Special Forces
Featured is a light weight tiger stripe camouflage shirt worn by Special Forces veteran SGT Bruce Ulricson while he was attached to the B-16 Mike Force (1st Mobile Strike Force Command) from 09/01/1969 to 03/01/1970. His tiger stripe shirt has his name and army tape machine embroidered on tiger stripe material, a Vietnamese hand embroidered set of US jump wings sewn on tiger stripe material, and a set of South Vietnamese silk woven (bevo) jump wings. SGT Ulricson remembered the name and army tapes being made up on a sewing machine at the B-16 compound, “where you could buy boonie hats and assorted items then have anything direct embroidered on them for little cost.”
SGT Ulricson also served as a radioman at Camp A-109 (Thuong Duc) from 01/01/1969 to 09/01/1969. I recently had the privilege of interviewing SGT Ulricson, where he relayed his experiences serving on an A-Team and Mike Force:
1. What was your motivation to volunteer for Special Forces?
What motivated me initially was the physical and mental challenge of being S.F. Also, being with the best trained soldiers in the Army. I spent 1 year in Training Group and served with the most professional NCO’s in the Army… dedicated, professional, motivated, pride and never whining about duty to our country. They realized their risk and went the extra mile. Some of these men came home in body bags. There are some things worth dying for…
2. What Special Forces Groups did you serve in chronologically during your Special Forces career?
Enlisted:
- PFC: Training Group 7/1967 – 6/1968
- Spec 4: 6th SFG(A) 6/1968 – 11/1968
- Spec 4 – SSGT: 5th SFG(A) 12/1968 – 3/1970
Officer:
- 1/10th SFG(A) ODA 31 (Team Leader) 4/1985 – 6/1987
- SOCOM (Ft Bragg) Project Officer, Training Exercises 1987 – 1989
- S3 – Training Group Spt Bn 1993 – 1994
- Retired 8/1994
3. What did you like/dislike about serving on an A-Team?
Likes:
Again, serving with the best. Working with our allies (e.g. Dutch, Canadian, SAS, Germans). I liked the physical and mental challenge. The diversity in the mission… operations from living in snow caves, jumping out of MC-130’s, living in the jungle with Rhade (Montagnards), rock climbing, weapons training, meeting people… never bored, a sense of accomplishing the mission(s), and surviving all of this. I have approximately 2 dozen friends’ names carved on The Wall. Life is precious.
Dislikes:
Dog and pony shows for VIP’s. Warm beer. Learning of a close friend’s KIA. The medic. Rats crawling on you at night… leeches. Dumb people; that could get others killed. People that give up.
4. What did you like/dislike about serving on a Mike Force?
The Mike Force was the Montagnards. Totally loyal to our missions and to us. Did not run away from enemy contact. Loved to party after combat operations. Watch cowboy shows. Play volleyball. They new the “bush.” Took care of me. The best fighters!
I liked my complete tour with the Mike Force. If not in the bush, I spent my free time with the Rhade; socializing, training, eating, drinking, partying – understanding them, as well as they understand me.
I honestly cannot recall any time I would put in the “dislike” category. (I’m sure there were some)
5. Any intersting stories you would like to share about training, camp, life, patrols, operations, etc?
My entire 6 months with the Rhade I could write an action story/novel. Following is a list of stuff I remember and share with you:
- Watching John Wayne/cowboy movies
- Drinking and partying with them (Rhade).
- I would buy gin at the PX on sale
- Playing volleyball… combat style
- Looking at Time/Life magazines together and explaining US customs, values, culture
- Chep (Rhade Co Commander) “appropriating” a mattress for him
- Being invited and participating in three Black Rock ceremonies with village elders. And receiving a montagyard bracelet
- Crossing rivers and throwing in concussion grenades to get a fish dinner that evening. Cut in two, stuffed in a canteen cup, heated with C-4 provides a yummy hot meal
- Crossing bomb craters by walking single file over the crater of a fallen tree. The one that falls in gets wet and we all get a good belly laugh out of it
- Rhade had a great sense for enjoying life and realizing “their” day with the Americans will end and probably not the way they want
My time in the Mike Force and with the Rhade will be forever etched in my being for my lifetime.
The following images were taken by a 173rd Airborne photographer who followed a Mike Force operation SGT Ulricson was on. Click on the images to read the captions SGT Ulricson provided.
