STONEY Posted November 25, 2014 Share #1 Posted November 25, 2014 GREETZ EVERYONE. JUST CURIOUS IF THERE IS A FOLLOWING OF THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN FANK, CAMBODIA, US ADVISOR PATCHES FROM THAT TIME PERIOD? LOVE SEEING ALL THE POSTS THIS FORUM HAS TO OFFER. UNBELIEVABLE HOW MANY PATCH VARIATIONS CAN BE MADE OF OUR MILITARY'S SSI'S. KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK ALL. NO WONDER THIS SITE IS #1. REGARDS, STONEY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwb123 Posted November 25, 2014 Share #2 Posted November 25, 2014 Yes, there is interest in those patches. Feel free to post what you have. Also, if you go up to the SEARCH bar in the upper right hand portion of the frame and type in FANK you will see the threads that have been previously posted on this subject. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longhorn92 Posted November 25, 2014 Share #3 Posted November 25, 2014 Definitely. If you have any would love to see them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STONEY Posted November 25, 2014 Author Share #4 Posted November 25, 2014 Thank you Gil and Longhorn92 for the reply. Stoney Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STONEY Posted November 27, 2014 Author Share #5 Posted November 27, 2014 OK, LETS GET SOME PICS STARTED. JUST A FEW OF SOME OF MY FAVORITES. AH, WHO THE HELL AM I KIDDING THEY'RE ALL MY FAVORITES. PICTURED IS 1 POCKET PATCH FOR THE 524TH INFANTRY BN. THE OTHER 3 ARE A GREAT SET FOR THE 537TH INFANTRY BN. IT CONSISTS OF A POCKET PATCH, CHEST ID FOR OVER THE POCKET, AND A BERET FLASH. KEN CONBOY SUGGESTS ONE OF TWO THINGS THAT COULD OF HAPPENED WITH THIS INSIGNIA. A FORMER RT HUNTER MEMBER COULD HAVE BEEN AN INSTRUCTOR FOR THESE BATTALIONS AT ONE OF THE FANK TRAINING CAMPS IN S. VIETNAM, OR A SPARE RT HUNTER PATCH WAS COPIED AT A TAILOR SHOP THAT MADE THESE FANK INSIGNIA. HOPE YOU ENJOY THE PICS, STONEY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USMarineCorps Posted December 6, 2014 Share #6 Posted December 6, 2014 Great Patches Stoney! I wish i had any FANK stuff to show you.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonomachi Posted December 20, 2014 Share #7 Posted December 20, 2014 I don't have any FANK patches but here are a pair of Cambodian paratrooper wings from the French Indochina era and after which were also worn by US advisors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STONEY Posted December 20, 2014 Author Share #8 Posted December 20, 2014 VERY NICE, THANKS FOR SHARING. I NOTICE THEY DON'T HAVE A HALLMARK. NOT FAMILIAR WITH HALLMARKS ON WINGS, BUT I ALWAYS KEEP HEARING THE NAME "DRAGO". WOULD THOSE BE OF MORE VALUE? NO DISGRACE ON YOURS, I LOVE THEM! JUST A CURIOUS QUESTION. BEST, STONEY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irish Posted December 20, 2014 Share #9 Posted December 20, 2014 Drago was a longtime French manufacturer of Military Insignia. Cambodia was once part of the the French Indo China Union. Drago marked Cambodian Para wings would most likely put the wings in the Pre 1960 era plus/minus. So for that reason they would bring a better price. However I Cannot remember seeing a Drago marked Cambodian wing, they must be out there. What one would likely find is local made pair which were usually not of similar quality to a Drago marked pair. On second thought Cambodian Para's from the French period were probably issued French wings. If this sounds rambling it is because I Had 2 big glasses of wine at dinner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonomachi Posted December 20, 2014 Share #10 Posted December 20, 2014 VERY NICE, THANKS FOR SHARING. I NOTICE THEY DON'T HAVE A HALLMARK. NOT FAMILIAR WITH HALLMARKS ON WINGS, BUT I ALWAYS KEEP HEARING THE NAME "DRAGO". WOULD THOSE BE OF MORE VALUE? NO DISGRACE ON YOURS, I LOVE THEM! JUST A CURIOUS QUESTION. BEST, STONEY I have never come across an original serial numbered DRAGO hallmarked Cambodian paratrooper wing. I have seen two different French Indochina era Laotian numbered paratrooper wings manufactured by DRAGO. You do come across DRAGO re-strikes of Cambodian paratrooper wings both basic and instructor. So my guess is that if there are re-strikes produced by DRAGO then there must have been original French Indochina era Cambodian paratrooper wings made by the same company. They would be more sought after by collectors especially if they are numbered on the back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STONEY Posted December 20, 2014 Author Share #11 Posted December 20, 2014 I have never come across an original serial numbered DRAGO hallmarked Cambodian paratrooper wing. I have seen two different French Indochina era Laotian numbered paratrooper wings manufactured by DRAGO. You do come across DRAGO re-strikes of Cambodian paratrooper wings both basic and instructor. So my guess is that if there are re-strikes produced by DRAGO then there must have been original French Indochina era Cambodian paratrooper wings made by the same company. They would be more sought after by collectors especially if they are numbered on the back. I have what I thought were Cambodian wings because of the Lotus leaf on bottom marked "Drago". I'll have to see if it's numbered. Thanks