smwinter207 Posted June 16, 2015 Share #1 Posted June 16, 2015 Hey guys, I grabbed this bc it was inexpensive, but also showed immediate research potential. I think this is a marine who landed in VN in '65. Can't find much more than an article and confirmed numbers on the tag. Looks like the imprint fits the style of the times. S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smwinter207 Posted June 16, 2015 Author Share #2 Posted June 16, 2015 More Articles The duplicate comes from his hometown paper asking people to write the soldiers in Late 1965. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smwinter207 Posted June 16, 2015 Author Share #3 Posted June 16, 2015 Sorry, better shot of article. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smwinter207 Posted June 16, 2015 Author Share #4 Posted June 16, 2015 Records Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smwinter207 Posted June 18, 2015 Author Share #5 Posted June 18, 2015 Here is the example style from Moore Militaria. As a reference point. VN USMC Style 1 (Marines) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smwinter207 Posted June 19, 2015 Author Share #6 Posted June 19, 2015 I thought someone would comment? Am I lucky or did I miss on this one? He was from Pottstown, PA. Does anyone have access to his records or photos? I'm a terrible Marine researcher. Got it in the mail today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gatormeat Posted June 25, 2015 Share #7 Posted June 25, 2015 100% legit original USMC M1960 pattern tag---where did you get it from? wonder why the naysayers and detractors are so silent?---these are the ones who do not bother reading DR ROBT MANN's article and its follow-up on the issue.....before parroting what the ignorant majority spew out re: US ID TAGS coming from in-country. they of course have never been in modern day VN to really investigate and to see what the actual situation is. they tend to bunch ID tags with the plethora of fake repro zipper lighters, patches, painted helmets, etc etc available there, as one of the same....which is okay by me....as in this case the less they know, the better. there are only 2-3 hard-core dedicated tag collectors who know and understand the reality of what actually is. DANANG Central VN BACK ALLEY BUY (images) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gatormeat Posted June 25, 2015 Share #8 Posted June 25, 2015 PERFUME RIVER SIDEWALK dealer & DANANG CITY ANTIQUES SHOP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smwinter207 Posted June 25, 2015 Author Share #9 Posted June 25, 2015 Bought this on ebay from a guy out of PA. He sells all types of antiques. This was 8 bucks. On Newspapers.com I found a Pottstown, PA paper with his correct serial number, Lutheran Church confirmation, and USMC membership as they were sent in '65 to capture airfields. I am very confident on this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USdog Posted June 25, 2015 Share #10 Posted June 25, 2015 I like the look of this tag and nice to confirm the SN from the tag. Looks like you've found some interesting info so far, good luck with the rest of to your research Gatormeat-I think it is normal to question the authenticity of some tags coming from Vietnam, but that is just me. I did read the article and im sure there are a lot of real ones over there, but just have to be cautious. I'm not here to argue the subject however. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smwinter207 Posted June 25, 2015 Author Share #11 Posted June 25, 2015 In regards to gatormeat's posts, I have seen many fake dog tags out of Nam. In fact, I bout two of them when I was visiting Khe Sanh. I figured, if the guy jumps through the off limits perimeter fence surrounding the airstrip to sell me fake stuff, I can give him 10 bucks for risking his life everyday. : ) Anyway, I recently posted a response to someone who had a Nam "KIA" dog tag. The serial was correct and the structure of the tag. However, on Ancestry.com, the guy was listed as Lutheran and not Baptist....or something. I can't find the post, but they would never get that wrong. S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smwinter207 Posted June 25, 2015 Author Share #12 Posted June 25, 2015 Here are the couple items I bought at the Khe Sanh Memorial. Strangley, I ran these two guys against the VN rosters. They were both from Alabama, which potentially makes sense bc their US#s both begin with -53XXXXXX Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smwinter207 Posted June 25, 2015 Author Share #13 Posted June 25, 2015 Here is a confirmed KIA dog tag from the 327th website. One of the member's speaks of how the tag was sent to the family with his personal effects. So, you can see the US#. I don't know how they created those serials. I know it is US ARMY. http://www.327infantry.org/node/3535 You can see the VN tags and mine I bought in VN are both missing the comma in the top line. S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellasilva Posted June 25, 2015 Share #14 Posted June 25, 2015 Those are nice, solid examples. It is worthwhile to be cautious in buying tags in and from Vietnam. Anyone with basic knowledge of a real Vietnam Era tag should be able to distinguish between a fake and a real tag. It's just as important to be discerning with these as with barn found helmets from Normandy. Fakes are abound, and the forum is here to help guide and teach. Very nice tag smwinter and even better to have some background on it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gatormeat Posted June 26, 2015 Share #15 Posted June 26, 2015 fake US VN tags? here's a trayful slew being sold at one of the larger SAIGON military museums....and oh poor poor LONG MAI getting burned on a huge sack full of 'em (see following images)...ha-ha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gatormeat Posted June 26, 2015 Share #16 Posted June 26, 2015 good old LONG MAI....that greedy bastard! ha-ha! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gatormeat Posted June 26, 2015 Share #17 Posted June 26, 2015 smwinter- i question the veracity of your KHE SANH visit. "....I have seen many fake dog tags out of Nam. In fact, I bout two of them when I was visiting Khe Sanh. I figured, if the guy jumps through the off limits perimeter fence surrounding the airstrip to sell me fake stuff,..." off limits perimeter fence surrounding the airstrip??---what year did you go? besides the 'museum', reconstructed bunkers and vehicle/aircraft display....nothing but some VN peanut farmers drying out their crops. the two Montagnard homeboys selling their K-S 'souvenirs' will pop out when the once-a-day DMZ tour bus arrives (see image).....pour their trays into a sack once the bus leaves. (FYI- the DMZ TOUR up highwy 1 to highwy 9....ROCKPILE, DAKRONG BRIDGE, KS, VIN MOC TUNNELS, NVA CEMETERY----then back to HUE CITY).... interesting your 2 'KHE-SANH' tag buys were US ARMY US-prefix draftees.....especially for the I-CORPS USMC TAOR region....KS notably). i suspect those souvenir sellers were replenishing their wares with ocassional buy-runs to HUE CITY. the rusted shell casings and bullet projectiles and perhaps the USMC M1960 tags....were actually KS....but the alum VC atta-boy badges?--not! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gatormeat Posted June 26, 2015 Share #18 Posted June 26, 2015 from KHE SANH....the visible 'hills' are HILL 950 & HILL 861 (barely). where the real heavy fighting took place HILL 881N & HILL 881S are not visible from the airstrip. the grunts at the KS USMC BASE were mainly getting their collective asses pounded by NVA arty and mortar rounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gatormeat Posted June 26, 2015 Share #19 Posted June 26, 2015 the high elevation of the place lends it a cool atmosphere, eeriely quiet too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gatormeat Posted June 26, 2015 Share #20 Posted June 26, 2015 authentic tags in the pink plastic basket at shop on LE LOI BLVD. Saigon District 1. the majority were I-CORPS USMC tags.....brought down from CENTRAL VN....to where the real supposedly tourist market (and yankee dollars) were..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gatormeat Posted June 26, 2015 Share #21 Posted June 26, 2015 USDOG--- you have absolutely no idea....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smwinter207 Posted June 26, 2015 Author Share #22 Posted June 26, 2015 I hired a driver to go visit Khe Sanh in 2008. 'Veracity' is an unpleasant word. Sean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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