Original Item: Only One Available. The "G-1" military flight jacket is the commonly accepted name for the fur-lined-collar World War II-era leather flight jacket of the United States Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. A similar jacket used by the United States Army Air Corps/United States Army Air Forces was usually called the A-2 jacket.
 
The G-1 remains a current uniform-issue item in naval aviation for officer and enlisted aviation personnel on flying status in the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Coast Guard and was featured as the leather flight jacket worn by Tom Cruise in the film Top Gun.
 
This G-1 jacket was worn by Marine Corps Pilot Captain A. Gilman. Captain Arnold Gilman served with the Marine Utility Squadron VMJ-152 a part of Marine Aircraft Group 25 during WW2. During the war he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight, in actions against enemy Japanese forces in the Pacific Theater of Operations. Gilman is seen as retiring at the rank of Major in May of 1958.
 
The jacket is well worn and without extensive damage. This was definitely service worn and not left behind for missions. The leather is somewhat stiff, but not brittle, the knit cuffs and waist are in good condition but does have minor holes and moth nips present. The interior lining appears to have been removed during the war probably to allow better airflow. There is no data label present, as the lining has been removed. The front left of the jacket has a lovely leather name tag sew on:

A. GILMAN
CAPT. USMC

Above his name is a lovely set of US Navy Pilot wings, a very common sight to see on Marine Corps Aviation items from Marines aboard ships.
 
This is a wonderful G-1 Leather Flight Jacket attributed to a US Marine Pilot! Comes more than ready for research and display!

Approximate Measurements:
Collar to shoulder: 11”
Shoulder to sleeve: 24.5”
Shoulder to shoulder: 19”
Chest width: 23”
Waist width: 20”
Hip width: 18.5”
Front length: 28"
 
VMR-152 (VMJ-152)
Marine Transport Squadron 152 (VMR-152) was an air transport squadron of the United States Marine Corps that was responsible for the movement of personnel, equipment, and supplies. The squadron flew fixed-wing cargo aircraft to include the R4D Skytrain and the R4Q Flying Boxcar. The squadron saw combat during World War II and the Korean War with their most notable contributions coming during the Battle of Guadalcanal and during the Marine breakout during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir. The squadron was decommissioned in the late 1950s.
 
The squadron was originally formed as VJ-6M at Marine Corps Air Station Quantico, Virginia in 1922. Re-designation as VMJ-1 came on July 1, 1937 and again as VMJ-152 on July 7, 1941. VMJ-152 became the first Marine Corps squadron to field the new R4D-1 aircraft in the first part of 1942. The squadron subsequently moved to San Diego a few months later and shipped out to the South Pacific on October 10, 1942. The unit joined Marine Aircraft Group 25 on October 25, 1942, and immediately began flying missions in support of Marines engaged in the Battle of Guadalcanal.
 
In November 1942, the squadron became part of the joint-service South Pacific Combat Air Transport Command. Following this they made numerous supply drops during the New Georgia Campaign in 1943. The squadron was re-designated again to VMR-152 on June 3, 1944. In 1944, the squadron was flying in support of the Battle of Bougainville and would be based on Bougainville for the remainder of the war. From here the squadron also supported allied forces during the Philippines Campaign (1944–45) and the Battle of Okinawa. Following the surrender of Japan, the squadron flew in support of the 1st Marine Division during their occupation of Northern China from 1945 - 1947. Following their China duty the squadron returned to the United States where they were based at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California.
 
Marine Aircraft Group 25
Marine Air Group (MAG) 25 was a United States Marine Corps combat air transport group that provided logistical support, including cargo and personnel transport and aeromedical evacuation, to forward units during World War II and the Korean War. During World War II it formed the nucleus of the South Pacific Combat Air Transport Command.
 
Marine Aircraft Group 25 was commissioned on June 1, 1942, at Camp Kearney, San Diego, California and initially consisted of Headquarters Squadron 25 and VMJ-253. On August 23, the squadron’s first echelon departed for the Pacific Theater via R4D and arrived at Marine Corps Air Station Ewa, Hawaii the following day. The Group initially based out of New Caledonia and began flying missions in support of the Battle of Guadalcanal in September 1942. On September 3, the first plane from MAG-25 landed at Henderson Field on Guadalcanal carrying the commanding general of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, Roy Geiger. MAG-25 was soon joined by the 13th Troop Carrier Squadron, United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), an uncommon inter-service cooperative effort. In late November 1942, at the direction of VAdm. Aubrey Fitch, MAG-25 formed the nucleus of SCAT, with its senior officer serving as SCAT's commanding officer throughout the organization's existence. MAG-25 soon grew to include VMJ-152 and SMS-25 of the Marine Corps, and the 801st Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron (MAETS), USAAF. In March 1943 it was joined by VMJ-153. From January to July 1944, Marine Air Repair & Salvage Squadron 1 (MAR&SSq-1) was attached to the group.
 
SCAT provided rapid transport of personnel and cargo, including munitions, food, replacement parts, and medical supplies, to and from forward areas. On rearward flights SCAT frequently provided aeromedical evacuation of wounded or sick personnel. Aircraft typically included a flight nurse, corpsman, or flight surgeon as part of the crew, split between USAAF personnel of the 801st MAETS and the Navy medical personnel of Headquarters Squadron-25. SOPAC Combat Air Transport Command was dissolved and reconstituted as Solomons Combat Air Transport Command after its Army Air Forces troop carrier units departed in July 1944, with MAG-25 continuing to utilize the "SCAT" acronym. At that time VMR-253 departed MAG-25 to join the Transport Air Group (TAG) in the Central Pacific. SCAT was finally dissolved in February 1945 as MAG-25's primary mission shifted to support of 1st Marine Aircraft Wing operations in the Philippines.
 
MAG-25, including the attached 13th Troop Carrier Squadron, was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation as part of the 1st Marine Division (Reinforced) for the Guadalcanal campaign. SCAT received a Navy Unit Commendation for its operations in the South Pacific from December 1942 to July 1944.

In October 1945, MAG-25 began moving to Tsingtao, China, where VMR-153 participated in the evacuation of liberated prisoners from the Weixian Internment Camp. MAG-25 returned to the United States in June 1946 and was deactivated in 1947.
 
MAG-25 was reactivated in February 1950 at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, with VMR-152, and VMR-352 attached, equipped with Douglas R5D aircraft. During the Korean War the group's forward echelon (Sub-Unit 2 of VMR-152) supported the operations of the 1st Marine Division and 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, flying mostly personnel and cargo transport missions while based at Itami, Japan. VMR-253, flying the Curtiss R5C and Fairchild R4Q, was reattached to the group in 1951. After the Korean Armistice Agreement, VMR-253 deployed to Itami to assist in post-armistice airlift operations.
 
The nickname "Flying Boxcars" was widely used for the Douglas R4D aircraft flown by MAG-25 during World War II, predating its attachment to the post-war Fairchild R4Q aircraft.