1. Camouflage: The Vietnam War produced some of the most interesting camo patterns with collector names like cloud, tiger stripe, ERDL (leaf pattern), beo gam, duck hunter, pinks, ARVN, and lizard. Tiger Stripe remains the most popular pattern among collectors because there are many variants; elite forces were seen wearing tiger stripes, and many of the variants are still readily obtainable. A tiger stripe shirt in a common pattern and a small size will bring between $80-100, where as a clean shirt in “Golden tiger” pattern in a decent size will command $500 or more.

2. Headgear: Soldiers during the Vietnam War wore a variety of headgear, including: the M1 helmet, sun helmets, berets (in cloth and wool), bush hats and boonies, billed caps, and even bandages and do-rags like a swashbuckler. Many caps were “theater-made,” meaning they were manufactured in Vietnam or a surrounding country like Thailand or Japan. Theater-made items are particularly desirable to collectors and you can identify them by their construction, vent grommets, and markings. A complete Vietnam era infantry M1 helmet with a cloth camouflage cover sells for around $30, whereas the airborne M1-C helmet sells for more than $100. A tiger stripe boonie will bring $250 or more depending on the type or provenance.

3. Uniforms and Insignia: Fatigues worn in Vietnam were often adorned with attractive insignia. The value of a uniform depends on several factors, including the unit the vet served in (Army typically sells better than other units), the era or pattern of the uniform (earlier pattern jungle fatigues are scarcer and in higher demand than latter patterns), and the insignia on the uniform (theater-made name/Army tapes and shoulder sleeve insignia, or a pocket patch are desirable). Be very careful collecting Vietnam insignia, though, because it has become a minefield filled with fakes. In fact, handmade insignia is being made today in Vietnam to emulate original wartime insignia and deceive buyers! A badged Air Force green jungle jacket with theater-made insignia sells for less than $30, whereas a green Special Forces jungle jacket in any pattern with theater-made insignia will sell in the hundreds if it has firm provenance.

4. Knives: Soldiers carried a variety of both issued and privately purchased knives in Vietnam. They have serious crossover appeal to both militaria and knife collectors, which contributes to the high prices some types are bringing today. Collectible makers and types include: Gerber MKII, EK, Randall, CISO SOG knives and bolos, Western, Garcia, Buck, and Marbles. A clean, Vietnam-era pilot’s survival knife with sharpening stone ranges between $60-120, whereas a clean CISO SOG knife with provenance from the vet will sell for $2,000 and more.

5. Field Gear: United States involvement in the Vietnam War spanned longer than a decade and considerable development was made in the equipment soldiers used. Many Vietnam collectors enjoy acquiring field gear variations; particularly experimental or limited-issue pieces. Most Vietnam field gear is relatively affordable, but certain pieces like rucksacks (indigenous, lightweight, jungle, etc.) have increased in value largely due to interest in Vietnam historical reenactment. A one-quart plastic canteen in a canvas cover sells for less than $10, whereas a complete lightweight ruck (w/ tubular aluminum frame) sells for around $250.

The Internet is a powerful tool for researching and acquiring military collectibles, but it cannot compare to the tactile experience of being at show, holding the objects in your hand and having face to face dialog with dealers.

Vietnam militaria has always been my primary collecting interest, but it does not surface as often as militaria from other eras, particularly WWII.  I was elated to find two nice pieces of Vietnam headgear at the show this year.

The first item is a wonderful 1962 dated Fleur Di Lis green beret w/ an early, unmarked “skull harp” DI (distinctive insignia) and a red 7th Group flash made from red satin.  Judging by the early date and the unique flash, I would not be surprised if this was beret was actually worn by an early advisor in Vietnam.  The other piece of headgear I purchased at the show was a Vietnam bush hat in an interesting variation of “pinks” camouflage.  Bush hats are still a great value and fun to collect considering all the unique camouflage patterns they come in.

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Gold Tiger Stripe Boonie

This boonie was made from a light, poplin material.  The crown was partially lined in black with tiny, non-functional vent grommets.  It had a size stamp inside marked “M – 6 3/4″.  I wish I could remember why I had to sell this beauty because it looked great with my gold tiger set…

CISO Tiger Stripe Boonie

I consider this the quintessential tiger stripe boonie for tiger stripe and Special Forces collectors.  It is commonly seen being worn by Special Forces and indigenous personnel in Vietnam.  The boonie’s crown has a low profile and is partially lined in black with a small (1/2″) silk size tag marked “S”, “M”, or “L”.   Author Richard Johnson describes this tiger stripe camouflage pattern as “John Wayne Dense” or  “JWD” in his book Tiger Patterns.

Late War Tiger Stripe Boonie

I’ve handled and owned a few of this style boonie and they all were constructed with thick black nylon thread.  The crown is partially lined in raw silk and they resemble the above CISO boonie in many ways.  These boonies are also found to all have a size stamp/code.  This one is marked, “A-S” and “T079″.  I also own one marked “A-L”.  The thick nylon thread has led many collectors to believe these are not wartime manufacture, but a recent consensus among advanced collectors on the usmilitariaforum.com concluded that these are not only legit, but also late war due to the “T079″ stamp being similar to stamps in some late war pattern tiger stripe shirts and trousers (with black buttons).

Salty Short Brimmed Tiger Stripe Boonie

This one is an honest, tailor-made tiger boonie, with a short brim and evidence of clutch-back insignia once being affixed to the front.  The top of the crown reveals tiny holes from a seam line, indicated this boonie was made from another garment, which is common for tailor-made boonies (and current fakes so watch out!).  As I look at these images, I am missing this one…

Floppy Brimmed Tiger Stripe Boonie

This was the first tiger stripe boonie I ever owned and it was unique in that it had a sweat band made from tiger material as opposed to being partially lined like most patterns.

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