What are People saying about Sgt. Hack’s Leather Repair Service?

October 15, 2015 by

Sgt. Hack’s US Wings has been sought out by families across the United States to repair their treasured family heirlooms.  We can repair Historic Leather Jackets with a new zipper, lining, cuff & waistband and more.  Many different manufactured brands of Historic Leather Jackets have been repaired and brought happiness to those relatives honoring the memory of their loved one.
Here is a customer’s review:

I wanted to let you know how happy I am with your repair of my leather jacket. The jacket was made for me during a tour in Korea 30 years ago and I was never totally happy with it. A bit large, the wool lining itched and then finally the zipper failed. No one in my home town had the skills to repair it. Having dealt with US Wings before, I went to your web site and found instructions for shipping to you. A brief note was all you needed. When I got it back home today, I found you had gone beyond my greatest expectations. The lining you supplied was perfect and got rid of the itching problem. The new zipper is built like a truck. What I did not expect was the additional work you did repairing loose seams with new, stronger stitches. It looks like a million bucks. Thank you for exceeding expectations once again.
Rick
Kontum 1968 
10/14/2015

Why Replace when We can Repair your favorite leather jacket?   US Wings offers worldwide Professional Leather Jacket Repair services.  Tune-up your old favorite with a new zipper, lining, cuff & waistband and more.  We repair all brands and types of leather jackets, including motorcycle jackets and not just our own.

Professional Leather Jacket Repair Service Options:

ONLY AUTHENTIC FACTORY REPLACEMENT COMPONENTS USED.
  • Cuff Replacement – $60: Colors: Dark Brown, Medium Brown, & Black
  • Waistband Replacement – $60: Colors: Dark Brown, Medium Brown, & Black
  • Zipper Replacement – $60: Colors: Dark Brown & Black; Style: A-2 & G-1
  • G-1 Collar Replacement – $90: Color: Dark Brown
  • Lining Replacement – $90: Standard Brown/Black Lining (Note: if your jacket does not have an existing lining, there will be an additional $50 charge for adding a jacket lining)
  • Escape Map Lining Replacement – $110: Colors: Egg Shell (as seen in Avirex jackets) and Gold
  • No Lining Charge – $50 (Charged if your jacket DOES NOT have a lining)
  • Patches – $10 per patch: Please take a photo/draw a diagram of where you would like them sewn.
  • Navy Flyer’s Creed – $69.95 (Note: Only adding this item to existing lining. If you need the lining replaced, also select Lining Replacement. Banner: approx. 17.75″ x 13″)
  • Shorten Sleeves – $70.00 (Final Sale – Please indicate, with white chalk, the desired length to be shortened.)
*Any special requests may result in additional cost. Please contact our Customer Service at (800)650-0659 for questions.
Our turnaround time for repairs is 3-4 weeks, and 4-5 weeks for linings.
Established in 1986 by SFC David Hack, USA (Ret), US Wings is a veteran-owned business and is an authorized repair facility for both the US Military and the general public.
Our turnaround time for repairs is 3-4 weeks and 4-5 weeks for linings.

 

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Sgt. Hack can Repair your Leather Jacket

September 22, 2015 by
Why Replace when Sgt. Hack can repair your favorite leather jacket?  US Wings offers worldwide Professional Leather Jacket Repair services.  Tune-up your old favorite with a new zipper, lining, cuff & waistband and more.  We repair all brands and types of leather jackets, including motorcycle jackets and not just our own.

Professional Leather Jacket Repair Service Options:

ONLY AUTHENTIC FACTORY REPLACEMENT COMPONENTS USED.
  • Cuff Replacement – $60: Colors: Dark Brown, Medium Brown, & Black
  • Waistband Replacement – $60: Colors: Dark Brown, Medium Brown, & Black
  • Zipper Replacement – $60: Colors: Dark Brown & Black; Style: A-2 & G-1
  • G-1 Collar Replacement – $90: Color: Dark Brown
  • Lining Replacement – $90: Standard Brown/Black Lining (Note: if your jacket does not have an existing lining, there will be an additional $50 charge for adding a jacket lining)
  • Escape Map Lining Replacement – $110: Colors: Egg Shell (as seen in Avirex jackets) and Gold
  • No Lining Charge – $50 (Charged if your jacket DOES NOT have a lining)
  • Patches – $10 per patch: Please take a photo/draw a diagram of where you would like them sewn.
  • Navy Flyer’s Creed – $69.95 (Note: Only adding this item to existing lining. If you need the lining replaced, also select Lining Replacement. Banner: approx. 17.75″ x 13″)
  • Shorten Sleeves – $70.00 (Final Sale – Please indicate, with white chalk, the desired length to be shortened.)
*Any special requests may result in additional cost. Please contact our Customer Service at (800)650-0659 for questions.
For more information click on LEATHER JACKET REPAIR.
Our turnaround time for repairs is 3-4 weeks, and 4-5 weeks for linings.
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Sgt. Hack’s For All Occasions Indy Jackets

