BUAER MARK 2 Navy pilot survival life vest. Manufctr Oct '58 Attack Squadron 44

Vintage U.S. Navy pilot survival vest, likely from the Vietnam War era, specifically associated with Attack Squadron 44 (VA-44). Key features include: * Multiple pockets for survival gear * Attachment points for a light and oral connector * Distinct yellow color for visibility * Used by pilots for emergency situations, especially ejection over water * Type: Pneumatic life vest. * Manufacturer: Rubber Fabricators Inc., Grantsville, West Virginia. * Specification Number: MIL-V-60778 (AER). * Contract Number: N383-50873A. * Manufacturing Date: October 1958. The United States Navy Mark 2 pneumatic life vest was was standard issue for naval aviators and aircrews in the late 1940s and saw continuous use throughout the Vietnam War. VA-44, nicknamed the Hornets, was an Attack Squadron of the US Navy. The squadron was established as Fighter Squadron VF-44 on 1 September 1950, and redesignated VA-44 on 1 January 1956. .