Jump to content

Khaki


snowyday
 Share

Recommended Posts

Khaki is a Hindu word meaning “dust colored.â€

Uniforms of dust-colored drill are said to have been

first worn by British and native troops in India in 1848.

Today, September 3, 1949) any drab or green-gray uniform

is called khaki.

In America, khaki is no longer associated with color.

Khaki is pronounced: KACK-ee, to rhyme with wacky.

By Frank Colby.

* * * *

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Marvin,

In your avatar photo, it looks like you're wearing khakis; or 505's. There were also 1505's and 505 shorts with knee socks! I don't remember when they phased them out, but it was sometime early in my USAF career.

Don R.

Don't forget the BUSH JACKET AND THE PITH HELMET.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Had forgotten the long sleeve khakis. They were 100% cotton and after about five minutes of wear they looked as though you had slept in them. I disliked this uniform so much that I bought an optional taylor made gabardine one while still in B-47 tech school at Amarillo AFB. In 1957 the only blue uniform was the class A. The 505 uniform was also 100% cotton and looked like crap after about five minutes of wear. When the laundry returned your cotton uniforms they were stiff as a board from gross amounts of starch. The 1505 uniform was somewhat of an improvement as it contained some polyester and didn't require starch. I remember the bush jacket, pith helmet, shorts and knee shocks well. Wore it a total of one time to a Saturday morning sqd. open ranks inspection. Looking back, it's my observation the people responsible for uniform decisions in those days must have left thier brains at home that morning.

Does anyone remember when the AF changed from khakis to blue uniforms? Didn't wear blues much as I was a flt. line troop until my last couple of years.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1955 regular Air Force Khakis.

I may be the oldest member of this outfit. If not I bet I am close to it.

Marvin, Your right your close to the oldest. I'm 76 and my guess is as soon as I post this, someone older will pop up. Came in Apr. 57 but unlike you was almost 21. By the time I got to tech school was 21. As a result me and another troop from Brockton Mass. were the only guys in our flt. over 21. I guess for this reason the sqd. saw fit to issue the two of us class A passes. That was almost our undoing. Didn't take long to become familiar with all the honkytonks where the ladies were. Looking back am surprised I even graduated. By rights probably should have been thrown out for ecxessive partying. lol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I seem to recall something I read once that the color called khaki in WWII (and possibly prior to that) was more of a green. I suspect they were referring more towards a name for a uniform (or a uniform type, like fatigues) rather than the color of the uniform. I wish I could remember where I read that.

What do you all think?

(Edit: Oh, I'm a relatively young, 47-year old grandpa of a 3-year old!)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Golly, I feel like a kid, just shy of 63!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Anyway, re uniforms, what was the designation for the self-purchase blue long sleeve shirt, that you wore with a tie, and matched up with your blues trousers????????? Is that still in use????? Like Larry, I hardly ever wore my blue stuff, probably 80% of the time i wore a zoom bag, whether flyin' or not.

Giz

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I remember seeing dark blue long-sleeve shirts, mostly in the admin areas. To my recollection, the khaki uniforms (summer, short-sleeved shirts and cotton trousers) were just called 505s. I still have (somewhere) a picture of my squadron (in the khaki 505s) standing at attention by the flightline in November 1962 at Homestead AFB for President Kennedy's review following the Cuban Crisis. Our F-102A airplanes all went home with a painted stencil of Cuba, and the words "Castro's Fiasco". Recon airplanes (RF-101s and RB-66s)

making low-level runs over Cuba sometimes exfiltrated with MIGs on their tail, and the F-102's role was to terminate the chase.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had a memory jog, somehow, and I THINK the blue shirt was designated 1549, and yes, I though tit did look good, even though you had to wear a tie with it. My remaining cotton uniform is designated "1505." must be a successor to the 505? This is from the 1970-74 time period

giz

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had a memory jog, somehow, and I THINK the blue shirt was designated 1549, and yes, I though tit did look good, even though you had to wear a tie with it. My remaining cotton uniform is designated "1505." must be a successor to the 505? This is from the 1970-74 time period

giz

1505s were what I got issued in late '68, along with the other uniforms. Only wore them a few times since always wore fatigues working in recips. Had to wear them at CRB in '70 during a change of command ceremony on the flight line. Sweated our butts off out there, mid-summer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I guess the 1505's were replaced with the light blue shirt and dark blue pants? When did the geniuses come up with the blue dress uniform that looked, to me, like a cross of a Chief Petty Officer, a bus driver, and a doorman???????? They sure didn't last long, did they? AHHHH, for the life in a zoom bag.....

Giz

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...