EVEN THOUGH THIS IS NOT AN AUTHENTIC BOMBER JACKET, BACK IN 1991/92 I WANTED TO HAVE ONE. SO I WENT OUT GOT ME AN A-2 PILOTS LEATHER JACKET, I KNEW I WANTED A B-17G PAINTED ON THE BACK WITH AN 8TH AIR FORCE SYMBOL PAINTED ON THE LEFT ARM AND THE PILOTS WINGS PAINTED ON THE LEFT CHEST. I ALSO WANTED A BEAUTIFUL GIRL PAINTED ABOVE THE B-17. I SAW THIS DAZZLINGLY, BEAUTIFUL & MAGNIFICENT ARTWORK OF OLIVIA IN THE JULY 1990 & JANUARY 1991 PLAYBOY MAGAZINES. SHE WAS TITLED "SILK STOCKINGS". SO NOW I HAD THE GIRL TO PAINT ON THE BACK & THE SILVER B-17G, NOW I NEEDED A NAME. LOOKING AT THE "SILK STOCKINGS" GIRL I KEPT THINKING, MAN THAT IS HEAVEN. SO I CAME UP WITH "HEAVEN'S ABOVE" AND GAVE MY JACKET AND ALL MY RESEARCH TO THE ARTIST, TERRY CALLAHAN OF "TACTICUS" A GREAT MARINE THAT HAD BEEN DOING THIS TYPE OF THING IN THE SERVICE AND CARRIED ON WITH IT AFTER MUSTERING OUT.
NOW SHORTLY AFTER GETTING THE JACKET COMPLETED WITH THE GIRL, THE B-17, THE "HEAVEN'S ABOVE", THE 8TH AF & PILOTS WINGS , I WAS OUT BUYING WWII AVIATION BOOKS AND CAME ACROSS A 1979 1ST EDITION BOMBER GROUP BOOK, "THE 388TH AT WAR" BY EDWARD J. HUNTZINGER. AS I WAS LOOKING THROUGH IT, TO MY SUPRISE WAS A B-17 PICTURED WITH THE NAME "HEAVEN'S ABOVE", BUT THEIR PAINTING ON THEIR B-17G WAS A WHITE CLOUD WITH A PAIR OF GOOOOD LOOKIN LEGS HANGING OUT THE BOTTOM OF THE CLOUD. NOW I WAS NOT ABOUT TO HAVE THE PICTURE OF MY GIRL CHANGED TO THEIR PICTURE, SO THAT'S ONE LITTLE THING YOU GOTTA LIVE WITH. BUT I DID A LOT OF WRITING, ETC. ETC. ETC. AND NOW YOU SEE THE COMPLETED JACKET WITH THE BG LOGO & SQUADRON LOGO'S THAT CALLAHAN ADDED ON IT.
THE JACKET IS A SIZE 44. NOW FOR THE REST OF THE STUFF ON THE JACKET. THE RIGHT BREAST HAS THE 388TH BOMB GROUP LOGO PAINTED ON. THE LEFT BREAST UNDER THE PILOTS WINGS (WHERE YOU CAN HAVE YOUR NAME PAINTED ON), IS THE LOGO OF THE 563rd BOMB SQUADRON. THE LEFT ARM HAS THE 8TH AIR FORCE LOGO PAINTED ON. THE 2 CAPTAIN'S BARS ARE ORIGINAL, THE ONE ON THE RIGHT SHOULDER HAS A MISSING LATCH FOR THE PIN, BUT IT STAYS ON QUITE WELL.
ON THE BACKSIDE IS THE LOGO OF THE 561st BOMB SQUADRON OF WHICH "HEAVEN'S ABOVE" WAS IN. NOW YOU ASK WHY DO I HAVE THE 563rd LOGO ON THE FRONT LEFT. THE GENTLEMAN THAT HELPED ME OUT THE MOST WITH ALL THE RESEARCH WAS MR. ED HUNTZINGER, HE ALSO HELPED GET THE COLOR PATCHES OF THE B.G. & B.S.'s & WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN GETTING ME IN TOUCH WITH SOME OF THE CREW. HE SERVED IN THE 563rd B.G. SO I PUT IT ON FOR HIM.
WHAT YOU WILL ALSO GET ALONG WITH THE JACKET IS ALL THE PAPERWORK, LETTERS, PHOTO'S THAT WERE SENT TO ME FROM THE PILOT & THE TAIL GUNNER AND THEIR LETTERS. THE COLOR LOGO'S FOR ALL THE BOMB SQUADRONS AND THE BOMB GROUP. SOME PICTURES THE ARTIST TOOK WHEN HE HAD A GIRL ON THE BEACH WEARING MY JACKET, SHE WAS ABOUT AS GOOD LOOKIN AS THE GIRL PAINTED ON THE JACKET. ALSO A PICTURE OF THE GIRL WEARING MY JACKET WAS USED AS ADVERTISEMENT FOR "IN FLIGHT-AVIATION NEWS MONTHLY" JANUARY 1992 AS SEEN BELOW.
ALL THIS FOR $1300.00
this jacket is available for purchase
NOW, IF YOU ALSO WANT THE ARTWORK THAT WAS USED FOR THE JACKET CHECK OUT BELOW!!!!
"SILK STOCKINGS" BY ARTIST OLIVIA. THIS SUPER LARGE 38"H X 26"W GLOSSY LIMITED EDITION PRINT IS A MASTERPIECE OF CHEESECAKE PIN-UP ART. IT IS NUMBERED 227/300. THIS PIECE IS LISTED AND HAS SOLD FOR OVER $800. THIS PIECE HAD BEEN FRAMED AND DOES HAVE THE PAPER ATTACHEMENT ON THE BACKSIDE/TOP OF PRINT, WHERE IT HAD BEEN MUSEUM MOUNTED WITH A SMALL CREASE AT THE TOP WHICH WOULD BE COVERED UP WITH FRAMING. THE BOTTOM HAS OLIVIA'S SIGNATURE AND THE LIMITED ED. NUMBER ALONG WITH THE RAISED PLAYBOY SYMBOL. $600.00
