Why Didn't the Military Assistance Command Vietnam have a Distinctive Insignia for it?

[patches]

Just occured to me as I was pouring over for the 9,000th time the color section showing insignia's in Stanton's Vietnam Order of Battle, a book I have had for 31 years, that I,m noticing for the first time, that MACV never had a Non Color Bearing Distinctive Unit Insignia. The I Field Force Vietnam and II Field Force Vietnam had one, both autherized during the war, as well as a Non Color Bearing DI for XXIV Corps, also autherized during the war, but not one for MACV, odd huh, I wonder why.

[atb]

Probably because MACV was a joint service unit and the Army just did not have DUIs for Army elements of joint service units way back then.

[patches]

Probably because MACV was a joint service unit and the Army just did not have DUIs for Army elements of joint service units way back then.

Right atb that's a good answer. I would love to see though at least one photo of a office GI or Officer Army element in Khakis with a MACV patch type crest on his shoulder loops and Garrison Cap. Come to think about it U.S. Army Vietnam doesn't have a NCBU DI either, these type NCBU DIs should have been worn at least in the HQ and or HQs of USARV, but in the case of USARV, I guess the smallish sizes of the unit or units dictated that why bother attitude, plus USARV had so many diverse units under it that aleady had their duly autherized DIs.

[airborne1968]

Is there a possibility that the DUI was designed and authorized but not made or issued? Multi-National Force-Iraq (MNF-I) had one designed and the heraldry published it. I use to walk by the posted document every day but I never saw an actual DUI let alone someone wearing it.

[atb]

Is there a possibility that the DUI was designed and authorized but not made or issued? Multi-National Force-Iraq (MNF-I) had one designed and the heraldry published it. I use to walk by the posted document every day but I never saw an actual DUI let alone someone wearing it.

I doubt it. In those days the proliferation of DUIs had not yet begun and a DUI that would only be worn by the Army element of a joint command was a rare thing (if there were any at all). The rules were tighter then on what size and type of Army organization had its own DUI.

[firefighter]

Maybe they just wore the MACV pocket hanger?

 

 

[atb]

Of course pocket hangers exist and were worn, but this is true of many VN-Era in-country units. Especially when khakis were worn. I have seen "patch-type" DUIs for MACV and I would imagine some Army folks wore them. The issue is the DUI and the fact that at that time the Army was officially reluctant to create DUIs for as many units as they do today. My last assignment in 1991 was to the Joint Staff. We did not have an SSI or a DUI. Later, the Army came out with that generic SSI and DUI for wear by the Army elements of joint units that did not already have their own approved insignia. Why? Everyone's a winner and just has to have their own bling, I guess.