199th LIB Jacket Finds

[439th Signal Battalion]

All,

 

I picked both of these up recently and would like to share these great examples.

 

First up is a '69 dated jacket with the very desirable 199th subdued insignia with colored fireball. This individual was with HHC-199th until the Brigade went home in October of 1970 where he was then sent to finish out the rest of his tour with USARV. At one point, SFC Smith was the NCOIC of the Brigade's "Redcatcher" magazine.

 

 

Next is this 1970 dated ERDL jacket to an individual who also was with the 199th during his tour and either re-upped for a second or was assigned to MACV when the 199th stood-down.

 

My information is limited on this person, but he was in mortars with one of the Brigade's Echo Recon battalions. Since the 199th worked heavily with ARVN units from 1967 to 1969, it is possible that he earned the ARVN qualification badge during that time or perhaps when assigned to MACV later.

 

I don't think that this jacket would have been worn in-country (unless very late in the war) but instead a possible tour jacket, even though all insignia is original and professionally applied.

 

[bhmilitarycollector84]

very nice

[River Patrol]

Great stuff! I like the VN ranger insignia on that jacket

[439th Signal Battalion]

A few more 199th LIB uniform finds.

 

1969 Lime-Green ERDL jacket. Note the locally-produced subdued 199th SSI.

 

 

 

[439th Signal Battalion]

[439th Signal Battalion]

M65 field jacket, dated 1967.

 

[439th Signal Battalion]

1968 dated jacket with in-country produced name tape and 1st issue cut-edge SSI. The US ARMY tape was removed and it looks like the owner tried to ink it in or the original tape bled through a bit.

 

[439th Signal Battalion]

Heavy starch remains on this jacket. Perhaps the owner had a job in the rear, or it was done before storage...

[439th Signal Battalion]

Four more 199th Jungle and OG-107 Jackets that I have picked up over the months and am happy to add to the "Redcatcher Relics" collection (thank you again to the forum members who contacted me about two of these!).

 

First up, 1967 dated OG-107 jacket, previous tour with SF.

 

 

 

 

 

[439th Signal Battalion]

2. 1968 dated jacket that was worn by a member of HHC-199th while serving 14 months in-country and then again at various protests, marches, and college after discharge. This piece is pretty fragile and in a shadow-box to minimize further wear.

 

[439th Signal Battalion]

3. Super-nice '66 or '67 dated, stamped jacket, poplin (no tags) with mama-san stitched 199th SSI. I can't quite confirm the soldier that had this, but I have possibly narrowed it down to an individual that served with the 87th Engineers that was a part of the 199th from 66-70.

 

 

 

[439th Signal Battalion]

[439th Signal Battalion]

4. '67 dated poplin jacket worn by a 1LT (then Captain) with E/4-12 from 66-67 and then with MACV for another tour.

 

Since the 199th was the first regular US unit to begin jointly working with the ARVN (various ARVN Ranger battalions) in 1967 and most of 1968, 199th personnel were authorized (by whom I don' know) to wear the ARVN Ranger insignia on both Vietnam and Class A uniforms at that specific time.

 

Note that this officer was not Ranger qualified in the states but has the ARVN Ranger qualification badge above his name tape. I've seen this many times on not only officer's uniforms, but on enlisted as well.

 

 

[439th Signal Battalion]

[439th Signal Battalion]

5. 1944 dated E-tool cover for HHC 3-7th Infantry. I believe that this would have been issued to an "original" member of the Brigade when they first went to RVN in November, 1966.