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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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.

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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.

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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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Read Vietnam Special Forces Green Berets: Part I

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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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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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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A clean Vietnam era “cut-edge” shoulder sleeve insignia machine embroidered on dark blue twill.  Unissued condition.

Price: SOLD

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This STABO is as-received from a Special Forces vet attached to 46th Group in 1971-72.  He claimed to have received the rig from a fellow SF trooper who was was approaching DEROS (Date Eligible for Return From Overseas) and had used the STABO rig with C&C (Command & Control MACV-SOG).  Unfortunately, the vet can no longer remember the name of the SOG vet!  Note the black spray paint camouflage and the canteen covers used as ammo pouches.

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CISO (Counter Insurgency Support Office) headed by Deputy Chief Ben Baker and located on Okinawa provided many logistical resources to MACV-SOG and Special Forces during the Vietnam War.  Among these items were sterile uniforms to be worn by US and indigenous SOG personnel on clandestine operations in Laos and Cambodia.  This is an example of a CISO procured shirt patterned to look like an NVA garment.

The only marking it bears is a number “3″ inside the collar, which may denote size.  There is ample photographic evidence of this pattern CISO shirt being worn by indigenous RT (recon team) SOG members in books like:

• SOG: Team History and Insignia of a Clandestine Army by Jason Hardy and Mike Tucker
• Running Recon: A Photo Journey with SOG Special Ops Along the Ho Chi Minh Trail by Frank Greco
• SOG: A Photo History of the Secret Wars by John L. Plaster

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This uniform was worn by a Special Forces veteran who served as 1-1 (Assistant Recon Team Leader) for RT Bushmaster, CCN (Command and Control North) from 10/1969 – 12/1970.  The uniform was worn on the veteran’s final operation with SOG, a trail watch mission in Laos.

The jacket and trousers are “sterile” meaning they are void of all tags and insignia other than the veteran’s blood type (A Positive) marked in pen on both the jacket and trousers.  They are camouflaged with black spray paint and the trouser legs have black residue from being secured with black electrical tape.

One of the cargo pockets is missing because it was torn off as the veteran was dragged through jungle canopy during an emergency extraction after their mission was compromised.  The veteran received an Army Commendation Medal for Valor for actions during this mission.  His citation reads:

For heroism in connection with ground operations against a hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam: Staff Sergeant XXXXXX distinguished himself by heroism on 24 June 1970 while serving as the radio operator on a long range reconnaissance team operating deep within enemy held and denied territory.  Sergeant XXXXXX’s team was given the mission to gather highly classified and vital strategic and tactical intelligence.  On the morning of 24 June, at about 0700, enemy forces which surrounded the mountain top began intensifying their efforts to dislodge the reconnaissance team from their positions.  Throughout the day the team was besieged by an enemy force vastly outnumbering them.  At about 1600 hours, Sergeant XXXXXX began exposing himself to the enemy fire in an effort to obtain an estimated distance and azimuth from the team to enemy automatic positions.  Sergeant XXXXXX repeatedly risked his safety to aid the team leader in locating enemy so that the gunships could place their ordnance.  As the extraction helicopters neared, Sergeant XXXXXX, again with complete disregard for his own safety, grabbed a panel from an indigenous team member and stood fully exposed to the enemy below.  Sergeant XXXXXX in slow deliberate movements, began flashing the panel to mark the landing zone for the aircraft.  Even while guiding the aircraft, Sergeant XXXXXX remained vigilant for enemy fire.  After the first aircraft departed, the enemy fire became concentrated on the landing zone.  As Sergeant XXXXXX climbed the ladder of the second ship, he saw a heavy enemy machine gun firing on his aircraft.  Sergeant XXXXXX alerted the crew to the enemy fire, and as they evaded the enemy fire, Sergeant XXXXXX was dragged through a tree, but the aircraft was safe.  Sergeant XXXXXX showed himself to be courageous, intelligent and completely dedicated to mission accomplishment.  Staff Sergeant XXXXXX’s heroic and highly commendable actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect greatly upon himself, Special Forces and the United States Army.

Note the veteran’s citation reads he was operating in South Vietnam when his recon team was actually in Laos.  Included are images of the veteran suited up at Camp Long Thanh, as well as his certificate for completing Reconnaissance Team Leaders course at Long Thanh.

A few of the veteran’s awards include:

• Purple Heart w/ Oakleaf
• RVN Staff Service Medal 2nd Class
• Army Commendation Medal for heroism
• Parachutist Badge
• 4 Overseas Ribbons
• RVN Service Medal w/ 1 Silver Star and 3 Bronze Stars
• Vietnamese Jump Wings (honorary)
• Air Medal – 2nd award
• Bronze Star Medal w/ 3 Oakleaf clusters and “V” device
• Combat Infantry Badge
• RVN Cross of Gallantry w/ Palm and 2nd Oakleaf cluster

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Indigenous ruck as used by Special Forces and MACV-SOG personnel during the Vietnam War.  The ruck resembles the size and configuration of an NVA ruck with a map pouch, three outer cell pouches, and a main pouch.  The fabric is impregnated with a coating to make it water resistant.  This treatment feels tacky to the touch.  The rucksacks were procured through CISO (Counter Insurgency Support Office) in Okinawa and came in a few color variations.

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