Irish and Tonomachi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonomachi Posted December 20, 2014 Share #12 Posted December 20, 2014 Here is what one of the Cambodian basic paratrooper Drago re-strike wings looks like. I've seen others which are similar except the DRAGO & PARIS hallmarks are in a different spot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STONEY Posted December 20, 2014 Author Share #13 Posted December 20, 2014 Ah man, Thats the one I have. Any thought to the time frame when this was made? Thanks for showing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonomachi Posted December 21, 2014 Share #14 Posted December 21, 2014 Ah man, Thats the one I have. Any thought to the time frame when this was made? Thanks for showing. They are not period so post French Indochina period and my guess would be late 70s or early 80s. I have a feeling that there were re-struck more than once due to their hallmark being placed at different locations on the back of the wing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STONEY Posted December 21, 2014 Author Share #15 Posted December 21, 2014 I appreciate the feedback on them. Well, it fills a void I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
34BDQ Posted December 21, 2014 Share #16 Posted December 21, 2014 The wings that Tanomachi has shown, I do not believe are period Indochina pieces. Indochina period pieces I believe would have been marked either Drago Berringer, Drago Romainville or Drago Olivier Metra and possibly Drago Paris. On another note, re-strikes were made using the same dies by Drago for official reunions but they would be marked with a R and 2 numbers relating to the year they were re-struck. In example R72 would mean they were re=struck in 1972. Attached are a Lao and Cambodian badge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STONEY Posted December 22, 2014 Author Share #17 Posted December 22, 2014 Thank you Dennis. Have a great Holiday Season. Regards, Todd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graciejane44 Posted February 17, 2019 Share #18 Posted February 17, 2019 Here you go. Numbered Cambodian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graciejane44 Posted February 17, 2019 Share #19 Posted February 17, 2019 Laotian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonomachi Posted February 24, 2019 Share #20 Posted February 24, 2019 Just saw these and a pair of rare legitimate Cambodian paratrooper wings manufactured in France during the French Indochina War. Thanks for sharing these piece on the forum. The basic wing had been modified by the former owner with the up-swept wing tips. I wonder what the attached 5 point star denotes as well as the red coloring in-between the shroud lines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hochiminhtrail Posted September 19, 2020 Share #21 Posted September 19, 2020 i recall a SOS show 4 years ago, while walking through the ailes i was surprised to see an elder man with a baseball cap and attached to it a Khmer para badge, so i stopped him and we talked and he told me that he was an instructor for FANk units, i asked him if his badge was numbered, and he pulled it from his cap, detached the french pins, and i saw the number on the back, it was the first FANK french made para badge that was numbered that i have ever seen. Laotian you can find them from time to time. HCMT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonomachi Posted September 21, 2020 Share #22 Posted September 21, 2020 Here is what I believe to be a period South Vietnamese made Cambodian paratrooper wing. The construction is exactly like the SVN made sand casting US paratrooper wings that you come across every now and then. So in my opinion these were manufactured after the French Indochina period but during the Vietnam War so probably worn by US advisors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonomachi Posted September 21, 2020 Share #23 Posted September 21, 2020 Here is a Cambodian paratrooper wing that is not numbered but has the correct address in the Drago hallmark that dates it between 1952 through 1960. This wing would have been used as a template for the above sandcasting where you can made out part of the hallmark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hochiminhtrail Posted September 22, 2020 Share #24 Posted September 22, 2020 very nice, i have the same type Drago Paris, like yours, without a number and i have been after a numbered piece for the last 10 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ajruger Posted December 6, 2021 Share #25 Posted December 6, 2021 This was my fathers. He got it when he served in Vietnam as a Green Beret working with Cambodians. After the war he joined the Marine Corps and flew jets. He had to get approval with the Corps to where it on his uniform. He flew the A-6 in desert storm. He passed away last Thursday and his memorial is this weekend. I am trying to find a replica replacement of these jump wings to put on his uniform to be buried in but having trouble finding one. I would really like to keep his original. If anyone could help that would be amazing. thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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