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Door Gunners' wing badge.


Sabrejet
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Come on guys, you know I am going to show you the image! Both the metal and cloth versions in one photograph! Private Neil.

 

Awesome photo.

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I can't believe no one commented on that reiker mount full of wings posted by Vintage Productions.

 

That must be a complete collection.

 

Seeing pictures of your wings is fascinating.

 

Please show us some more.

 

M

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi Guys,after reading this very interesting post i thought i would add pics of a set of crudely made brass wings that i bought as theater made British glider pilot wings,which may be not the case.Can any one confirm that these are more likely local made door gunner wings as per the post.I don't actually collect Vietnam era wings so if this is what they are they will be going in the swap box.I look forward to your opinions.

Thanks,Steve.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I know the gentleman that has it listed on EBay and over the years I became a collector of mostly WWII items. He has helped me a number of times and is a Vet. Yes the wings are a collectors item, and in most all cases you will not find them listed in any new Army manual. The Army stopped issuing them shortly after the end of Vietnam in 75. From my earlier post you will see I was awarded my wings while in Vietnam in 69. I also have AF crew wings from my time as a triple 1,(gunner 52's) and crew on Spooky C-47 gunships. Having those wings did pose a problem for me, but they are noted on my DD 214 as an award. If you noted from my post, I was actually AF assigned to the Army's 1st Air Cal 223rd Helicopter Assault Sq. on a Marine Fire Base. Uniforms or what you had on them was not something we were concerned with much. The only time it became an issue was returning to the world and meeting some yahoo with a stick up the rump about uniforms. My whole experience when I came home left me with some bitter feelings, and I ended it. It was not until my recent health issues that I started getting a uniform together again. My last wish was to be buried in it, so I wanted to make sure my uniform was all together. Saber there are some of the newer guys that might say the wings are myth, and that may be so now but at one time they were a earned award. Later

Asking for clarification to the unit at the Marine base. You wrote 1st Air Cal 223rd sq. If you meant 1st Air Cav, that unit does not exist. The only aviation units in the cav with squadrons were the 1st of the 9th CAV. nOW IN MID 1967, c cOMPANY, 227TH aSSAULT hELICOPTER bATTALION AND A COMPLEMENT OF dELTA cOMPANY GUNSHIPS WENT nORTH TO SUPPORT THE mARINES IN THE dANANG AREA WHEN THEIR ch-46 sEA kNIGHTS EXPERIENCED CRACKING WITH THEIR REAR PYLONS. Oops sorry for the caps, Other units of the 227th and later the 229th also moved North in support of the marines and also Army units out of Camp Evans and others.

 

On the wings, if they were ever authorized, i never saw them in 6 years of military flight time.

 

Roger

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  • 11 months later...

Anyone have an idea of what these may be? It looks like the same type of construction / engraving used in making the custom engraved belt buckles made in the Philippines. Any help appreciated.

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vintageproductions

There are two schools of thought on these wings.

1. is they are crew wings for VP squadrons

2. Was how many missions over the Shite river.

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I lived in Subic for 2 years in the early 80's. I recall these type of things being sold here and there around the base (but I can't recall ever paying much attention to them since I was only a teenager at the time).

 

Patrick

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Thanks vintageproductions for the help. With what you've said regarding them, what action(s) would warrant the wing being made and awarded? I'm guessing that when you say crossing the Shite River, you're referring to the swimming of the Olangapo? And if awarded to VP crew, what does the numeral indicate? Figure it'd be something of note to create a wing to commemorate the 1st of the event instead of, let's say, the 25th or 50th of the event.

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vintageproductions

Matt- I have seen them numbered from 1 to 15, and they were supposedly worn by VP crews ( Like VP-40 crew 12).

Back when I was running all the insignia shops in Olongapo, these and the hand etched belt buckles were usually available on the small push cart showcases, usually found on corners or between shops. They would run from say $1.00 to $10.00 depending on how un-savy the buyer was. Every time I went I would say next time when I come back I am going to buy out those shops. Of course the last trip was seven days before Mt Pinatubo exploded, and everything was destroyed. Haven't been back since.

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  • 2 years later...

Come on guys, you know I am going to show you the image! Both the metal and cloth versions in one photograph! Private Neil.

 

Here's mine :

 

p3_cop10.jpg

 

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