The Real McCoy's Military Tee / 53rd 2nd Air Force is constructed from 8 oz. cotton jersey and sewn with 100% cotton thread. In keeping with original vintage examples held in our archive, the graphic is applied using a hand-stenciled printing process. Because each stencil is applied manually, slight variations in registration and ink coverage are inherent to the process, resulting in a subtly individuated finish across each garment.

The design references vintage athletic T-shirts associated with the U.S. Army Air Forces Second Air Force, a major training command responsible for the defense of the Northwestern United States and the Upper Great Plains during World War II. During the Cold War, the Second Air Force transitioned into a Strategic Air Command unit operating strategic bombers and ballistic missiles; its air defense assets included the 53rd Wing. Large training commands of the wartime period organized athletic teams as a component of physical conditioning and morale programs, with football proving particularly popular among service personnel.

The "53" follows the convention of stenciled athletic numbering rather than formal unit designation, though it is worth noting that the 53rd Wing served as a subordinate air defense unit within the Second Air Force's Cold War structure. Numerals of this kind were rapidly applied by stencil, allowing large batches of training shirts to be marked efficiently for team rosters or individual identification.

100% Cotton Fabric, 8 oz.

Cotton Sewing Thread Construction

Hand Stencilled Print on Front

Made in Japan