Uniforms

[MAS36]

just picked up this OD shirt, it's not mint , but it still has the patches on it

 

dont know what the red patch stands for? anybody know what it means?

 

is this shirt early Vietnam war era ?

[MAS36]

also found this camo shirt, it looks similiar to WWII US spotted camo as used in the pacific theater, Vietnam war era?

 

looks like cotton duck hunter camo pattern as worn by early US Special Forces military advisors during VN war.

[JERRY COBB]

just picked up this OD shirt, it's not mint , but it still has the patches on it

 

dont know what the red patch stands for? anybody know what it means?

 

is this shirt early Vietnam war era ?

 

 

Patch is for the Army Air Defense Command.

[MAS36]

 

yep, you are correct!

 

US Army Air Defense Command [ARADCOM] 24th artillery group

 

probably 1950's 1960's cold war era

 

[SteveR]

also found this camo shirt, it looks similiar to WWII US spotted camo as used in the pacific theater, Vietnam war era?

 

looks like cotton duck hunter camo pattern as worn by early US Special Forces military advisors during VN war.

VietNamese military issue. Thats a rank bar above the pocket. I do not remember what rank it is. Their Rangers and Marines wore a lot of that camo.

Steve

[GIl Sanow]

VietNamese military issue. Thats a rank bar above the pocket. I do not remember what rank it is. Their Rangers and Marines wore a lot of that camo.

Steve

 

I think it is Captain -- Dia Ui!

[Nkomo]

I could be wrong, but I believe the camouflage jacket is South Korean and the tag above the pocket is a name tape in Korean. If you'd show a close up of the name tag, I bet we'd see that it was of the Korean language. Hope this helps.

Arch

[larry030767]

The second shirt is not Vietnamese but more likely Korean as that is a Name tape across the chest pocket. Americas wore their counterpart rank between the 2nd and 3rd buttons center chest. See Shelby Stanton's "US Army Uniforms of the Vietnam War" page 67. A great photo of a gaggle of HQ's REMF's in all their glory.

[MAS36]

I could be wrong, but I believe the camouflage jacket is South Korean and the tag above the pocket is a name tape in Korean. If you'd show a close up of the name tag, I bet we'd see that it was of the Korean language. Hope this helps.

Arch

 

it looks like korean writing, could be a ROK soldier that served in VN

[atb]

The ARADCOM shoulder sleeve insignia was generic and worn by all ARADCOM units (like the 24th Artillery Group). When ARADCOM was inactivated and many of the groups became brigades, they got their own SSIs designed.

[GIl Sanow]

I think it is Captain -- Dia Ui!

 

I yield to the fellow with the better eyes than me. CLoseups sure help!

 

G

[SteveR]

I yield to the fellow with the better eyes than me. CLoseups sure help!

 

G

Me too. Trying to remember after a ship load of 33, SanMiguel, Bud, etc., memories get a little foggy especially when you stack 38 years on top of that.

[34BDQ]

I would have to agree that the blouse is of Korean origin. I belive that it was worn by the ROK Marine forces. My experience with the 9th Division, I only saw

them wearing olive drab uniforms.

 

I have extracted information on the ROK forces involvement in the Vietnam War as follows.

 

Timeline of Korean Involvement in Vietnam War

 

1954

As France begins to disengage from Indochina, South Korea first offers to send military units to Vietnam to oppose any Communist expansion. The offer is declined.

 

1964

Early in the year, President Lyndon Johnson calls for an international effort to send assistance to the Republic of Vietnam. By the end of the year, the US and 15 other countries are involved in the effort. Eventually South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, and the Philippines will provide a peak deployment of up to 68,800 troops to South Vietnam – more than the total non-US United Nations forces deployed in the Korean War. Thirty-four other countries (including Canada, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Republic of China, Spain, and Tunisia) will provide non-military aid such as technical advisers.

 

1965

January 8: South Korean cabinet adopts resolution to dispatch engineer and medical units

to Vietnam. It is announced that the war in Vietnam has a direct bearing on the

security of South Korea.

January 26: The plenary Assembly votes 106 to 11, with 8 abstentions, to send the first

ROK contingent to Vietnam.

February 25: “Peace Dove” Engineer Task Force officially arrives at Bien Hoa. The task force

begins construction of a major circumferential highway around Saigon that will

prove valuable during heavy fighting in 1968 and 1972.

March 4: “Sea Gull” Naval Transport Group arrives Vietnam.

March 16: ROK Construction Support Group arrives Vietnam.

June: The first Australian battalion arrives Vietnam.

The United States and South Vietnam formally ask South Korea to send combat troops

to Vietnam.

July: The first New Zealand military unit (an artillery battery) arrives Vietnam.

August 13: The National Assembly consents to the dispatch of ROK combat troops to

Vietnam, although in the absence of opposition members who were boycotting

the assembly in protest against ratification of the normalization treaty with Japan.

This is the first time a Korean expeditionary force has been sent abroad since the

Fourteenth Century when one was sent to Manchuria to fight the Mongols.

The costs of the ROK units will be paid by the United States (ROK, Thai, and

Filipino units will be the only forces so financed by the US.)

The ROK units will be composed of volunteers, and they are under specific

Orders from President Park to minimize casualties.

September 22: Capital “Tiger” Division arrives at Qui Nhon.

September 25: Headquarters Republic of Korea Forces in Vietnam is established.

October 9: “Blue Dragon” Marine Brigade arrives at Cam Ranh Bay.

1966

 

January 18: President Park’s New Year’s Message to the National Assembly states that

South Vietnam is Korea’s second front and is “directly connected” with the

ceasefire line in Korea. He states, “Korea considers Southeast Asia an area

of primary importance to the security of Korea.”

September 22: 9th “White Horse” Division arrives at Ninh Hoa.

September 25: ROK “Cross Stars” Division (100th Logistical Command) arrives Vietnam.

 

1967

September: The first Thai regiment arrives Vietnam.

 

1969

August: The United States begins to withdraw large military units from Vietnam.

December: Philippine Civic Action Group departs Vietnam.

 

1971

November: US ground forces end offensive operations and assume a defensive role.

 

1972

February 24: “Blue Dragon” Marine Brigade departs Vietnam.

March: Last remaining Australian and Thai forces depart Vietnam.

June: Last remaining New Zealand forces and last US combat brigade depart Vietnam.

 

1973

January 4: “Sea Gull” Naval Transport Group departs Vietnam.

March 11: Capital “Tiger” Division and 9th “White Horse” Division officially depart Vietnam.

The Capital “Tiger” Division lost 2,111 soldiers killed in action and 4,474 wounded in

action during the war – by far the heaviest losses for any ROK unit.

March 12: “Peace Dove” Engineer Task Force departs Vietnam.

March 20: ROK Construction Support Group departs Vietnam.

March 23: ROK “Cross Stars” Division (100th Logistical Command) departs Vietnam.

March 29-30: Last US support units depart Vietnam.

March 30: Headquarters ROK Forces in Vietnam is disestablished.

Over 300,000 ROK troops served in Vietnam.

In addition to military operations and the resettlement of 1.2 million Vietnamese villagers, the HQ oversaw civil operations that included 19,640 tons of food aid, donation of 6,400 agricultural implements, construction of 3,319 homes and schools, construction of 132 bridges, and construction of 394 kilometers of roads. The HQ also supervised entertainment programs, support for Vietnamese youth and the elderly, and instruction of 902,000 Vietnamese in Tae Kwon Do