Original Item: Only One Available. The Eisenhower jacket or "Ike" jacket, officially known as the Jacket, Field, Wool, Olive Drab, is a type of waist-length jacket developed for the U.S. Army during the later stages of World War II and named after Dwight D. Eisenhower. Intended to be worn on its own or as an insulating layer beneath the M-1943 Field Jacket and over the standard wool flannel shirt and wool sweater, it featured a pleated back, adjustable waist band, fly-front buttons, bellows chest pockets, slash side pockets, and shoulder straps.

This lovely Ike jacket features an 82nd Airborne Division patch on the left shoulder. It was a popular practice to display your former unit on your right shoulder while wearing your current unit on the left. It was often a sign that you served overseas or in combat with that unit and you wanted to proudly display that on your uniform, a tradition still carried on today by the US Army. Soldiers who are combat veterans are authorized to permanently wear the patch of the unit they served with on their right shoulder. As there is only one unit patch present on this jacket, the trooper appears to have left the Army after having served with the 82nd Airborne during the war.

Both shoulders feature a single PFC rank chevron, 3 overseas stripes are on the lower left cuff and denoting 1 ½ years of overseas service. The collar devices are the standard discs for US and the infantry crossed rifles. The front left side displays a lovely Combat Infantry Badge as well as an EAME ribbon with a Bronze Arrowhead and 2 campaign stars. On the left shoulder is a lovely Fourragere with a Presidential Unit Citation above the right breast pocket.

This is a lovely example of a service worn Ike jacket. Comes more than ready for display in your Airborne Collections!

Measurements:
Collar to shoulder: 10”
Shoulder to sleeve: 24”
Shoulder to shoulder: 18”
Chest width: 17”
Waist width: 17”
Hip width: N/A”
Front length: 24.5"

The 82nd Division was redesignated on 13 February 1942 during World War II, just two months after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the German declaration of war, as Division Headquarters, 82nd Division. It was ordered into active service on 25 March 1942, and reorganized at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana, under the command of Major General Omar Bradley. During this training period, the division brought together three officers who would ultimately steer the U.S. Army during the following two decades: Matthew Ridgway, James M. Gavin, and Maxwell D. Taylor. Under Major General Bradley, the 82nd Division's Chief of Staff was George Van Pope.

On 15 August 1942, the 82nd Infantry Division, now commanded by Major General Ridgway, became the first airborne division in the history of the U.S. Army, and was redesignated as the 82nd Airborne Division. The 82nd was selected after deliberations by the U.S. Army General Staff because of a number of factors; it was not a Regular Army or National Guard unit ("many traditionalists in those components wanted nothing to do with such an experimental force"), its personnel had all completed basic training, and it was stationed in an area that had good weather and flying facilities. The division initially consisted of the 325th, 326th and 327th Infantry Regiments, and supporting units. The 327th was soon transferred to help form the 101st Airborne Division and was replaced by the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, leaving the division with two regiments of glider infantry and one of parachute infantry. In February 1943 the division received another change when the 326th was transferred to the 13th Airborne Division, being replaced by the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, under James M. Gavin, then a colonel, who was later to command the division.