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Mike Force Air Boat Beret


kammo-man
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Posted ImageI got this Vietnamese beret at last years SOS.

It was one of 3 berets I got at a hotel buy and was in the middle of a bag of moth eaten assorted berets.

It was being sold by a Weird bunch of guys who had rented a room which was full of WW2 germs stuff.

The sale was the buzz of the show.

I got lucky and got a MF beret for $25.

 

It's got a yellow silk liner and is made by Van-Than.

 

The badge is hand embroidered with an air boat and a MF black rudder.

Under that in red is Cao - Lanh.

This is machined on.

Background cloth is typical Viet silk.

Comes with rank.

 

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Wow Owen ,

That is one cool beret. That patch is killer !!! Only the 2nd one I have seen. It is identical to the one I scanned several years ago from a friend of mine. I attached a picture of the scan but bear in mind the printer colors were out. It had the same writing and was folded over around the edge like a handsewn one usually is, though it was machine sewn on the same base material as the one you posted. I had a scan of front and back but I can't find them now. Congrats on a killer beret.

Mitch

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TrenchfootJoe66

Its a friggin treasure hunt for sure. Very nice Owen. Never seen that beret badge before. Thanks for sharing

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River Patrol

Any history on the original owner? it seems he was a Lt. grade level

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Thanks for the love guys !

 

I forgot to mention the black felt on the beret is that low grade fluffy cloth which is weird given the liner is high grade silk.

 

Like I said it came from a massive German collectors estate and was mixed in with other stuff.

 

I got a Women's Viet Airforce beret and a US made 3rd group in Very salty shape at the same time.....

For something like $15 each.

 

It was a good day ...,,,

I didn't have to use my AK

 

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Very impressive find. Of course, these things turn up when you least expect them. If you had gone searching for one it would have taken years to find one, if ever.

 

Thanks for sharing. One more example of how many things were nonstandard during that period.

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Gil

Now time to find a picture of one in action.

Or the unit ????

 

LOL! Good luck! But you never know! Maybe if you can find a unit association, that might be your best bet.

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I have many photographs of the Mike Force Airboat operations. I obtained these photos and much information about their operations from two Special Forces officers, one assigned to the Special Airboat Operations School and one assigned to Airboat operations.

The first image is of LTC Frank Dallas congratulating the first class of Nung IV CTZ Mike Force graduates from Special Airboats Operations School. The date is December 1966.

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This image is of LTC Dallas presenting graduation diploma. Note the Mike Force silk patches worn on the shoulder of the tiger stripe camouflage uniform and also on the boonie hat.

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