WWII Navy Air Intelligence Officer Uniform ID`d to
Ambassador George C. McGhee
Both custom tailored coat and trousers have custom name tag sewn in. The number A10449 is inside the coat sleeve and underside of front trouser pocket. McGhee is in faded ink on inside trouser pocket as well as other numbers. There are a few moth holes on both pieces.
Ambassador George Crews McGhee (1912-2005) was a Rhodes Scholar, oil entrepreneur,
naval officer, statesman, diplomat, and philanthropist who became a central figure in postwar American diplomacy by helping to create and shape U.S. economic, military, and petroleum ties from Europe to the Far East. Over the course of his long career he served four presidents, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson, and twice served as ambassador.
At the outbreak of World War II George Crews McGhee entered the service of his country as a staff member in the Office of Production Management and on the War Production Board. He made his biggest contribution serving as a naval air intelligence officer in the Pacific on the staff of General Curtis E. LeMay. This service earned him the Legion of Merit in 1945. After the war, McGhee joined the State Department in 1946. 8th United States Ambassador to Turkey, 4th United States Ambassador to West Germany.
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| Lt. Rank on sleeves |
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| Custom Tailored Name tag sewn in both uniform pieces |
WWII
"The next three months (November 1944 through January 1945) were frustrating, to say the least. Schools worked hard to train the lead crews, determined to improve bombing accuracy. Enormous efforts were made to upgrade maintenance. The depot had to start all over again, and in the meantime the air supply from Sacramento had to be improved. More missions were run against Japanese engine and aircraft factories. But the weather was a terrible opponent, and there was no intelligence of its movements. Japanese fighter opposition was desperate but not deadly, at least in comparison with German fighters. Air kamikaze-ramming tactics were tried with some success. Morale was a critical problem. The airplane engines were still unreliable. Aircraft disabled from combat or other causes were 1,500 miles from friendly territory. The crews had the choice of drowning or bailing out over Japan, to be executed by maddened Japanese. The U.S. Navy contributed tremendously to morale by stationing rescue submarines at intervals along the route. Their performance was superb. One submarine entered Tokyo Bay in daylight and picked up a B-29 crewright under the guns of the Japanese. From November 1944 to August 1945, 600 Twentieth Air Force flyers were saved in open-sea rescues. The system involved Navy flying boats, B-17s (Dumbos) carrying droppable lifeboats, B-29s (Superdumbos), and submarines, all under Navy control. The system was largely the achievement of my Navy Liaison Officer, Comdr. George C. McGhee."
Reference: The Strategic Air War Against Germany and Japan: A Memoir Haywood S. Hansell, Jr. USAF Retired
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| Photo from Sooner Mag Sept. 1946 article "With the Armed Forces" |
At the beginning of World War II McGhee was a member of the staff of the Office of Production Management and a member of the War Production Board. Commissioned into the U.S. Navy, McGhee served as a naval air intelligence officer on the staff of Army Air Force General Curtis E. LeMay, for which he was awarded the Legion of Merit.
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| Inside coat sleeve |
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| A10449 written inside coat sleeve |
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| Matching Trousers |
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| Custom Tailored Name tag sewn in both uniform pieces |
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| A10449 written inside both uniform pieces |
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| 1943 Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Naval and Reserve |
Uniform has been lost for years. McGhee`s Officer's Dress Blue Uniform and Hat are on display at Cold Harbor Antique Mall in Mechanicsville Virginia.
This piece of history is for sale at SundayHistorical.com and will help me continue my project to bring great historical items to light. My hope is that a military or other collector will buy this uniform and donate it to a museum for all to enjoy. Serious collectors please contact me at info@sundayhistorical.
It can be purchased on my eBay Store Blueprinter1995 (Item ID: 131916891825)
10%
of the sale of this item will benefitHire Our Heroes
The mission of Hire Our Heroes (HOH) is to empower transitioning veterans with the knowledge, skills, and innovative tools necessary to secure employment after serving our country.
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Great work is being done in the State of Virginia by The McGhee Foundation: The mission of The McGhee Foundation is to continue the educational and humanitarian legacy of U. S. Ambassador George C. McGhee (1912-2005) by supporting projects and programs that provide inspirational learning opportunities and enrich the lives of residents in the Virginia Piedmont area.
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