. I did wear the rain coat for many years. Here in Oregon the fall is pretty wet and that's when the salmon run in the river I fished. Wide brim hat, rain coat and hip waders was the go to for many years.

 

[XUSNORDIE]

There is another change in the works. The Navy pattern cammies (NWU's) are being phased out to solid colors. Blue for E6 and below. Khaki for E7 and above/Officers. Certain ratings/communities such as NSW, Seabees, Expeditionary commands, etc... will still have camo NWUs available to them as well. Rumor that Seabees may go back to solid OD Greens.

Of course, anything would be better than those goofy dungarees. Thankfully I didn't have to wear them too often. Coveralls, Greens w/jersey or Cammies were far more comfortable and didn't look like prison clothing.

The new NWUs (Navy Working Uniform):

 

[moparclan]

Still have mine its in excellent condition, dress blues, whites and even my foul weather deck coat which I still wear when needed. My problem with all my uniforms is they are marked with name and social security number which was our service number in the 70's. Seabag full of the utilities work uniform that were replaced with dungarees from the Seven Seas Club in San Diego. Fun Times!

 

[Fox Mike]

In the late '40's and early '50's lots of us kids had peacoats. They were very common but not considered very stylish. They worked well as a winter coat, but you needed a warm sweater underneath since the wind could get through despite the double breasted buttons. A zipper would have worked better but zippers break or get jammed so I see why the Navy never moved to that, at least in those days.

As a little kid I also had a genuine "Eisenhower" Army jacket, the short jacket with a belt at the waist. My uncle gave it to me when I was about 5, which would have been in 1948, and told me if was a genuine Army item. As a 5 year old it did not occur to me that there was not likely to be a soldier small enough for this jacket, and it was many years later that my uncle told me that the jacket had been for a WAC (Women's Army Corps), and that he knew that if he had told me that at the time I would have not wanted to wear "a girl's" jacket.

Yep. The Ike jacket didn't have a belt,