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Special Forces
Vietnamese-Made Green Beret w/ Hand Embroidered 5th GP Flash
In this article, I will exhibit three more Vietnam era Special Forces berets from my collection. The first one is a Vietnamese made beret with a Vietnamese made, hand embroidered 5th Group flash. The beret has a stiff vinyl sweatband, no vent grommets, silk lining, a plastic diamond with foil maker and size (58) tags, and a thin rayon drawstring. The wool is a bit thicker than some theater-made berets and is constructed from pieces of material sewn together, creating a seam around the circumference of the beret. The flash is wonderfully embroidered on wool and machine sewn to the beret.
Fleur Di Lis Green Beret w/ Okinawa-Made 1st GP Flash
This beret is a scarce 1961 dated Fleur Di Lis Canadian beret with a wonderful 1st variation Okinawa-made flash. The flash is fully machine embroidered with LTC Colonel rank direct embroidered into the gold flash. The shape is slightly smaller than typical flash size and machine sewn to the beret. This beret is part of a White Star uniform group belonging to LTC Edgar J. Albrick featured here.
1968 Dated Goverment 1st Group Green Beret
This is a government contract (Dorothy Mills), 1968 dated EM/NCO Green Beret with a 3rd variation 1st group flash.
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Special Forces
LTC Edgar J. Albrick was a three-war veteran serving in WWII (23rd and 33rd Armored Engineer Bn, 7th Armored Div, 8th Armored Division, and 296th Combat Engineer Bn), Korea (15th Infantry, 3rd Div), and South East Asia (77th, 7th, and 1st Special Forces). His military awards and decorations include: Silver Star Medal, 3 Bronze Star Medals, 3 Purple Hearts, 3 Combat Infantry Badges, 8 Campaign Stars, and Master Jump Wings.
Albrick was also a coach and educator for 28 years, teaching first grade through college. He coached 11 different varsity sports.
LTC “Coach” Albrick died on February 20, 2002.
His uniform items are from the period when Albrick served as Detachment Commander for MTT (Mobile Training Team) Laos during “Operation White Star” (sixth rotation) from 10/15/1961 – 04/13/1962. Albrick is listed as a Major for this assignment in “Who’s Who From Hotfoot / White Star” by Stephen Sherman, but I verified with Sherman that Albrick was actually a LTC (Lieutenant Colonel) before leaving for Laos.
Both utility shirts are half-sleeved which was commonly seen in Laos. One shirt is HBT (herring bone twill) and the other is Sateen material. Both shirts have metal “13 star” buttons as seen on WWII HBTs. Both shirts have CIB’s (Combat Infantry Badges) with 1 star for combat in WWII and Korea. Albrick received his 3rd CIB for White Star later on 8/14/1963.
His ball cap is Okinawa-made and his beret is a scarce 1961 dated Fleur Di Lis with a unique Okinawa-made flash. It is slightly smaller than typical flashes and has the rank directly embroidered on it. The flash is machine sewn to the beret.
In addition to being a soldier and educator, Edgar Albrick was a poet. Below is one of his poems.
How Is Time Affecting You?
The lines in your face grow deeper.
Are you smiles further apart and few?
Are your pains more frequent and lasting?
How is time affecting you?
Many have departed at an early age.
We continue to drop along the way.
How are you reacting to this human pace
Since God allows you to stay?
We watch the young grow and develop
We envy their youth every day.
I hope none of you feel sorry about life
If you didn’t do it your way.
Experiences we try to pass on
To our successors whoever they may be.
But the trip that was made
Can never be replayed; it was made by me.
Our thoughts grow ever deeper
To God, his home and our fate.
We can’t help but keep on thinking
This trip in our future will be great.
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Special Forces
This is a Vietnam War era Indig (Indigenous) sleeping bag as used by MACV-SOG personel on cross-boarder ops in Laos and Cambodia. Many do not realize that in parts of Vietnam the temperature can drastically drop at night. SOG personnel needed something “sterile” (void of any association to the United States) and lightweight to provide warmth. Some troops used the indigenous sleeping bag, while others used indig poncho liners.
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Special Forces
This is a CISO (Counter Insurgency Support Office) procured hammock that was made “sterile”, meaning void of any association to United States to be used by Special Forces, MACV-SOG, and indigenous personnel particularly in clandestine cross-boarder operations in Laos and Cambodia. It loosely resembles an NVA (North Vietnamese Army) hammock. This example appears to be unused and was part of a Special Forces Mike Force group. It is the only example I’ve seen, but like other CISO items, it probably came in other colors.
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