September 18, 2015 by
travisweston-kangarooindy-681x1024 (1)

Sgt. Hack’s FAO Leather Jackets, are leather jackets For All Occasions.  From hiking through  the mountains , catching dinner, or hailing a cab on Broadway, FAO Leather Jackets are brought to you by US Wings.  FAO Jackets have the supple, the rugged and the refined jacket for you.  Available in, Striated Lambskin, Lambskin, Vintage Cowhide,Vintage Texas Steerhide, Bison, Kangaroo and Butter-soft Premium Cowhide, we have FAO Leather Jackets for you.  Dress up or Dress Down, the FAO leather Jackets are truly Leather Jackets For All Occasions.

All FAO Leather Jackets have these features:

  • Two front cargo pockets with original-style pocket flaps
  • Side-entry hand warmer pockets
  • Pleated action back for freedom of movement with correctly-sized small side gaps
  • Small yoke on back panel
  • Original-length side adjustment straps with rectangular sliders
  • An interior pocket
  • Brown nylon lining
  • A brass zipper

This style jacket was originally created by Neil Cooper for the movie RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK.   Neil Cooper, now US Wings, originally conceived the first pattern for the INDIANA JONES movies by combining features of the Air Force A2 and the Navy G1.  Eliminating the cuffs and waist band from the A2 and then adding the Bi-Swing back, small side gaps & side adjustment straps with rectangular sliders, the Indiana Jones jacket was born.  There have been multiple jacket manufacturers who have contributed to the four INDIANA JONES movies but it has been verified that the pedigree originated with Neil Cooper and He in fact supplied 8 jackets for theTEMPLE OF DOOM.   From hiking through the mountains, catching dinner or hailing a cab on Broadway,  FAO Leather Jackets are truly jackets For All Occasions.

A recent satisfied customer stated: ”

  Ever since I first saw the Raiders of the Lost Arc it was love at first sight with that iconic jacket / light coat. The fact that the jacket is rugged enough to meet the most excruciating demands placed upon it is proven time and time again in the series of movies. Now that we know it’s rugged lets get down to the tender side. The lack of gathering at the sleeves and waist, plus a bi swing back means to me that it is comfortable and easy to bundle up in the colder days with no compromise. The fact, once again proven by the movies and the ads by US Wings is that this is a jacket that can be dressed up. Beige pleated pants a denim shirt with tie, and the famous Fedora that US Wings features 2 different models. Then on the other hand you can slip this on so quickly with jeans, t shirt, and baseball cap. What more can you ask for in a jacket. It’s one those jackets that becomes what I like to call my ” go to jacket “.

PS…..Because of the bi swing back you can jump in your car or adventure vehicle without removing this wonderful look, talk about looking cool while driving?

Tony  9/17/2015

 
indycollectionCK342x160

If you want to read Sgt. Hack’s new blog, go here. And make sure to check out US Wings here!

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What kind of Flight Jackets does Sgt. Hack’s US Wings Have?

September 17, 2015 by

US Wings Flight jackets are known worldwide for their excellent quality and value.  US Wings Flight jackets are available in the finest leathers: Kangaroo, Bison, Horsehide, , Goatskin and Lambskin. US Wings Flight jackets are manufactured in several styles, most well known as the A2 or the G1. The A2 Leather Flight Jacket, sometimes referred to as the A2 Bomber Jacket was adopted by the Army Air Corps as standard issue in 1931.  The A2 Leather Flight jacket was made famous by the U.S. Army Air Corp airmen of World War II.  

