Chevrons and Diamonds

1952 USS Valley Forge Uniform

VetCollector
2–3 minutes
Creamy white wool flannel, adorned entirely with chain stitched lettering, numeral and soutache, this uniform was perhaps the most expensive wartime set from the 1940s (Chevrons and Diamonds Collection).

With the United States fully engaged in the Korean War, the aircraft carrier USS Valley Forge (CV-45) spent months in the waters in support of the war near the Korean Peninsula. An arduous operational pace necessitated periodic breaks off-station with port visits in Subic Bay and Yokosuka where crewmembers could engage in much needed recreation and respite. Among the activities Valley Forge crewmembers took part in, baseball was decidedly a central sporting outlet.

The ship’s name is affixed to the left breast of the jersey with the “V” and “F” made of two-piece, red-on-blue wool athletic felt. The remainder of the lettering is chainstitched directly to the flannel (Chevrons and Diamonds Collection).

As noted in the ship’s “cruisebook” encompassing a four-year-span from 1952 to 1956, the Valley Forge baseball team is shown wearing this gray “away” uniform in addition to their “home” white flannels with “USS VALLEY FORGE” spelled out across the chest in block lettering similar to our USS Phoenix jersey. The gray flannel includes a zipper front, a broad open collar and an extended rear tail easily confirming the early 1950s date of the flannel to the uniforms shown in the ship’s cruisebook.

The back of the USS Valley Forge jersey shows numerals are beginning to pull away from the jersey. The tail is 2-inches longer than the front shirt tail (Chevrons and Diamonds Collection).
Left-to-right: underarm vent holes; zipper front; two-color blue/red soutache on the sleeves and trousers (Chevrons and Diamonds Collection).

Uniform Features:

Jersey:

  • Zipper: 5/8-inch steel pull, made by Serval.
  • Material: The base material is lightweight gray wool-flannel.
  • Soutache: Two-tone, blue-red-blue, 1/4-inch rayon surrounding the cuffs of the sleeves.
  • Lettering: The capital letters, “V” and “F, are two piece, red over blue wool athletic felt. The remainder of the the word marks are constructed of blue chainstitching directly embroidered to the flannel.
  • Numerals: Two digits (“25”) are two-piece, like the two front letters, constructed of red-over blue wool athletic felt.
  • Sleeves: Six inches, non-gusseted, vented (four holes each).
  • Tag: None.
Beautiful chain stitched embroidery adorns the front and back of this jersey rather than applied athletic felt letters (Chevrons and Diamonds Collection).

Trousers:

  • Buttons: Single gray plastic, concave, four-hole button securing the waistband with a zipper fly.
  • Material: Same as the jersey: lightweight gray wool-flannel.
  • Soutache: Two-tone, blue-red-blue, 1/4-inch rayon extending from the waistband down the outer seam of the trousers.
  • Tags: None.
The quadruple chainstitched soutache extends from the waistband down the outseam of each trouser leg. Inside the waistband, the trousers are stamped with “U.S.” and include a “36” size tag (Chevrons and Diamonds Collection).

See Forging Ahead: An Early 1950s Navy Flannel for more details.

*This uniform group is presently a part of the Chevrons and Diamonds Collection.

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