WWII uniform and Wings

[CumminsPilot]

My wife's Grandfather was an Army P-47 pilot during WWII. WE have a great colage of pictures of him with his plane, and a hometown newspaper article of his exploits leading a mission that destroyed a bridge and a train.

My wife will wing next month as a USMC helo pilot. Her parents just found her Grandpa's leather jacket (which he's wearing in most the pics with the plane), and his full uniform with wings. The wings are a bit degraded, and we're wondering how to clean them up w/o ruining the authenticity. Also, the uniform is in good shape, but dirty...best way to clean it w/o ruining it? Maybe just steam it out?

Lastly, could she be pinned with his wings? I can't find a yea/nae anywhere and am just wondering if that would be improper to do since they're not wings of gold.

 

[wink]

Only speaking to the condition of the wings, the current philosophy on things like that is not to restore them. I have a port side ships lamp from the sailing ship Saratoga. I wanted to have it polished and was advised by a curator not to.

 

[SynixMan]

The "saltiness" of the wings is one of the best aspects. Leave em that way.

And no reason she can't be winged with them that I see. It's her winging. I think she's earned the right to have her history in it.

 

[Morgan81]

I think she's earned the right to have her history in it.

...Of course...but USAAF Wings are those, not Naval Wings. You can't have the USAAF wings pinned on you if you're a Marine, even for just the ceremony, right? Putting the Silver wings next to a pair of Gold in a shadowbox with some pictures might be cool.

 

[Flash]

While I applaud your wife for wanting to honor her heritage USAF/USAAF pilot wings and Naval Aviator wings are two different insignia and it wouldn't be entirely kosher to be winged with them, either 'legally' or by custom.

 

[NavAir42]

I would go for the shadow box idea as a winging present. While a part of her family history Air Force wings aren't the wings she'll wear.