The first A2’s were made of Horsehide, then Cowhide and then switched to Goatskin in 1943.  Fliers and crewmen adorned their jackets with squadron patches and often hand painted nose art replicating their aircraft. All  A2 Leather Flight jackets had several distinguishing characteristics: two  front snap patch pockets on either side without hand warmer compartments (hands in pockets were considered unfit for a military bearing), snap-down collar, shoulder straps, knit cuffs and waistband, a single piece of leather on the back to limit stress on the garment, and either lightweight silk or cotton inner lining. In 1943 the Army canceled any further leather jacket contracts in favor of newer cloth-shell jackets like the B-10 and B-15. The jackets continued to be popular with Aircrew members for the balance of the war continuing into the Korean War.  All contracts from 1988 to 1998 were awarded to Neil Cooper USA, now U.S. Wings of Ohio.  

According to FLIGHT JACKETS – HELL BENT FOR LEATHER, authored by Derek Nelson and Dave Parsons, the Air Force opted for goatskin instead of the original horsehide because it is very strong but not stiff.  Cooper found that at 3.5 skins per jacket, there weren’t enough American goats available to make 53,000 jackets.  They had to import goat skins from Nigeria, Tasmania and Pakistan.  In 1996 Neil Cooper USA was awarded a contract from the Defense Supply Center, Philadelphia (DSCP), to redesign the A2 Leather Flight Jacket to be more functional and to improve the fit. Side entry pockets were added to the patch pockets and inside wallet pockets were added. The fit was enlarged by adding extra pieces under the arms and on the sides and eliminating the neck clasp.

The G1 Military Flight Jacket was originally called the M-422A and introduced by the U.S. Navy in the 1930’s.  In 1943, this jacket was named by the Navy and the Army Air Forces as the ANJ-3.  It officially became the G1 in 1947. The G1 as compared to the A2 leather flight jacket has a fur lined collar, Bi-Swing back & button down flap pockets on the front. Early jackets were constructed of Goatskin and had a real Mouton collar, subsequently some model issue jackets were constructed of cowhide and have synthetic collars. The G1 is issued to new U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine and U.S. Coast Guard flight crew personnel and remains a current-issue item in Naval Aviation for Officers and Enlisted aviation personnel on flying status.  In 2011, US Wings, developed a WINGS OF GOLD G1 leather military flight jacket to honor the 100 year anniversary of the beginning of Naval Aviation.


The Centennial of Naval Aviation WINGS OF GOLD G1 featured an embroidered Navy WINGS OF GOLD and the NAVAL FLYERS CREED honoring all Navy Flyers.  

CEO David Hack presented the first WINGS OF GOLD silk lining to Admiral Mike Mullen, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.   Arguably, the G1 is best known as the leather flight jacket worn by Tom Cruise in the film TOP GUN.
If you’d like to read more, the link is here. Check out the full US Wings jacket collection here!
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What does Sgt. Hack and Indy Jackets have in common?

September 16, 2015 by


What do Sgt. Hack and Indy Jackets have in common? More than you might know.

Neil Cooper, a former partner of Sgt. Hack originally conceived the first pattern for the INDIANA JONES movies by combining features of the Air Force A2 and the Navy G1.  Eliminating the cuffs and waist band from the A2 and then adding the Bi-Swing back, small side gaps & side adjustment straps with rectangular sliders, the Indy jacket was born. There have been multiple jacket manufacturers who have contributed to the four INDIANA JONES movies but it has been verified that the pedigree originated with Neil Cooper and He in fact supplied 8 jackets for the TEMPLE OF DOOM.
Sgt. Hack, the CEO of US Wings, has passionately and continuously
developed the largest selection of Indy Style jackets in the world, available in  Texas Steerhide, Antique Lambskin, Cowhide, Bison, Kangaroo and Striated Lambskin leathers.

Now you can Win a Free U.S. Wings Indy Style Texas Steerhide  Jacket by sending us a email telling us why you like Indiana Jones and why You like the Indy-Style Jacket.   One jacket will be given away the 15th of every Month until Christmas. One jacket per customer. No purchase necessary.
Sgt Hack

Check out Sgt. Hack’s new blog here too!

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What are Sgt. Hack’s Bomber Jackets?

September 14, 2015 by

 What are Sgt. Hack’s Bomber Jackets?  Sgt. Hack is the CEO of US Wings, the premier manufacture of leather Flight Jackets, Bomber Jackets and Indy Style Jackets in the United States.

Bomber Jackets are very often mislabeled.  True Bomber Jackets are the jackets worn by flight crews in the B-17 and B-24 Aircraft.  The B-3 Jacket is the true Bomber Jacket.   As the planes were not pressured and had open windows for gun ports, flight crews in the B-17 and B-24 aircraft were exposed to sub-zero temperatures. The crews wore B-3 jackets and pants with sheep wool  linings to try to compensate for the cold.

