The Bomber Jacket
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| Skeets Coleman (2nd from right), 1942 – Goleta, Calif. |
When I was negative 13 years old (1942) my father became a US Marine. He was assigned to a fighter/bomber squadron training in Goleta, California. Later it would be the home of University of California, Santa Barbara. He received his bomber jacket at that time. Here is a photo of him in Goleta with his jacket on, and with some really tall guys. I found this online at his squadron’s website.
When I was growing up I would wear it for fun around the house. A guy’s version of playing ‘dress up’. I wore it quite a bit in high school and when I left for college I took it with me, with his blessing. In 1977, when I was a positive 22 years old, 35 years after his training at Goleta, I ended up in the same location with the same jacket. I was an art student at UC Santa Barbara. Here is a drawing I did of that same jacket in 1977, hanging outside my closet in my apartment.
I was drawing it because I had gotten it refurbished (if that is the right term for a jacket). I found a leather restorer (oh yea, that’s the term) and had him put in new lining to match the old, new elastic trim at the bottom, resew and restore the leather as best he could. I was very proud of it and thought looked great. I wore it for many, many years after that. Eventually I got too round and the jacket got too worn and I put it away.
After it was retired I bought and wore many bomber style leather jackets. It wasn’t the same but I always bought those because I liked the connection to the original.
I still have the jacket of course and to bring this sketchbook history tour full circle, I thought I would take a photo of myself in it. I am the same age now as he was when he gave it to me so many years ago.
>Awww… I think it's great! How special for you to have something to wear that belonged to your father. I can imagine the way you must feel wearing it. I can see the pride and love that you have for your father in your eyes, too…