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The Developing Years
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National Park Service Uniforms The Developing Years 1932-1970 |
Number 5 |
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As soon as possible, the Service instituted a new uniform committee to take up where the old one had left off before the outbreak of hostilities. Among other things, the committee was looking for a new image for the Service.
 Drawing of 1947 National Park Service ranger coat from the 1947 uniform regulations. The coat now had a full-belted waist with a bellows back like that worn by the Navy flyers of World War II. NPSHC-RG Y55 |
I. J. "Nash" Castro relates that he began his National Park Service career at Grand Canyon National Park in 1939, later becoming junior secretary to Director Newton B. Drury. Having been a naval aviation cadet while attending Lynchburg College in Virginia, it was only natural that he would become a naval flyer when World War II broke out.
After separation from the Navy in 1945, he married and moved to Chicago. At that time, National Park Service Headquarters was located in the "windy city" and since he had previously worked for the bureau and was looking for gainful employment, he paid his old boss a visit.
 Drawing depicting ranger wearing 1947 pattern uniform with detail of front and back of coat. NPSHC, Gilbert Cohen, artist |
The clothing industry had begun to gear up again for civilian productivity but as yet had not caught up with demand and returning military personnel were allowed to wear their uniforms for 60 days after discharge. So Castro wore his undress Navy greens, or "service" uniform as the Navy termed it, to NPS headquarters and when Director Drury saw him, he became so enamored with the appearance of the coat, he requested that Castro model it for the Uniform Committee. The committee was equally impressed and the new park ranger uniform was styled around this uniform. [29] The National Park Service had returned to the military image, only this time it was the Navy instead of the Army.
When new National Park Service uniform regulations came out on April 11, 1947, what had started as a 4 page typed document in 1920, was now 69 pages long. It was still in manual form, but no longer contained the nice professional drawings and printed text of the 1940 version. Instead, it consisted of line drawings with typed descriptions of the prescribed uniforms, along with instructions about fit; wearing the different uniforms; how to salute the flag; etc., and for the first time uniforms for women appeared in Service regulations.
 Louis Schellbach at GRCA, 11/40. This was taken at Grand Canyon National Park and while Schellbach's appearance is typical of the rangers during this period, USNPS collar ornaments were not supposed to be worn on the shirt collar when wearing the coat. NPSHPC-HFC#M69-38 |
 L.C. Hadley, park ranger, SHEN [Shenandoah National Park] - 1952 NPSHPC |
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This comparison of the old and new 1947
uniforms shows many of the changes. Most notable are the lack of
breeches and boots in the new uniform. The new coat is not as form
fitting as the old.
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Photographs of the various uniforms being modeled made their appearance for the first, and unfortunately the last, time. They were included as part of Amendment No.5 on May 24, 1950.
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Last Modified: Wed, Feb 7 2001 11:30:00 pm PDT
http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/workman5/vol5c11.htm
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