1960s USAF Navigator Flight Suit with Surveillance HOGU Novelty Patch (Less Than 12 Made)

This is a 1960s jacket United States Air Force navigator flight suit. The navigator who owned this suit (Major Reeves) was part of the 343rd Reconnaissance Squadron, 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing based out of Kadena, Japan. This group flew Boeing RC 135-M aircraft out of Kadena AB on intelligence missions. The novelty HOGU patch was made in a quantity of 5 or 10 for the flight crew members of that squadron, and was made to mock the SR-71 HABU Mach 3+ patch. The Recon guys flew around in the sky for long periods of time, sometimes doing little else: hence the portly, lazy pig (hog: HOGU) on the patch.

Circa 1960s.

No tag: approximate size 42.

Cotton, two fully embroidered patches in cotton/silk/polyester threads mounted on wool, leather name strip, metal snaps and zippers, Velcro strips.

Snaps, zippers, Velcro.

RAU CO. on snap; SCOVILL GRIPPER on zipper.

This is from a United States Air Force collection which we will be listing more of over the next few months. KEZAR(rtn) VEJX04 LAGEX3/11 SAGEX10/14

8 (Excellent-): The suit shows some light wear only.

As with all my artifacts, this piece is guaranteed to be original, as described.