United States Army Air Forces Hap Arnold Wings Men's T-Shirt

The U.S. Army Air Corps WWII Hap Arnold Wings

In the early days of U.S. military aviation, not only did the Air Force not exist, but the few airplanes and pilots that the military did have were part of the U.S. Army Signal Corps. That initial cadre of pioneering aerial soldiers, instructed by the Wright Brothers themselves, included a young lieutenant named Henry Harley "Hap" Arnold. Hap Arnold would go on to be the first U.S. pilot to fly the mail, create and command the U.S. Army Air Corps during WWII, and be the only man to obtain the rank five-star general in two service branches. It was his innovative spirit that led to the USAF being the coequal service branch that we know today.

When Arnold was working to establish an independent Army Air Corps, he knew he needed an emblem. The product of his vision is displayed on this Aeroplane Apparel Company t-shirt. When looking for inspiration, Arnold found it in victory symbol popularized by Winston Churchill. On a field of cobalt blue, two golden wings stretch upward toward the sky in a V, like the two fingers that Churchill extended to symbolize the free worlds eventual triumph over Axis tyranny. The wings are arrayed around a white star with a red circle in the center, which harken back to the colors of the stripes on the American flag. This emblem was worn on the shoulder of every man and woman who served the U.S. Army Air Corps during WWII.

• Men's T-Shirt
• Constructed from 100% ring spun combed cotton for super soft feel.
• 4.3-ounce, the perfect weight t-shirt. You'll want to wear this t-shirt everywhere.
• Machine wash cold, inside out, with like colors. Do not bleach. Tumble dry low. Do not iron decoration. Do not dry clean.