OG-107
This is a Vietnam War era first pattern OG-107 pattern utility shirt was used by SP4 Kenneth M. Madsen. Madsen was a medic with 77th GP at camp FA-4/61 Vientiane/Dong Hene, Laos during Operation Hot Foot (2nd rotation) from 12/14/1959 to 06/11/1960. Hot Foot was the early advance party before being re designated Operation White Star in 04/19/1961.
The shirt is in nice shape with the exception of a few rust spots from storage. It has the early khaki US jump wings that turn creamy white after repeated washings. The squared off specialist insignia is appropriate for a late 1950’s uniform. A nice example of an early Special Forces advisor shirt.
Price: SOLD
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OG-107
This is a very complete group for a Special Forces veteran that served two tours in Vietnam and was killed on 16 July, 1970 at camp A-236 (Bu Prang) while patrolling the camp perimeter. Prior to assignment at Camp A-236, he was with 1st Special Forces Group and TDY’d to FOB-3, (Command and Control North MACV-SOG) on a Snakebite Team and served on a Hatchet Force. This vet is listed in Sherman’s Who Who in SOG on page 132. Some of his awards include: US and Philippine Jump Wings, Combat Infantry Badge, Bronze Star Medal, Good Conduct Medals, Vietnamese Gross of Gallantry w/ Palm, PUB, and Navy PUC.
I purchased everything in this group from a person who lives in the same town as the veteran’s parents. He purchased the items directly from the family.
The items in this group include:
1. CISO made PJs. CISO (Counter Insurgency Support Office) was located on Okinawa and headed by Ben Baker. They made “sterile” untraceable weapons, equipment, and garments to be used by CIA, Special Forces, and Indigenous personnel in Vietnam and denied areas like Laos and Cambodia. There is ample photographic evidence of CISO PJs being worn by SOG Hatchet Teams in cross border operations.
This Set of PJs have been worn but are in excellent condition. They have the CISO silk size tags marked “M” for medium. The trousers have the vet’s initials in white laundry marker.
2. Tiger stripe camouflage shirt in “Tadpole Sparse” pattern. Size tag in neck is marked “A-L” for Asian Large. The shirt has strong color and all buttons with original thread. There is one pea-sized hole in the chest. Otherwise, the shirt is in excellent condition.
3. 1968 dated Jungle jacket in excellent condition. This must have been the soldier’s garrison jacket because it is crisp with nicely sewn insignia. The shoulder has early twill subdued Special Forces SSI. The breast has US and Philippine jump wings.
4. 1968 dated OG-107 Utility shirt with early twill subdued Special Forces SSI on the shoulder, a Combat Infantry Badge, and US Jump Wings. There are period repairs to both armpits that are not visible when displayed. The collar has a laundry tag with the last 4 digits of the vet’s Army serial number.
5. Rare and unique tiger stripe Okinawa-made apron with “SP/5 WEAVER, CAMP HARDY, COMBAT TRAINING CENTER” machine embroidered on the front. The vet’s MOS was Demolitions and I would assume that he wore this apron when working with and advising on explosives.
6. 1965 dated OG-107 Dive Shorts. The soldier’s nametape is sewn across the leg and his laundry ID is in the waist. These were commonly worn while scuba diving.
7. Green Class A Blouse with SSGT Chevrons and cut-edge color Special Forces SSI. The blouse has several moth nips, but still could display decently. Loose insignia is listed in number 17.
8. Black leather jump boots in excellent condition.
9. Theater-made camouflage ascot
10. Theater-made pillow cover with hand embroidered tiger and “Viet-Nam”.
11. Interesting rigger-made Airborne M1-C helmet web chin cup
12. Vietnam souvenir ceramic ashtray
13. The vet’s Basic Training yearbook from Fort Knox, Kentucky
14. Two Special Forces transfer decals
15. Training Manuals with Weaver’s Name on them
16. Spiral notebook with demolition notes and a letter to a girlfriend that he never finished…
17. Insignia including 8 nametapes, Army tape, two cloth jump wings, two cloth CIBs, two Special Forces para ovals, two subdued SF SSIs, two color SF SSIs, 1 color airborne tab, 5th Group flash, 1st Group flash, 10th Group flash, SF DI (with 1 prong missing), Vietnamese-made Playboy Bunny patch, Vietnamese made three place ribbon bar, EM garrison cap badge with blue infantry disk.
18. Montagnard carving of a Huey Helicopter
19. Copies of general orders and citations for Weaver’s Army Commendation Medal, Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Award Document.
20. Detailed NARA records containing undeleted sheets of Weaver’s awards received, assignments, and achievements.
Price: SOLD
Posted in Recently Sold Militaria, Vietnam War Militaria, Vietnam War Militaria | 6 Comments »
OG-107
Here is a uniform and document group for an airborne trooper that fought in combat with the 187th RCT in Korea and later the 173rd Airborne in Vietnam until we was mortally wounded.
