Navy Peacoat

[XUSNORDIE]

Seems there are various "Eisenhower" or "Ike" jackets depending what branch your served in and what era. I don't recall any with a belt as they were all waist level.

In the 80's my "Ike" jacket looked similar to the one my Son has now, but there are differences. Mine was not a "fitted" style, did not have cuffs, bottom, or collar like my Sons. Authorized for wear with NSU's (Navy Service Uniform/"Peanut Butters" ) and at times dress blues/whites for special occasions/events.

Todays Navy "Ike" jacket:

 

[Heliman]

I served from 68-72. My time was spent in the Mojave Desert and Gulf of Tonkin. Never wore my Pea coat. I gave it to my Daughter-in-law about 15 years ago. She eagerly accepted it and wears it when the weather is wintery.

 

[Chief]

The classic "Ike" jacket is more of a shortened version of the service dress coat/ blouse. Things that pass for "Ike" jackets nowadays are really just short wind breakers.

 

[eveled]

I rescued my great grandfather’s Ike jacket from ww1 from the trash barrel infront of their house. I was about 11 years old and couldn’t come close to fitting in it. My older sister could so I gave it to her. She still has it.

The crazy part is we have a picture of his regiment marked “just home from France 1918”. My mother knows which one he is, and he isn’t the smallest one in the picture.

 

[Chief]

I rescued my great grandfather's Ike jacket from ww1 from the trash barrel infront of their house. I was about 11 years old and couldn't come close to fitting in it. My older sister could so I gave it to her. She still has it.

The crazy part is we have a picture of his regiment marked "just home from France 1918". My mother knows which one he is, and he isn't the smallest one in the picture.

Would love to see that picture!

 

[eveled]

Would love to see that picture!

It's one of those framed panaramic pictures that is 2feet long and 6" tall. Everyone in it is tiny. It got packed away when we closed my mom's house.

I honestly couldn't figure out how she recognized Papere in it.

 

[Chief]

It's one of those framed panaramic pictures that is 2feet long and 6" tall. Everyone in it is tiny. It got packed away when we closed my mom's house.

I honestly couldn't figure out how she recognized Papere in it.

I have some pictures from WW1 like that. Gotta use a magnifying glass to see any detail. Stuff like that goes over nice at American Legion halls.

 

[Jeepnik]

Kind of on subject. The USAF used to issue a heavy wool overcoat. The darned thing weighed a ton and was bulky as all get out to haul around. But the first time I went to Chanute for training in January of 1974 I was darned thankful for it.

 

[Killer Bee]

still remember wearing our peacoats in the june heat with the rest of our initial issue on our backs

 

[XUSNORDIE]

still remember wearing our peacoats in the june heat with the rest of our initial issue on our backs

Only way I can come close to that was in Boot we got "Mashed" for something or other. CC's made us put our sweaters on, watch caps and peacoats....then proceeded to mash us in divided groups in the steam room (Great Lakes) next to the head. Everyone was drenched in sweat when they came out.

 

[Chief]

Kind of on subject. The USAF used to issue a heavy wool overcoat. The darned thing weighed a ton and was bulky as all get out to haul around. But the first time I went to Chanute for training in January of 1974 I was darned thankful for it.

The Air Force always did have the best in cold weather gear.

 

[XUSNORDIE]

The Air Force always did have the best in cold weather gear.

They seemed to have the best of everything......most comfy chairs and prettiest Maids.....

 

[Chief]

They seemed to have the best of everything......most comfy chairs and prettiest Maids.....

Right you are! Always a treat when we Naval Aviation types got to work with them. During Desert Storm I was deployed to Riyadh to run a “bingo” det for our F-14s. The Air Force hooked us up with 3 color camo, humvee, M9 pistol ( for me), some cool digs in the Kobar tower and our own hanger. We also got support from their maintenance squadron. They had at least 4 chow halls and the flight line hall had grilled steak on Thursday! Took a nice 4 month chunk out of that deployment.

 

[XUSNORDIE]

I'm sure the AF guys were absolutely astonished watching the bingo det recover birds......."How do you Navy guys do that with so few crew members?......my Gawd, they are sweating! Why isn't there a towel boy present to wipe the drip from their brow? This is absurd!".

I'm sure if they had peacoats and ike jackets they would be name brand top dollar.....

 

[Jeepnik]

Me thinks a bit of inter service jealousy is showing. But hey you could have gone Air Force if you scored high enough

 

[XUSNORDIE]

Me thinks a bit of inter service jealousy is showing. But hey you could have gone Air Force if you scored high enough

Well to be honest I wasn't smart enough or good looking enough for the Air Force, besides the recruiter said I lacked table manners, was in too good of physical shape, was intimidated by my high school football and lacrosse background, and noticed my calloused hands, knuckles and dirty finger nails.....so I decided a preppy nerdy military career wasn't for me and high tailed it out of that Air Force recruiters office before he dimmed the lights and put on slow dance music.....HOOYAH.....

