iron bender Posted February 4, 2018 Share #1 Posted February 4, 2018 A close family friend of ours who served with 1/7 cav in Nam 1970-71 brought this stuff home. I'd like help with the flag identification and what are the miniature boots that wouldn't fit my 7 year old? Obviously the canteens are what they are and one of them met an unfortunate end. I like the kanji on the cork topper. His 1st cav pocket hanger look in country made too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iron bender Posted February 4, 2018 Author Share #2 Posted February 4, 2018 ...more... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iron bender Posted February 4, 2018 Author Share #3 Posted February 4, 2018 ....last.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aznation Posted February 4, 2018 Share #4 Posted February 4, 2018 A close family friend of ours who served with 1/7 cav in Nam 1970-71 brought this stuff home. I'd like help with the flag identification and what are the miniature boots that wouldn't fit my 7 year old? Obviously the canteens are what they are and one of them met an unfortunate end. I like the kanji on the cork topper. His 1st cav pocket hanger look in country made too. IMG_1545.JPG IMG_1546.JPG I think the writing on the flag translates something like "To the memory of Tran Hung Dao". Mộc Hóa is a rural district of Long An Province in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam. Tran Hung Dao was one of the first great Vietnamese military strategists. His use of guerrilla warfare to harass and eventually defeat a more powerful enemy provided a model for communist guerrilla warfare in the 20th century. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skypilot6670 Posted February 4, 2018 Share #5 Posted February 4, 2018 It’s so cool that you can see the red dirt ( laterite ) on the jungle sneakers. The Cav operated in the A Shau valley which was hilled in with mountains of it. Nice grouping .Thanks for posting Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iron bender Posted February 4, 2018 Author Share #6 Posted February 4, 2018 A couple more of the boots... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USCapturephotos Posted February 4, 2018 Share #7 Posted February 4, 2018 Wow. I absolutely love this grouping. So great that you have the info of your family friend which helps put everything in context. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badash5946 Posted February 4, 2018 Share #8 Posted February 4, 2018 What an outstanding grouping! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doyler Posted February 4, 2018 Share #9 Posted February 4, 2018 Nice group. The boots look like the type typically seen worn by the ARVN or CIDG soldiers etc. Often called "BATA" boots as the company BATA made them. The NVA wore a short canvas sneaker/boot that was similiar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doyler Posted February 4, 2018 Share #10 Posted February 4, 2018 http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/293617-vietnam-bata-boots/?hl=bata Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doyler Posted February 4, 2018 Share #11 Posted February 4, 2018 http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/293112-cidg-jungle-boots/?hl=bata&do=findComment&comment=2355924 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doyler Posted February 4, 2018 Share #12 Posted February 4, 2018 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwb123 Posted February 5, 2018 Share #13 Posted February 5, 2018 Nice group. The boots look like the type typically seen worn by the ARVN or CIDG soldiers etc. Often called "BATA" boots as the company BATA made them. The NVA wore a short canvas sneaker/boot that was similiar I think Ron nailed it. Of course, they could have been "liberated" for use by a VC, which would explain why they came home as souvenirs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doyler Posted February 5, 2018 Share #14 Posted February 5, 2018 I think Ron nailed it. Of course, they could have been "liberated" for use by a VC, which would explain why they came home as souvenirs. I agree.I was going to mention that but thought Iron Bender may have more info Many things often crossed hands and were used by the VC/NVA.As they say when opportunity knocks.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iron bender Posted February 5, 2018 Author Share #15 Posted February 5, 2018 Doyler, these are well used but identical to the boots in your second link. The only marking is 6W on the sole. Interiors are natural white canvas. This is a nice lot including a Chinese? SKS chest rig with ammo still remaining on strippers, lots of his personal items and one complete set of his in country fatigues. 1st Cav patch is US made type, but tapes and rank are in country made. Sadly there was a completely bullet destroyed SKS but somehow went missing when this guy perished. Something tells me it's hanging up in a lawyer's office in Alabama right now. One of these days I'll post the whole lot. I thought these particular enemy items and a couple of his personal items are really cool. Thanks for the comments and info Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doyler Posted February 5, 2018 Share #16 Posted February 5, 2018 Shame about the SKS. Would love t see the other things when possible Thanks for posting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SV1976 Posted February 5, 2018 Share #17 Posted February 5, 2018 Awesome pocket hanger!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluehawk Posted February 5, 2018 Share #18 Posted February 5, 2018 ...The boots look like the type typically seen worn by the ARVN or CIDG soldiers etc. Often called "BATA" boots as the company BATA made them. Speaking of which, on tangent: http://www.batashoemuseum.ca "The collection which became the Bata Shoe Museum was started by Sonja Bata in the 1940s. As she travelled the world on business with her husband, Thomas J. Bata of the Bata Shoe Company, she gradually built up a collection of traditional footwear from the areas she was visiting. In 1979, the Bata family established the Bata Shoe Museum Foundation to operate an international centre for footwear research and house the collection. From 1979 to 1994, the collection was stored at the offices of Bata Limited in the Don Mills area of Toronto. In June 1992, the Bata Shoe Museum opened a gallery on the second floor of the Colonnade, an office and retail complex in downtown Toronto, where it remained until November 1994. On May 6, 1995, the current museum opened its doors to the public in its own newly constructed building." (t.f. wikipedia) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bryang Posted February 6, 2018 Share #19 Posted February 6, 2018 That wallet! Just last week I received a package from an old friend, and mentor, who was a Combat Medic in 1/7 Cav Vietnam '71-'72. He sent me a few items of his from the war, including the blue plastic fiber net hammock he (and most other troops) locally bought and used. One of the items he sent me was the wallet he carried. In his letter, he stated that he bought this at a PX over there, and that most Cav Troopers carried them. Here's mine: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iron bender Posted February 6, 2018 Author Share #20 Posted February 6, 2018 Very cool! Thanks for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thorin6 Posted February 7, 2018 Share #21 Posted February 7, 2018 Aren't the canteens WW2 Japanese? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iron bender Posted February 7, 2018 Author Share #22 Posted February 7, 2018 Aren't the canteens WW2 Japanese? I'm not that familiar with Japanese gear, but I guess they could be. I'm also not familiar with NVA/VC/Vietnamese gear either. The one with engraving and no harness is screw top, the other is cork top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bryang Posted February 7, 2018 Share #23 Posted February 7, 2018 Aren't the canteens WW2 Japanese? If these canteens are Japanese, I'd think that the "cool" factor would really increase, as Japanese troops occupied French Indochina (Vietnam) during the Second World War. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vintageproductions Posted February 7, 2018 Share #24 Posted February 7, 2018 The canteens are Chinese or Korean. The Japanese canteens would have a cork stopper not a metal screw type. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doyler Posted February 7, 2018 Share #25 Posted February 7, 2018 Agree with Bob. The Chinese and Koreans were/are very adept at copying things. Have seen Japanese canteens come out of Viet Nam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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