Sgt. Robert Allen Gray served 11 months in Korea with the 187th RCT Rakkasan’s. He served in Company C, 2nd Battalion, 503rd PIR, 173rd Airborne in Vietnam.
On 18 Dccember 1965, Gray’s company was on a Search and Destroy mission at Courtenay, Republic of Vietnam when his company encountered a large force of well-entrenched Viet Cong. The forward elements of the company were ordered to mark the Viet Cong positions with smoke grenades. One of the grenades thrown hit thick underbrush and bounced back onto a soldier and became entangled in his webbing.
SGT Gray saw that the soldier was being burned by the grenade and rushed to his aid, exposing himself to intense enemy fire. He grabbed the grenade and threw back at the Viet Cong but was killed by small arms fire in the process. His grenade landed on target and marked the enemy position for air strike.
For this act of heroism, SGT Gray received a posthumous Silver Star Medal and Purple Heart Medal.
The items in this group include:
• Class A Blouse, Shirt, and Trousers. The blouse is patched with a Korean era 187th RCT patch on the right (combat) sleeve and an 82nd Airborne patch on the right sleeve. Gray was in the 82nd Airborne prior to being attached to the 173rd. The blouse and trousers are both 1960 dated. All three items are in excellent condition with no stains or mothing.
• 1st Pattern OG-107 Utility shirt with all full color insignia. The 187th RCT patch is a highly desirable Okinawa-made version. The shirt is 1963 dated and in excellent condition. This shirt and insignia configuration is what SGT Gray would have been wearing when he was mortally wounded. Jungle fatigues and boots were still limited issue at this point.
• Class B Khaki shirt and trousers in excellent condition. The shirt is 1956 dated and has SGT chevrons machine sewn on the sleeves. It is laundry stamped in several places with Gray’s ID number. The Trousers are 1952 dated and also marked in several places with Gray’s ID number
• Paperwork Copies:
o General Order for Gray’s Silver Star including the full citation
o Western Union Telegram informing SGT Gray’s wife that her husband has been killed in action
o Two documents detailing SGT Gray’s personal possessions (including weight) that were being sent back to the United States. Note: the uniform pieces in this group were among these items.
o Customs sheet for SGT Gray’s personnel effects
o A sheet containing copies of local newspaper clippings about SGT Gray’s heroism and death
o Letters of condolence from President Johnson, General Abrams, General Westmorleand, General Williamson, Stanley Resor (Secretary Of The Army), the Army Relief Society, Air Vice Marshal Nguyen-Cao-Ky, and CPT Frederick G. Henchell (Gray’s Commanding Officer).
o Copies of military records from NARA
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OG-107
This is a 1st pattern OG-107 utility shirt worn by SGT Richard Vanderzwalm. Vanderzwalm served multiple tours in Southeast Asia with Special Forces and MACV-SOG. This shirt dates to when he was a heavy weapons instructor at Camp A-236 (Lac Thien) from 02/1966 to 02/1967.
As a SSGT, Vanderzwalm also had a tour at FOB-3 in Khe Sanh, where he received a Bronze Star for Valor while on a patrol near hill 471 with Spike Team Bear CCN (Command and Control North) on 02/04/1968.
After OCS, CPT Vanderzwalm was the Detachment CO for Project Unity at camp Lo T-541 (46th SFGA) in 10/1972. He also served on a TDY team from 1st SFGA at FTT-1 in Thailand.
The shirt is textbook with early tan jump wings that turn creamy white after repeated washings. There are shadows on the sleeves from former specialist rank. All other insignia is original to the garment.
Price: SOLD
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OG-107
It’s been a busy day. I’ve been researching my new reinforced jump jacket and may have the vet identified. More on that later…
I just added a nice Vietnam Special Forces / SOG uniform, photo, document group to the This is a uniform, document, and photo group for a multiple tour Special Forces and SOG veteran.
CPT Thomas Dolighan was the S-2 for camp B-4630 in Thailand from 10/1966 to 09/1967, making him part of the original 46th Special Forces Group. Later he was the S-4 for the CLD (Command Liason Detachment) in Saigon from 10/1967 to 03/1968. Then Dolighan was the S-4 at FOB-3 from 03/1968 to 09/1968.
His tour at FOB-3 was interrupted when he was seriously wounded in the early morning of 08/23/68 at CCN headquarters, when over one hundred Viet Cong sappers penetrated the compound and killed 15 Special Forces NCOs and Officers, and 16 Chinese Nung mercenaries, Montagnards, and South Vietnamese Special Forces personnel.
