Vietnam War
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
Posted in Militaria Articles by Era, Special Forces & MACV-SOG, Vietnam War Militaria | 5 Comments »
Vietnam War
A lot of two Vietnam Class A shirts in a size 16.5″ x 33″. Usually when I find these shirts, they are private purchase and void of government nomenclature. Both of these shirts are clearly marked, “SHIRT, MAN’S, POLYESTER, ARMY TAN 446, TYPE II, CLASS 3, DSA100-69-C-1111, Blue Bell, INC.” One appears to be unworn. The other shirt has been worn and has a little “ring around the collar” that would wash out if laundered properly. Otherwise, both shirts are in great shape.
Price: SOLD
Posted in Recently Sold Militaria, Vietnam War Militaria | No Comments »
Vietnam War
Nice, supple 1964 dated poncho with the crispest nomenclature I’ve seen on a poncho of this era.
Price: SOLD
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Vietnam War
The “Green Beret Magazine” was originally published by 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) from 1966-1970 in Vietnam. This reissue edition consists of all 52 issues printed on glossy paper stock bound into 5 volumes. Original issues of “The Green Beret Magazine” have become pricey collectibles selling for $40.00 or more per issue. This set is an affordable solution to own all of this excellent reference material.
Includes:
- Alphabetized index of over 6,000 Special Forces personnel that appear in the magazines
- Chronological listing of Special Forces casualties in Southeast Asia
- Convenient master index of all articles in the 52 issues
- Informative articles about A-Camps, Mike Forces, Montagnards, MACV Recondo School, AATTV, CIDG program, LLDB, Foreign Weapons, and much more…
- Listings of awards, decorations, and promotions received by Special Forces units and personnel
Condition: New From Publisher
Binding: Soft Bound (5 volumes)
Price: $150 USD (includes domestic shipping)
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Vietnam War
Vietnam militaria has been my primary collecting focus since I entered the hobby and Special Forces berets rank high on my list of items I will never grow tired of collecting. With all the variations of flashes (shield shaped beret insignia), makers, and DI’s (Distinctive Insignia), one could easily spend their lifetime collecting green berets alone! I will be sharing berets from my collection in a series of articles. Some are dolled up, some are named, most are just honest Vietnam era berets from the various Groups and time periods.
1968 Government Beret w/ Machine Embroidered 5th Group Flash
This is one of the first berets I acquired and it remains one of my favorites. The nomenclature is virtually gone, but if you hold the beret at the right angle, you can see remnants of a DSA-68 code. The 5th SFGA flash has darkened from sweat and soil, and the “D-22″ marked DI has an arrow broken off, giving the beret much character. I particularly enjoy the build up of green verdigris following the outline of the harp. The beret has a great drape and is perfectly salty!
FANK Beret with Quilted Flash & Embroidered Liner
It’s been my experience that berets with fancy embroidered liners of tigers, dragons, shell bursts, etc seldom appear to have seen much use. This is not the case with this beret. The lining is nice and salty and shows notable use, yet it does not detract from the beautiful embroidery work. The FANK / UITG flash is equally beautiful (and used). It is the hand embroidered, quilted variety that some claim to be the 1st variation, with the later versions being embroidered on twill. I haven’t confirmed this distinction.
1967 Dated JFK Special Warfare Center Beret
This is another beret I’ve had in the collection for a long time. When I purchased the beret, I was pleased to discover the vet had painted the leather tab inside the beret white and printed his name and Social Security number over the white. I was able to research the veteran and learn he had a lengthy career in Special Forces with multiple tours in SEA (South East Asia). The beret is 1967 dated and government contract through Dorothy Mills, Canada. It has a machine embroidered JFK Special Warfare flash and DI.
Posted in Militaria Articles by Era, Special Forces & MACV-SOG, Vietnam War Militaria | 2 Comments »
