Nixon White House aide's Vietnam/Cambodia uniform - red dirt & all

[Bob Hudson]

Herbert G. Klein was a long time confidant of President Richard Nixon dating back to 1946, not long after both men had finished up WWII service as Naval Officers. An extensive bio of Klein is at http://www.usc.edu/l...hp?fa=0345#ref4 and, as it notes, Klein was the Nixon's top communications adviser as the White House Director of Communications from January 1969 until July 1973 (although he worked for and with Nixon many other times over the decades).

 

This uniform dates from a trip to Southeast Asia as a representative of President Nixon. Again, from the USC bio:

 

"He traveled to Vietnam and Cambodia in 1970 as part of a Presidential fact-finding mission on the status of military operations in Vietnam."

 

When I obtained the uniform I had thought it might be from Klein's days as a senior executive for Copley Newspapers, which, among other things, published San Diego's major daily newspapers. But some research revealed he made the trip as a senior White House staffer. The jungle uniform includes two shirts, one pair of trousers, a t-shirt, socks and boots. The boots and trousers each have some red dirt brought back from Southeast Asia. All of these items were in a 1969-dated Scotch whiskey box. Also in the box were an NVA holster and one of the NVA belts made to hold captured us field gear (it has the NVA interlocking buckle with star). I wonder if the NVA gear was given as souvenir or as something to take back to the White House as evidence of NVA presence in Cambodia? In another box were some of Klein's WWII uniforms (unmarked and moth eaten) and a cap with his name inside.

 

 

 

 

[Bob Hudson]

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[Bob Hudson]

I would bet this box had been sealed for over 40 years:

 

 

[Bob Hudson]

I have so far found only one photo of Klein in Vietnam wearing this uniform.

 

You can just barely make out the first few letters of the uniform nametape:

 

 

 

Maybe this is where he picked up the NVA holster and belt:

 

[RustyCanteen]

WOW!

 

This is a very historic grouping, you do not see this kind of stuff.

 

RC

[Bob Hudson]

Here's a reference to some news film of this visit:

 

[Bob Hudson]

Even though this is an historic uniform, there are always those who want to know if it will fit them Klein's name was written on the back of the trouser's size label.

 

[dave peifer]

bob........fantastic group,how in the world did you come up with that?...........dave

[vintageproductions]

I have handled 1000's of Vietnam uniforms, with many belonging to some historic people.

This one ranks up there as one of the best I have seen.

I would be hard pressed to sell a jungle fatigue set like this considering it belonged to Nixon's man on the ground.....Those members that know me well, know that I rarely if ever keep anything, this one would be a kepper.

[Nkomo]

Amazing piece, FS!

[Bob Hudson]

bob........fantastic group,how in the world did you come up with that?...........dave

 

Got a call in response to one of my ads....

 

Klein and I had some career similarities: we were both journalists who went to work in politics as spin doctors, although I never made it to the White House, just the US Senate and the Governor's office. I think I mentioned above that when I bought it I looked at it as something from a newspaper executive not many people had heard of. But, then I realized this was something he wore as a senior adviser to the President of the United States!

 

So, I figure those boots must be worth more than the usual $80

 

Can anyone tell me what part of Vietnam had that red dirt, or was it all of it? When I first opened the box I thought "bummer, the dirty boots rubbed off on the trousers," but when i was dressing the mannequin I realized the dirt had gotten on the pant legs the same time it got on the boots.

[Bob Hudson]

Here's some more bio info on Klein and a couple of photos of him with his good friend Nixon:

 

 

 

[Bob Hudson]

Klein was not involved at all in Watergate and in fact he was at odds with many of the Nixon aides who did engage in unsavory activities. They did a little backstabbing, which made Nixon question his loyalty, but - in the end - while the others went to jail and/or went down in the history books as scoundrels, Klein maintained his integrity and remained Nixon's friend long after the actions of the others brought down Nixon's presidency.

 

Here's what the NY Times reported in Klein's obituary:

 

 

Klein left his White House post in 1973 but returned briefly in 1974 to help deal with the aftermath of Watergate and the White House tapes.

