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Advisory Team 87 Uniform


jason_w
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Hello,

 

This uniform belonged to SFC Claude Shanks who served as a Light Weapons and Intelligence Advisor with Adv Tm 87 from December 1966 until July 1967.

 

Regards,

Jason

post-1616-1207102341.jpg

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Hello,

 

This uniform belonged to SFC Claude Shanks who served as a Light Weapons and Intelligence Advisor with Adv Tm 87 from December 1966 until July 1967.

 

Regards,

Jason

 

Below is a picture of me taken in the late summer of 1967. The combat shirt I am wearing looks identical to the one above. I bought this uniform from the Vietnamese shop on our combat base because, at the time, it was extremely difficult for us to get the issue camo jungle utilities. The sleeves are rolled up so you can't see the cuffs but I seem to remember they were also button less like this one.

 

Yes.....my hair is a bit long in the photo. Interestingly, within minutes of this picture being taken, Top Tuttle came by, saw me, and immediately suggested I go non-stop back to the Vietnamese shop (which was also the barber shop). :huh:

 

post-1107-1207348482.jpg

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hochiminhtrail

Hi USMCRECON

 

were was the picture taken i see mountains terrain in the back and i guees that you served as a marine ? was it near the rock pile area ? or west of Danang ?

 

 

 

Cheers

Alex

 

Below is a picture of me taken in the late summer of 1967. The combat shirt I am wearing looks identical to the one above. I bought this uniform from the Vietnamese shop on our combat base because, at the time, it was extremely difficult for us to get the issue camo jungle utilities. The sleeves are rolled up so you can't see the cuffs but I seem to remember they were also button less like this one.

 

Yes.....my hair is a bit long in the photo. Interestingly, within minutes of this picture being taken, Top Tuttle came by, saw me, and immediately suggested I go non-stop back to the Vietnamese shop (which was also the barber shop). :huh:

 

post-1107-1207348482.jpg

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Jason always has wonderful advisor items.

 

A very nice beret also!

 

Bill,

 

can you remember the cost (roughly) of your uniform and how did the "powers that be" view such items?

 

What ever happened to it?

 

Thanks for the great photo,

 

 

 

Patrick.

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Hello,

 

Very nice uniforms (from Jason and Bill), I always wonder when the ARVN issued the ERDL camo for their troops for the first time. I was thinking that was in the of 1967 to the Rangers before the ERDL camo was extensively used during the Tet Battles in 68

 

Since Bill said he had this camo suit during the summer 67, that means that while US army had a limited supply of camo uniforms to their own troops, the US provided more camo material to Vietnam so they could equip all their elite forces (airborne, rangers...). Or the US Army didn't trust the camo efficiency, so they would rather let their allied forces to make battlefield tests for them.

 

Should the Navy or Airforces let the Iraqui Army or Afgan Army test their blue uniform before going in full scale reequipment ?

 

Cheers

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Hi USMCRECON

 

were was the picture taken i see mountains terrain in the back and i guees that you served as a marine ? was it near the rock pile area ? or west of Danang ?

Cheers

Alex

 

The picture was taken at Camp Reasoner near Danang. That was our combat base at the time.

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hochiminhtrail

Thanks Bill,

 

thumbsup.gif

 

Alex

 

The picture was taken at Camp Reasoner near Danang. That was our combat base at the time.
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Jason always has wonderful advisor items.

 

A very nice beret also!

 

Bill,

 

can you remember the cost (roughly) of your uniform and how did the "powers that be" view such items?

 

What ever happened to it?

 

Thanks for the great photo,

Patrick.

 

Hello Patrick. We paid for everything with MPC or Piasters, not greenbacks; you could get an Article-15 in a heartbeat if you got caught paying the Vietnamese for anything in dollars. I seem to remember the uniform was the equivalent of about $10-15 at the time. The thread they used was not very good and the seams of the trousers gave out long before the material did and they had to be discarded.

 

I had some problems with the seams on the shirt as well but not as bad. I had them repaired a couple times and then quit wearing them to the bush. I had the shirt is my Vietnam sea bag for quite some time. It might still be down in there somewhere since its in my storage locker and I haven't looked at it other than superficially in years.

 

We had to be in standard Marine-issue jungle utilities with utility cover and clean boots while on the combat base. However, our Company and Battalion commanders really didn't care what we wore to the bush and almost anything that you felt comfortable and confident in was OK by them.

 

That, unfortunately did not pertain to weapons, unfortunately. I realize I'm wandering a bit off the specific topic and the rest of my comment might be more appropriate in the firearms section but......it does sort of go with your question. Early on, things were a bit more lax. No one had any confidence in the M-16. Guys were carrying folding-stock M-2 carbines, Swedish SMGs, Grease Guns, even Ak-47s. One guy carried a captured Chinese submachine-gun and another an old French MAT-something.

 

Then we were issued some Stoners to field test. They were a superb weapon and I don't remember one single malfunction in all the time we had them. At some point about late May-early Jun 67, the Stoners were withdrawn and we were ordered to taker our issue weapon (M-16s) to the field. The Battalion Commander ignored the order until he was summoned to Division for a good talking to by MGen Robertson.

 

After that, the weapons policy was strictly enforced. The only ones who did not take M-16s to the field were the M-79 grenadier, and the M-60 gunner (me). We were also able to keep one M-14; ostensibly as a rifle grenade launcher since there was no launcher cartridge for the M-16 at that time. Eventually, they allowed the patrol leader to carry a shotgun instead of an M-16 if he wanted.

 

We pushed that reg to the limit and our radio operator, God rest his soul, complied with the M-16s to the field rule by carrying his M-16 broken down in his rucksack and a Grease gun at the ready. That lasted two patrols before Lt Col Steinmetz spotted him coming up the hill from the helipad with the Grease Gun. After that, he called our patrol leader to the Bn office for a chat. he then came down and personally explained the regulation to us "more clearly". From that point on, we had no choice but to comply completely.

 

Sorry.....I didn't mean to spin off subject and then go on so about it. It's just an issue that still burns me when I think of it.

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I think I might have posted this picture before on another topic. It's not a great picture, taken with one of those old Polaroid instant cameras that required you to smear a coat of fixative on it after it was developed (and we missed a couple spots).

 

Anyway, it was taken sometime in late summer or early Fall of 1967. I am on the Left wearing my jungle camo shirt. My good friend, Ron Kitzke (KIA 27 Dec 67) is in the middle, still wearing one of the last of the old tiger stripes. On the right is Bobby Earp who is also wearing one of the Vietnamese-procured jungle camo shirts with squared off pocket flaps and epaulets just like the one I am wearing in the picture above (Earp did not really wear that white T-shirt when actually out in the field).

 

post-1107-1207409068.jpg

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Hi Bill,

 

many, many thanks for the detailed replies.

 

As a student of the period it is priceless to have such first hand information from those such as yourself who served.

 

 

 

Patrick.

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  • 10 years later...

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