BUZZ RICKSON'S BR15948 Type WEP “BUZZ RICKSON MFG. CO., INC.” VMCJ-2 PLAY BOYS Military Flight Jacket J-WFS WEP Jacket

The official name of this flight jacket, generally known as the WEP, is the J-WFS (Jacket, Winter, Flying Suit). The name "WEP" comes from the uniform produced by the Bureau of Naval Weapons.

The WEP is a winter flight jacket adopted by the U.S. Navy from the mid-1950s to the mid-1970s. Since it was intended to be worn as a set with trousers from the initial development stage, the jacket's lining features tabs for connecting to the trousers.

There are four versions of the WEP according to specifications, and the final model is specification number MIL-S-18342C, commonly referred to as the "C-Type."

The C-Type was established by the Bureau of Naval Weapons in 1966 and was produced between 1967 and 1973.

While the early WEP was a lighter shade of leaf green, the C-Type is a deeper olive green with a stronger green tint.

A key feature is the V-shaped cuff ribbing, which represents a significant model change from previous versions.

The WEP, which was the standard U.S. Navy cold-weather flight suit, was also widely used by the Marine Corps.

This particular WEP was worn by a crew member of VMCJ-2 (Marine Composite Reconnaissance Squadron 2), a Marine aviation unit.

Established in December 1955, VMCJ-2 was a squadron tasked with electronic warfare (jamming) and tactical reconnaissance.

They played an active role in reconnaissance missions during the Cuban Missile Crisis, sparked by the former Soviet Union deploying ballistic missiles to Cuba. Later, they were deployed to Da Nang Air Base during the Vietnam War, serving as the "eyes" and "blindfolds" for the Marine Corps.

VMCJ-2 became particularly famous for adopting the "Playboy Bunny" as their squadron mascot.

The right chest of this WEP features a patch with the bunny head, while the right sleeve bears a mascot patch for the RF-4B reconnaissance aircraft used at the time.

The back is embroidered with a bunny head and a popular slogan among soldiers at the time: "If I die, I'm going to heaven, because I've spent my time in hell."

Since performing such embroidery while on duty was technically against service regulations, it is believed to have been done in the city of Da Nang just before returning home after completing their deployment.

Due to the characteristics of the materials and the finishing process, there may be slight individual differences in measurements. Additionally, the colors of the product may differ slightly from the actual item depending on your device's settings and environment. Thank you for your understanding.

Photo: 170cm, 63kg, wearing size M