 

Here's a summary of the jobs he held over the years:

 

1918 April 1 Born in Los Angeles, California

1940 A.B., University of Southern California, Post-Advocate

1942-1946 U.S. Navy

1946-1950 News editor, Alhambra Post-Advocate, and special correspondent for Copley Newspapers

1946 Press agent for Richard M. Nixon's Congressional Campaign

1948 Press agent for Nixon's congressional re-election campaign

1950 Press agent for Nixon's campaign for the United States Senate

1950-1968 Editorial writer, editorial page editor, associate editor, executive editor, and finally Editor (1959-68) of the San Diego Union

1952 Publicity director for the Eisenhower-Nixon Presidential Campaign in California

1956 Assistant press secretary for Nixon's vice-Presidential campaign

1960 Press secretary for Nixon's Presidential campaign

1962 Press secretary for Nixon's gubernatorial campaign

1968 Manager of communications for Nixon's Presidential campaign

1969-July 1973 Director of Communications for Executive Branch

1973-1977 Vice President, Metromedia, Inc.

1977-1980 Media consultant

1980- Editor-in-Chief, Copley Newspaper

 

One of my former bosses - ex California Governor and US Senator Pete Wilson - got into politics because of the encouragement of Klein, whom he during that 1962 Nixon campaign.

[Bob Hudson]

This may answer the question of how he got the NVA holster and belt. I'd guess the holster has a pistol in it when he got it.

 

 

And another story about the Vietnam fact finding visit:

 

[RustyCanteen]

Good digging!

 

I have been looking for photos with no luck, had hoped to find a color one.

 

RC

[Bob Hudson]

Good digging!

 

I have been looking for photos with no luck, had hoped to find a color one.

 

RC

 

 

So far the only thing I could find are those from the 25th Infantry newsletter.

[RustyCanteen]

 

 

So far the only thing I could find are those from the 25th Infantry newsletter.

 

I know, I couldn't even find those.

 

RC

[dave peifer]

again,great group,thanks for posting...........dave

[bootsandbooks]

Can anyone tell me what part of Vietnam had that red dirt, or was it all of it? When I first opened the box I thought "bummer, the dirty boots rubbed off on the trousers," but when i was dressing the mannequin I realized the dirt had gotten on the pant legs the same time it got on the boots.

 

 

By June of 1970 the 1st Brigade 25th Division was operating in the Fishhook Region of Cambodia. The Division had a Forward CP near Katum which was just south of the Vietnam-Cambodia, immediately opposite the Fishhook.

 

The red dirt was prominent in the Fishook Region and was cultivated for pineapple plantations.

 

Here's my hammock witth the same stains.

 

 

I would assume the delegation made a couple of stops at Firebases in Cambodia.

 

The captured enemy equipment and supplies were quickly evacuated to 1st Brigade Headquarters at Tay Ninh and I'm sure some made their way to Division Headquarters at Cu Chi. Judging from the extent of the sandbagged bunkers in the background I'm guessing Tay Ninh.

[bootsandbooks]

Here's a photo of President Nixon's finger pointing to a map of Cambodia just above the Fishhook: (his thumb is pointing to Saigon)

 

 

Close-up view:

 

(Image by Peter Vanderzanden, Bravo Company 3/22 Infantry)

[PaulR]

Thanks for sharing this amazing grouping and corresponding story!

[Bob Hudson]

The red dirt was prominent in the Fishook Region and was cultivated for pineapple plantations.

 

Here's my hammock witth the same stains.

 

 

Thanks - that adds a lot!

[Bob Hudson]

By June of 1970 the 1st Brigade 25th Division was operating in the Fishhook Region of Cambodia. The Division had a Forward CP near Katum which was just south of the Vietnam-Cambodia, immediately opposite the Fishhook.

 

That photo of Klein sitting next to soldier and the on the captured enemy gear were taken at Katum.

 

If any of you are in San Diego County, I'm going to have this mannequin on display through noon or today (Saturday Nov. 3) at 4144 Avenida de la Plata in Oceanside.

[Bob Hudson]

If any of you are in San Diego County, I'm going to have this mannequin on display through noon or today (Saturday Nov. 3) at 4144 Avenida de la Plata in Oceanside.

 

A retired Marine who did several tours in Vietnam came by my booth, looked at the boots and said, "Oh, Cambodian dirt!"

[Mike Force]

nice thread!