Army-Air Force pilots wore the A-2 flight jacket. The U.S. Navy pilots wore the G-1 jacket.  The A-2 and G-1 Flight jackets are made of leather.  The military issue is Goatskin.  Many other different types of leather are used in the commercial market such as cowhide, bison, horsehide, lamb and kangaroo.

 

 

For more information click on US Wings. Check our Sgt. Hack’s new blog website here.
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You Can Honor High School Seniors going into the Military

September 4, 2015 by

Honoring High School Seniors is the purpose of the  “Our Community Salutes”  program  which identifies  high school graduates enlisting in the Armed Forces. US Wings has been a proud sponsor for the annual “Our Community Salutes” program.  467 graduating seniors who enlisted in the Armed Forces of the United States were honored at Cleveland State University.  Included were students from eight northeast Ohio counties, 131 public, private, charter, home and on-line schools. Family, friends, teachers and public officials recognized their commitment to serving our country.

Pictured above are : Lt. General Robert Wagner, US Army (Ret), Co-Chairman of “Our Community Salutes”; Colonel Terence Trenchard, Commanding Officer 4th Marine Corps District and the principal guest speaker; Mr. William Willoughby, Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army and Co-Chairman of “Our Community Salutes”; SFC David Hack, US Army (Ret), CEO of US Wings and Platinum Sponsor of “Our Community Salutes”.
This ceremony recognizes those students who have committed to entering the Armed Forces and are recognized by Military leaders, Community leaders, Business leaders and their families. Founded in 2009 in New Jersey by Dr. Kenneth Hartman, “Our Community Salutes” programs have been established in over 40 cities across America. Saluting High School Seniors who are enlisting in our Armed Forces helps recognize the contribution they will be making to our society.
Honoring those High School Seniors who have chosen to volunteer to serve our country is the first step in recognizing their desire to protecting our freedoms. You can get involved by participating in this wonderful program.

If you’d like to read Sgt. Hack’s blog, click here!

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The Hackmobile, the U.S. Military’s first Custom Vehicle

August 20, 2015 by

The Hackmobile was the U.S. Military’s first custom painted vehicle. Today all branches of service have highly decorated vehicles they use in their recruiting.  In 1970 that was not the case.

                                    Still Hacking It
Story by SSgt. Cecil Stack
(reprinted from Soldiers Magazine, February 1986)
In 1970, an olive-drab Army jeep cruising Akron, Ohio, highways probably turned few youngsters’ heads. However, an Army jeep painted red, white and blue, sporting fluorescent “U.S. Army” letters and serial numbers, chrome rims, 16-inch tires, red vinyl seats and paratroopers silhouetted against a sunburst snapped those heads right around.
“I got a lot of slack-jaw stares, laughs, and oohs and aahs,” said retired Army SFC David D. Hack. “I took the jeep to fairs, schools, drag races and any other place with crowds.”
As an Army recruiter in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, an Akron suburb, Hack used the jeep as a way to meet young people. “As a recruiting tool the jeep was fantastic,” Hack recalled. “It broke down the communication barrier between me and the young men. They wanted to see me, and during the Vietnam War not many young men wanted to see an Army recruiter. We talked about cars, girls, school activities and, of course, the Army.”
The “Hackmobile” worked. His recruiting station’s enlistments jumped from 13 in five months to 62 in the following four months. The jeep and Hack were a twosome for two years. However, the 101st Airborne Division broke up the team in 1972 when it wanted its jeep back.
About a year later, the team’s other half left the recruiting business. Hack was medically retired from the Army because of problems with a Vietnam War wound. Hack never saw the jeep again, until he visited the Fort Campbell, Ky., museum last year — 13 years later.
“The jeep basically looked the same, but over the years the paint had chipped and the top had rotted and become tattered,” Hack said. “I asked the museum’s curator about refurbishing it. After a few months and several letters, I received permission to do it.
“So I returned to Fort Campbell and took it back to Ohio. Because of the jeep’s historical value, it couldn’t get a quick repaint. So what could have taken several days took a couple of months. The body shop had to match the colors and then paint and repaint until the chips were flush with the original paint. We also replaced the top.”
Hack paid for the 1970 customizing and the recent refurbishing. Now that the restoration is finished, the jeep is back on display at the post’s Pratt Museum.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seeing the jeep again brought back a lot of memories for Hack, especially the adventure of how he got the jeep the first time. “I thought it would be neat to customize an Army jeep and use it as a sales tool,” Hack recalled, his blue eyes growing larger and his face widening into a smile. His look had just enough tease to make any young person want to take the Army challenge. “I remember calling Fort Campbell’s post sergeant major and asking for a jeep. His first response was ‘No way, Jose.’ A couple of weeks later I called again and asked if he had changed his mind. He hadn’t. I called a third time and asked when I could have my jeep.”
The sergeant major must have either thought Hack would keep asking until one of them PCSed, or he liked the idea of the division’s name being seen by thousands of people. Hack got his jeep.
“A captain and sergeant drove the jeep to a Colorado, Ohio, inn. The captain told me: ‘I’m not supposed to ask any questions. I’m only to give you the jeep and not know anything about this.’
“Everything was fine until the division commander saw the jeep on a newsreel about two years later. The problem was he liked the idea and wanted a similar jeep to help recruit soldiers into the 101st. The sergeant major told him the jeep was his, so he took it back.
For the next three years, the jeep toured Kentucky and surrounding states promoting the 101st Airborne Div. In 1975, the Hackmobile was finally retired from the recruiting business. The jeep was returned to the division’s Company D, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry.
“The jeep was almost lost forever,” said Paul Lawson of the post museum. “The company commander had the jeep in his inventory, but couldn’t drive it because of the customizing. He needed the jeep, so he was going to restore it to its olive-drab paint and standard equipment.
“We found out about the problem and got him to transfer it from his inventory to the division’s S-4 shop,” Lawson continued. “They in turn transferred the jeep to the post’s headquarters company who declared it excess and donated it to us, and we declared it historical property.
“The jeep stayed in the museum on exhibition and left here only a couple of times for exhibits until Dave asked to take it back to Ohio.”

