1950s Sting with the Tennessee Highway Patrol Yellow Jackets
Special police motorcycle unit was fast and highly visible.
Fast Mandate
Long before fluorescent was the norm, the Tennessee Highway Patrol took a bold approach to visibility. Formed in 1958, the 'Yellow Jackets' were a special motorcycle unit decked out in bright yellow, and equipped with matching Harley-Davidson Duo-Glides. Fast and highly visible, their mandate was to curb the growing number of speed-related fatalities on Tennessee's highways.
Photos courtesy of Tennessee Department of Safety.
Unique Image
As the story goes, the Yellow Jackets got their name after a police raid on a Nashville 'good-time' house. Surprised patrons of the illegal liquor joint compared the arresting officers to a swarm of wasps. Tennessee State Police Commissioner, G. Hilton Butler liked the reference so much that he decided to create a unique task force in the same image.
Photo courtesy of Tennessee State Library.
Volunteer Yellow
Commissioner Butler ordered custom uniforms and new Duo-Glides for his elite squad. The bikes were painted yellow, and a wasp decal was added to the windshield. Tennessee Highway Patrol members who volunteered as Yellow Jacket officers received a uniform consisting of black leather motorcycle boots, black pants with a yellow stripe, yellow shirts with black pockets and jackets dyed yellow for cold weather riding.
Thoroughly Modern
Introduced in 1958, the Duo-Glide paved the way for the Big Twin touring format. Harley-Davidson had originally introduced full suspension on the smaller K Model in 1952. It took six more years for the FL-series to receive a redesigned frame featuring a swingarm and coil-over-shocks. Powered by the OHV Panhead motor in either 61 or 74 cubic-inch versions, the Duo-Glide was a thoroughly modern motorcycle.
Replaced Force
The Tennessee Highway Patrol was formed in 1929, by an act of legislation with the primary purpose of enforcing laws applicable to state highways. The Highway Patrol replaced the unpopular State Police Force, which had been created three years earlier. In 1957, it became the first police agency in the U.S. to utilize helicopters in patrol work.
Custom Tag
In this undated photograph, retired 'Yellow Jacket' Trooper Ed Beckman holds a photograph of himself. Along with his regulation badge, Beckman obtained permission to wear a custom name tag fashioned from a set of Harley-Davidson wings. In Beckman's photograph, he is posed on a rigid frame Hydra-Glide. Beckman must have got an upgrade, because in the previous image he is shown sitting on a later model Duo-Glide.
Toned Down
For all of Commissioner Butler's effort to establish the Yellow Jackets, the unit was disbanded six months later. There is no recorded reason for terminating the short-lived enterprise. Yet, the uniforms and bright paint scheme remained popular among officers. Later, other Highway Patrol motorcycle units adopted the look as seen in this photograph from 1963, but with the original yellow toned down a bit.
Infamous Sting
The only trace of yellow left on the contemporary uniform is found on the shoulder patch, which commemorates Tennessee's entry into the Union. Even though the Yellow Jackets have long since disbanded, their sting can still be felt. Anyone caught riding a bit too fast on the infamous Tail of the Dragon, which crosses from North Carolina to Tennessee through Deals Gap, will certainly confirm its presence.
Photo courtesy of News Sentinel.
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