quack Posted February 8, 2014 Share #1 Posted February 8, 2014 Does anyone have any idea what this might be? I have had it in the collection since the late 1950s or early 1960s, and have never had any idea. I am not convinced it is U.S., though the guy I got it from said it was. The patch is woven cloth, not stitched. The edges are not merrowed, but are simply turned down in back and ironed smooth. Thanks for any thoughts on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ocsfollowme Posted February 8, 2014 Share #2 Posted February 8, 2014 that is a nice $700 patch. the beginning of the Vietnam War. When we sent advisors over. Nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiaiokalewa Posted February 8, 2014 Share #3 Posted February 8, 2014 Advisory related 1950's Vietnam. A program called TRIM. Training Relations and Instruction Mission. There is a pix of the C.G. wearing this SSI during instructional target shooting practice. This was a U.S. advisory mission. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irish Posted February 8, 2014 Share #4 Posted February 8, 2014 As stated above nice early Indo China item. They all seemed to be chain stitched as shown in your example. A joint U.S/French effort. Nice patch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airborne-Hunter Posted February 8, 2014 Share #5 Posted February 8, 2014 That's a great piece and I second all the above. I've seen less than a handful in 15 years; they're pretty difficult to find. Borrowing from the coin world....this is definitely a "key" piece. Best ABN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwb123 Posted February 9, 2014 Share #6 Posted February 9, 2014 Very much sought after by Vietnam era collectors. Nice thing to find hidden away in your collection! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
34BDQ Posted February 9, 2014 Share #7 Posted February 9, 2014 Certainly one of the rarest patches of the Vietnam War, the Training Relations and Instruction Mission (TRIM) went into operation on February 12, 1955 and was deactivated on April 28, 1956, when the French withdrew their advisors. This joint Franco-American unit included only 33 US and 28 French officers and enlisted men. When the French received their metal badges with the same design, they preferred to used it as a pocket hanger, removed their patches from their sleeves and most likely threw them away. The short life and small strength of the mission explains the rarity of this patch. It is the first patch used by U.S. Personnel in Vietnam. The badge is easier to find and is less expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quack Posted February 9, 2014 Author Share #8 Posted February 9, 2014 Wow! Thanks for the information- That is amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vietnamgear Posted May 26, 2014 Share #9 Posted May 26, 2014 Hello, I love your patch. I happen to be doing a Master's on early US involvement in Vietnam and would like to ask a couple more questions about this and other patches you may have. If you are happy to help, please drop me a line. Thank you, Brett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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