 

[Chief]

Me thinks a bit of inter service jealousy is showing. But hey you could have gone Air Force if you scored high enough

I have the highest regard for my Air Force cousins. I marvel at their ability to have some of the finest equipment and support around. Just some good natured ribbing is all. They do an impressive job.

 

[XUSNORDIE]

I have the highest regard for my Air Force cousins. I marvel at their ability to have some of the finest equipment and support around. Just some good natured ribbing is all. They do an impressive job.

Even if they do sit at the kids table......which is a good thing......somebody has to teach the Marines some table manners and how to use a shower.....

Yes they do an amazing job, but yet stay so clean and don't sweat....

 

[Jeepnik]

Even if they do sit at the kids table......which is a good thing......somebody has to teach the Marines some table manners and how to use a shower.....

Yes they do an amazing job, but yet stay so clean and don't sweat....

Having two kids that were Marines I can attest to the fact you can't teach them table manners.

 

[Killer Bee]

I was too good looking to join the air force

that and wasn't very good at sittin around

 

[Jeepnik]

Matter of fact my job did have a lot of sitting around waiting for things to go wrong. And when they did everyone else was running away we were running, or flying toward danger.

 

[Wyandot Jim]

Kind of on subject. The USAF used to issue a heavy wool overcoat. The darned thing weighed a ton and was bulky as all get out to haul around. But the first time I went to Chanute for training in January of 1974 I was darned thankful for it.

That heavy arsh coat saved my life one night on the East side of St Louis when I got stranded while hitch hiking in January.
I was also at Chanute in summer 1960 going to B-52 fuel systems school.

 

[Jeepnik]

The USAF could have done training anywhere it wanted. I'll never understand why they pick a miserable place like Chance.

 

[LT USN (Ret.)]

I was issued the original wool Peacoat in '75. The first day I got to my 1st ship of 5, it was stolen right off my rack. Never could get another one as good as the 1st issue.

In '89 I was commissioned a CWO2 and bought one of the Bridge Coats. Quality had gone down by then so they weren't as warm as the old ones. I still have that Bridge Coat in the closet along with several iterations of uniforms (i.e. Crackerjacks, double-breasted coats in both officer and enlisted styles, cammies, etc). My wife is a great keeper of "stuff".

 

[JiminMaine]

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:
View attachment 59805

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.

I had to chuckle about you still having our raincoat. I still have mine too, still folded from when I folded it in boot camp in 1968 never worn. I retired in 1991

 

[steveodtw]

The Air Force always did have the best in cold weather gear.

They also had a great raincoat. Lightweight, long and waterproof.

 

[vito]

I guess I mis-remembered the "Ike" jacket that my uncle gave me, but in my memory it had a belt at the waist. I'm sure it was brown. But that was literally 75 years ago so I am loathe to trust my memory too accurately. I grew out of the jacket pretty quickly and have no idea what happened to it.

 

[freakindawgen]

There was always inter ribbing between branches. Marines a Navy are connected so in the aviation world we get stationed together. The Air Force gets it from everybody.

Peacoat was never issued as we're out. (77-81) Later I bitched and got some crappy almost blue fuzzy thing that looked like Bill the Cat. Had small domed buttons with a post with a hole in it to sew on.

I was in that uniform change, got the heavy blue shirt button up. Had to wear them out of the box all wrinkled and unhemmed leg bottoms that we rolled up. We were called Raisins. Get to my squadron and they no longer accept the uniform issued. So now it's a grey/blue work shirt and big bell "Seafarers". Both were very lightweight and the pant denim was super thin and wore holes really fast. Also. The Cracker Jack's were a no no. When I got out, they brought them back.

 

[Bob Wright]

Being a soldier in the US Army we had othing like the Navy peacoat. What we has was the Field Jacket with a liner. The field jacket was pretty warm, especilly with the liner inserted. But it had generous pockets for C-rations and such.

Bob Wright

 

[Watertender]

I was issued the original wool Peacoat in '75. The first day I got to my 1st ship of 5, it was stolen right off my rack. Never could get another one as good as the 1st issue.

I hate thieves and have had to deal with them in my own family not to mention others that would steal from you.

About 40 years ago I had a brand new Carhartt coat stolen from me. I put my name in permanent marker under the back of the collar but the guy that stole it from me must have either sold it to someone or never wore it where I could see it.

I replaced it with an identical coat but put my last name in big capital letters on the back of it. The guy who I believe stole it made a wise remark to me asking if I had forgotten my name and had to put it there to remember it...

I told him that it was there so that if I saw it on someone else's back that I could use the O in my name as a target .....

The guy never touched anything of mine again.