CPT Dolighan also did a tour at B-55 (5th Mobile Strike Force) in Nha Trang, but exact the dates are unknown at this time.
The group includes:
1. OD rip-stop medium-regular jungle jacket (dated 1968) with CCN made name and Army tapes, Thai Master Jump Wings, US Master Jump Wings, CIB, subdued SF shoulder sleeve insignia (on both shoulders to denote that he served and was in combat with SF), and a Ranger Tab.
2. OG-107 Utility Shirt with subdued Special Forces SSI on both shoulders, Ranger Tab, Thai Master Jump Wings, US Master Jump Wings, CIB, and name and Army tapes.
3. OG-107 Utility pants
4. Nicely tailored Class A Blouse with Dolighan’s initials embroidered inside. The insignia has been partially reconstructed (by me) based off a period photo.
5. Two file boxes of paperwork including:
• Thai Training Logs and Field Reports (46th Gp Tour)
• Service Records containing general orders, special orders, award citations, transfer documents, etc (Some SOG related).
• West Point Photos, grades, notes, etc
• Field Manuals
• ID Cards, business cards, issued weapon cards, souvenirs, etc
• Language notes and books for Vietnamese and Thai
• Rubber Stamps and stencils
• Photographs in Vietnam, in 82nd Airborne, etc
Paperwork:
1) File folder containing: 1. West Point grades 2. Special Orders 3. General Orders 4. Award Certificates 4. Permanent Orders 5. Photocopies of photos 6. Project Delta Recon Manual “Tips of the Trade/Lessons Learned”
2) Vinyl 3-ring binder containing: 1. Copy of the CLD roster 2. NARA papers containing service record info 3. 23 8×10 photographs of Dolighan in the Army and at West Point 4. 4 5×7 photographs of Special Forces 5. Correspondence with 5th Special Forces archivist regarding Dolighan 6. More General orders 7. Photocopy of an article of the CCN sapper attack Dolighan was wounded in
3) Vintage 3-ring binder containing Vietnam era TO&E (Tables, Organization, and Equipment)
4) Vintage 3-ring binder containing Vietnam era SOP for Civil-Military Operations
5) Vintage 3-ring binder containing Royal Thai Army (46th GP) Counterinsurgency Leadership Orientation Course
6) Vintage 3-ring binder containing Royal Thai Army (46th GP) Counterinsurgency Company Level Training Course
7) Vintage binder containing Royal Thai Army (46th GP) Lesson Plans (Vol II)
8) Binder/Book containing the manual (5th Special Forces Group dated October 25th, 1967) for Regulations on Receiving, Issuing, and Awarding Decorations and Awards within Special Forces. Discusses criteria, shows examples of write ups, etc. Very unique book!
9) Manual (legal size) for the Royal Thai Army Special Forces Officer Course at the Special Warfare School at Camp Pawai, Thailand Jan. 1967 (CPT Dolighan helped developed a lot of this curriculum)
10) Manual (legal size) for SOP at DET C-101A (May 1966 46th SFGA)
11) 3 Legal sized folders stuffed with 46th GP lesson plans
12) Legal sized folder containing 46th GP After Action Reports
13) Folder containing “CT Camp Report”, a SF base camp in Thailand
14) File folder containing press clippings of Thailand incidents of violence and US/Thai relations
15) West Point Invitation to Founders Day Dinner 1966
16) Dolighan’s Wedding invitation
17) Military book published in Thai
18) Military manual on Thai Military Subjects and Situations
19) PSYOP Thailand Handbook
20) United States Army School manual on Las – Vietnam Political and Military Background
21) United States Forces Thailand Telephone Directory book (Jan. 1974)
22) Book containing Thai information to incoming personnel (post exchange, customs, etc)
23) Selected Bibliography for Southeast Asia put together by the Foreign Service Institute
24) Note cards containing info on a Thai Special Forces presentation
25) Newspaper article with CPT Dolighan in 5th GP beret
26) Full color military map of Thailand
27) US Army Handbook for Vietnam (dated Sept 1962)
28) Book entitled “Speak Vietnamese” containing hand written notes from CPT Dolighan (1966 edition)
29) Zip lock bag containing: Dolighan West Point name tape (1963), Soldiers Guide to Thailand booklet, map reading tools, Military Drivers license, 2 (1963 dated) M60 machine gun manuals, 6 private weapon registration cards (.45, .357, Walther 9mm, etc), business cards, code of conduct cards, etc
30) MAJ Dolighan foot locker stencil
31) Large plastic bag containing Ranger techniques booklet, Thai and Vietnamese phrase books, Thailand business cards, combat engineer/demo charts, too much to list!
32) Other Vietnam/Military related pamphlets, booklets, files, etc
Posted in Recently Sold Militaria, Vietnam War Militaria, Vietnam War Militaria | 3 Comments »
