US Air Force Senior Parachute Wings 9 Line Concave NS Meyer Hallmark Cira 1950's

US Air Force SeniorParachute Wings 9 Line Concave NS Meyer Hallmark, cira 1956. Hallmark NS Meyer.

The first USAF parachute badges were manufactured in 1956 (Type I) and were thick, slightly concave, either sterling or non-sterling and with 9 suspension lines under the canopy. The supply of these badges was used up by 1957 and the follow-on badges (Type II) were manufactured in a thinner, flat design (or flat, slightly curved) in sterling and non-sterling and with only 7 suspension lines under the canopy. The USAF parachute badges were not issued or authorized in cloth. The Combat Control Team assigned to Japan in 1956 however made the only known cloth examples. They had cloth USAF parachute badges manufactured locally and wore them on their fatigue uniforms until approximately 1958. Upon their return to US soil, they were ordered to remove them from their uniforms. The Air Force parachutist badges were also proposed in wire bullion for Mess Dress uniform wear and a few were made by eager manufacturers, but they were never officially adopted or worn. Instead, the standard full size silver bullion on black Army parachutist style dress wings were worn on Air Force Mess Dress uniforms.

In 1963, after 7 years of gripes, complaints and new design proposals for aviation-style parachutist wings, the Air Force moved in its wise and mysterious ways and discontinued the distinctive Air Force parachutist badges completely. They reverted back to the standard Army parachutist badges except for white on blue cloth versions for wear on the Air Force fatigue uniform.

...Information provided by Col Don Strobaugh USAF CCT