Please help US Wings support the new US Army Museum at :  www.armyhistory.org.

If you’d like to read more, check out the post on Sgt. Hack’s newest blog here!

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Life of a Warrior Pt. 3 – Official Documents and Photos

August 2, 2015 by

http://sgthack.org/wp-content/uploads/hack-org/sites/826/Life-of-a-Warrior-photos-and-documents.pdf

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Japanese Military Gaining Popular Support

March 9, 2015 by

There is no denying the fact that the Japanese are a martial culture. History has shown time and time again about how ferocious the Japanese are when it comes to war and how the warrior has always been seen in high regard. One only needs to look at the history of Shogunates and the samurai culture to see how important the idea of a warrior’s virtue is to the Japanese population as a whole. Even during the periods of self-imposed isolation, Japan’s warrior culture only grew stronger and more intricate, leading to the eventual showdown between the military government (the Shogunate) and those in support of the Imperial family. Now, as Japan’s military has been sitting hamstrung by the treaty signed at the end of WWII as China is growing stronger, Japanese popular sentiment is pushing for a more active military than it has had in the past.sgt_hack_japanese_us_military

The initial Japanese surge of support for a stronger, more active military began after the Fukushima nuclear plant catastrophe. There, the army was instrumental in the evacuation and clean-up processes as well as in maintaining the peace and securing the area. However more and more events have happened in the past that has pushed the support into louder and louder cries as the Japanese populace begins to realize the benefits of having a full-strength and active military. First, the executing of the both Kenji Goto and Haruna Yukawa by ISIS have forced the Japanese to realize that they might have enemies who hate them simply because they’re different. This, coupled with the increasing strength and aggression of China, have led strength to Japanese PM Shinzo Abe’s current push for a rewriting of the post-WWII constitution so that Japan can have a fully unhampered military.

The main thing standing in the way of this happening is probably the United States of America. Pearl Harbor and WWII Japanese military aggression and war crimes are still recent history and doubtlessly leave a foul taste in the mouths of many people, not just the US. Japanese atrocities are still remembered by both the Chinese and the Koreans and the fact that Japan has refused to acknowledge or apologize for them is still an issue with many countries. Add to that how China would react if Japan were to start fully re-arming and an already tense region becomes a powder keg for a potential third world war. However what should also be acknowledge, no matter how painful the memories might be, is that a fully re-armed and functional Japanese military has the potential to be an even more important ally to the US and South Korea than it currently already is. With tensions increasing, who’s to say that it isn’t time to unleash the full potential of a US-Japanese alliance?

If you’d like to read more, the link is here.

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