Item

A U.S. Air Force officer's white service cap (visor cap), the dress and warm-weather version of the officer's service headgear. It has a white cotton cover, a dark blue mohair band, a silver officer's chin strap on side buttons, a black patent leather visor, and the large silver Great Seal eagle cap device on the front. Inside it is maker marked by Kingform Cap De Luxe, New York, with a leather sweatband and a clear identification window, and it carries the official USAF certification label, Cert. No. CD 4-1-71, noting compliance with Air Force specification MIL-C-3095D. That certification places manufacture in 1971.

The cap shows honest age and wear. The white cover has some soiling and light staining, the patent visor has surface crazing typical of its age, and there is normal handling wear throughout, but the cap is solid and complete with all its fittings. A size is not clearly legible in these photos, so measurements can be provided on request.

Design & Rank

Reading the details, this is a company grade officer's cap. Air Force officers wore a silver chin strap and cap trim, where the enlisted force used other configurations, and the plain black visor with no silver oak leaf embroidery marks the wearer as a company grade officer, meaning a Second Lieutenant, First Lieutenant, or Captain. Field grade officers such as majors and colonels added silver embroidery to the visor, and generals more still, so the clean visor here is the tell. The Great Seal eagle device, the blue band, and the silver strap are the standard elements of the Air Force officer service cap, here in its white configuration for summer and dress wear.

History

In 1971, when this cap was made, the United States Air Force was deep in the Vietnam War and near the height of the Cold War. Air Force crews were flying strategic bombing missions, close air support, airlift, and reconnaissance over Southeast Asia, while at home Strategic Air Command kept bombers and intercontinental missiles on constant nuclear alert against the Soviet Union. The service that had become independent only in 1947 had matured into the most technologically advanced air arm in the world, and the officers who led it wore a cap exactly like this one on the flight line, at headquarters, and on the parade ground. A cleanly identified, clearly dated officer's cap of that era is a handsome and very displayable piece of Cold War and Vietnam era Air Force history.

Please Review the Photos Closely

A picture speaks a thousand words. Please examine the photos carefully to fully understand the item's condition and details. What you see is exactly what you will receive. Feel free to zoom in and inspect each image so you are completely satisfied before purchasing.