米軍はベトナム戦争でヘリコプターを使い、兵力を大量に且つ直接前線に送る戦術を考案した。ベトナムのジャングルではトラックや装甲車よりも、道なき道や湿地帯を自在に目的地まで瞬時に移動できるヘリコプターは、兵員の輸送、負傷兵の搬送、空中からの攻撃など様々な場面で大活躍した。そのような最中にヘリコプター乗員が着用する通称ヘリクルージャケットが採用された。ベトナム戦争が勃発すると、アメリカ本国から様々な軍需品と物資が現地ベトナムへ送り込まれた。軍用品に置いて普段は厳格なミルスペックが存在するも、戦時下ではある程度緩和され現場任せの傾向があった。ベトナム戦争当時、現地で実に安価でオーダーメイドのジャケットを仕立てる事が可能だったため、兵士達は現地で調達した資材や、本国から届いた資材でスペシャルオーダーするのが流行した。このジャケットに用いられた素材は、当時熱帯気候を考慮し、軽量で乾きが早い特性のあるジャングルファティーグで成功を収めたコットンポプリンである。

 

 

 

 

U.S. ARMY

JACKET, FLYER’S COLD WEATHER / HELICOPTER CREW JACKET “BUZZ RICKSON UNIFORM COMPANY”

 

 

 

 

BUZZ RICKSON’S

No. BR14718 / HELICOPTER CREW JACKET “BUZZ RICKSON UNIFORM COMPANY”

 

PRICE : ¥42,000 (+tax)

SIZE : 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44

COLOR : 149) OLIVE

INTER LINING : Insulation Polyester Pile

FRONT FASTENER : Mil Specs Brass Oxidized Black

LABEL : Buzz Rickson Sportswear Company

 

 

During the Vietnam War the U.S. Army had used the tactic of using helicopters to send larger number of troops directly to the front line. In the Vietnamese jungles, helicopters were used instead of trucks and armored vehicles to instantly transport freely to the destination through trackless paths and swamps, and they played a significant role in various situations such as transporting troops, carrying injured soldiers and engaging in attacks from the air. A jacket commonly referred to as the “Helicrew jacket” was adopted, which was worn by helicopter crewmembers during these situations. When the Vietnam War broke out, various munitions and supplies were sent to Vietnam from the United States. Normally, strict military specifications exist for munitions, but in times of war, these specifications were eased and there was a tendency to leave them up to those onsite. During the Vietnam War, it was possible to tailor custom-made jackets for cheap locally, so it became popular among the soldiers to specially customize the locally procured materials as well as the materials that were delivered from the United States. For this jacket, light-weight and quick-drying cotton poplin fabric was adopted considering the tropical climate of the region.