quote [ c. 1943-1945

The Type A-2 leather flight jacket — commonly called the “bomber jacket” — was standardized in 1931 as the jacket issued to U.S. Army Air Forces officers upon completion of basic flight training.

The distinctive jacket represented an airman’s elite status, and was worn and decorated with pride.

Airmen emblazoned their A-2s with rank insignia, squadron patches and even elaborate embroidery or painted-on artwork. The jacket’s back, made of a single piece of horsehide leather, was a perfect canvas for pin-up girls, cartoon characters and bomb decals for each successful mission ]