1965 US Coast Guard Academy Dress Coat / Pea Coat

[univibe88]

I thought you guys may like to see these pictures. This coat belonged to my father when he attended the US Coast Guard Academy in the mid 1960s. I'm not sure if it is properly a pea coat, but it is made of the same dense wool. It is double breasted but I didn't take a photo of it buttoned up because the top two buttons on the right side have fallen off and need to be reattached. Fortunately they aren't lost. I do have the original buttons.

I think it is a dress coat because of the leather panel you can see on the left side. I think that is to protect the coat from a dress sword/sabre.

The last picture was hard to take, as it's a label inside of of the breast pocket. Handwritten is my father's last name, the date 7/65.

The jacket is very warm and quite stiff. I have to wear a scarf with it because the wool will irritate my neck.

Any thoughts/comments are welcome.

 

[Peacoat]

Interesting coat: not quite a Bridgecoat and not a Peacoat. The body is a little longer than a Peacoat, but not long enough for a Bridgecoat, and the lapels are different than either of them.

I wouldn't think the CG Academy would have designed and purchased a coat that would only be worn while in school, and that this coat was probably worn after the cadet graduated and became an officer; the gold buttons certainly indicate such.

A friend of mine graduated from the CG Academy back during that era and retired as a Captain. If I can remember to do so, I will send him these pictures tomorrow and see what he says about it.

Thanks for posting the photographs.

 

[univibe88]

that this coat was probably worn after the cadet graduated and became an officer; the gold buttons certainly indicate such.

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I also thought that it was some sort of officer's coat. But the date 7/65 is when he entered the academy. He graduated in '69. Although all cadets in the academy on on a track to being officers.

 

[kampkatz]

The coat may only have been meant for midshipmen while at the academy, if they used the same uniform standards as West Point. All Army cadet uniforms are only for their academic years. New uniforms are issued when they graduate and become officers.

 

[Peacoat]

This coat is about 3" longer than an issue peacoat. The panel on the left side is to protect the coat while carrying books to and from class. Books are always carried on the left side so the right hand is free for saluting. Midshipmen do a lot of saluting. They also march to class in formation the first two years. After graduation, this coat is not worn. Kampkatz is exactly right.

An interesting note: The Coast Guard Academy is the only service academy that selects applicants strictly on a merit based system without congressional nomination required.