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United States Air Force Type A-2 Flight Jacket
1942-1945
Aero Leather Clothing Co.
USA: New York, Beacon
Leather, cotton
overall: 27 x 20 x 5 in.; 68.58 x 50.8 x 12.7 cm
Gift of the Family of Ronald W. Hirtle
96.041.1

United States Military Flight Jacket; brown leather Air Force Type A-2 Flight Jacket with brown knit cuffs; chest sewn with leather 14th China Air Task Force "Flying Tigers" insignia and "Ringer" 49155 Bomb Squad insignia; on right sleeve a leather US Air Force insignia; on left sleeve a leather China-Burma Theater insignia; on left breast a name patch painted in white Chinese characters; inner lining stenciled: "R.W. Hirtle/ 31259895"; linen patch pocket is sewn to the lining with a 48-star American flag with inscriptions printed in Chinese and Malay, sometimes refered to as a "blood chit".


This jacket recalls Technical Sergeant Ronald W. Hirtle’s service during World War II. He belonged to the 491st "Ringer" Bomb Squadron of the 14th Air Force, a group also known as the Flying Tigers. Hirtle (1924-1986), of Littleton, Massachusetts, fought in the China-Burma-India Theater as a radio-gunner on a Mitchell Bomber. From February 1944 to March 1945, he logged over 200 combat hours on almost 50 bombing missions. For more information, see: Blog post, July 2, 2013 http://nationalheritagemuseum.typepad.com/library_and_archives/2013/07/a-salute-to-the-american-military.html