Eisenhower jacket
An Eisenhower jacket, or "Ike" jacket, is a type of military uniform blouse, or shortened coat, terminating in a waistband. Introduced by U.S. Army General and Supreme Commander of the Allied forces in Europe Dwight D. Eisenhower, his innovative design initially appeared in 1943, the idea based on the British Battle Dress coat (and adapted by Michael Popp, a Hamilton, Ohio tailor) which predated the American Ike Jacket by a number of years. Known as the Wool Field Jacket M-1944, the coat was originally meant to be worn as part of the combat uniform, but GI's saved it for dress wear.[1] The jacket was only worn by troops outside the Continental United States or those returning to the United States from overseas duty. It was often referred to as an overseas jacket. Later examples were manufactured in the shortened form and became widely popular among U.S. Army officers and enlisted men as standard additions to their service uniform.
The post World War II jacket called the MQ-1 from 1947, was shorter and better tailored as it was designed for dress rather than field wear. The jacket was further refined as the M-1950 without button cuffs.[2] The uniform began to disappear with the introduction of the Army Green U.S. Army Service Uniform from 1957 but was still worn by troops posted outside the United States.
After World War II, jackets of this style became a convenient type of coat to wear when operating a vehicle and/or carrying a sidearm, which made variations of it popular with civilian police agencies.
The 1st Marine Division, sent to Melbourne after Guadalcanal, were issued Australian made jackets similar to Battle Dress that the Marines called the "battle jacket" or the "Vandegrift jacket" after the Division's commander.[3] The USMC later adopted the waist length jacket in 1945 that was authorised until 1960.
The United States Air Force wore Air Force blue Ike jackets from 1949 until 31 May 1964.They used the WW2 or M-47 version from 1947 to 1949[4]
The United States Border Patrol wears what is referred to as an IKE Jacket patterned after Eisenhower's jacket design. This jacket is only used for dress uniform.
The first Eisenhower Jacket was designed at Fort Lewis, Washington by Joseph Rome, A Russian immigrant (born 1885) who ran the Post Exchange there. In 1940 when then Lt Colonel Eisenhower, Chief of Staff of the 3rd Division at the time asked Rome to make him an Army Blouse to his specifications, it was to be a jacket tight at the waist with two breast pockets with pleats in the back. Rome answered that he was under strict orders to make only Army regulation clothing, but the future President said he would take the responsibility. So the first Eisenhower Jacket was made, approved by the colonel, and when worn by him started an Army fashion that resulted in the production of untold thousands of the garments all over the world. This information is taken from the obituary of Joseph Rome, Published on the front page of the Tacoma News Tribune, January 11, 1971
References
- ^ p.42 Fussell, Paul Uniforms" Why We Are What We Wear Houghton Miffin 2003
- ^ pp.60-61 Stanton, Shelby L. U.S. Army Uniforms of the Cold War 1948-1973 Stackpole 1998
- ^ p.54 Rottman, Gordon L. US Marine Corps 1941-1945 Osprey 1995
- ^ United States Air Force
The United States Border Patrol wears what is referred to as an IKE Jacket patterned after Eisenhower's jacket design. This jacket is only used for dress uniform.