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Vietnam wrist accessories


neilhg
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Hi i have been wondering you always see in the movies they have watches and loads other accessories on there wrists. I stated looking in some photos from vietnam and havent realy seen anything like that. Ive found one photo on the forum which im attaching and the guy seems to have a watch band, and maybee a montagnard braclet, and a parachute cord braclet (which i dident know thoose where around in the 60's and 70's) how common where thoose back then?

Ive also seen some photos which the person had a leather biker braclet I wondered how common thoose where? And lastly how common montagnard braclets where and how did the soildiers get them(ive been looking to buy one).

Any ifno or pictures would be great thanks.

Neil

 

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Wide band leather watch bands were all the style back then. Only problem was that when the leather got wet from rain, crossing streams, whatever, over time they would be a good source of ringworm. A lot of guys replaced them with narrower bands over time if they spent time in the field. Here are two photos of me. The earlier one shows me with a wide band. The later, after I was a little wiser, with a narrow standard band.

 

Those woven bracelets from shoe strings or whatever, seemed to be mostly a black guy thing....or remp thing, if I remember correctly.

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Mostly commonly the macrame' wristbands were made from black bootlaces. And, yes, they were common amongst blacks and rear area weinies and even more common on black REMFs.

 

In 1970-1971, a supply clerk, truck driver, cook or Security Guard (gate attendant) was more likely to wear them than not. However, NOT common amongst line doggies and crackers of bush.

 

There were also necklaces and choker neckbands of the same material, often with a metal peace symbol or Black Power fist suspended.

 

BTW such stylish affectations were known as "fetishes". Embroidered/personalized boonie hats and aviator sunglasses with the blue plastic belt case were also "fetishes".

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Mostly commonly the macrame' wristbands were made from black bootlaces. And, yes, they were common amongst blacks and rear area weinies and even more common on black REMFs.

 

In 1970-1971, a supply clerk, truck driver, cook or Security Guard (gate attendant) was more likely to wear them than not. However, NOT common amongst line doggies and crackers of bush.

 

There were also necklaces and choker neckbands of the same material, often with a metal peace symbol or Black Power fist suspended.

 

BTW such stylish affectations were known as "fetishes". Embroidered/personalized boonie hats and aviator sunglasses with the blue plastic belt case were also "fetishes".

Good to know! And are you saying that mostly the guys in the rear where the ones wearing them? And do you have a picture? Thanks!

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I think the wearing of bracelets was common among some Special Forces. especially those working with "Yards." They used a special weave that must have had some tribal meaning. I think Life or Geographic did an article that followed a Special Forces officer as he worked with the "Yards" and he was wearing them. I have a similar woven bracelet on a crossbow that I'll try and post.

 

I also don't think it was just a Black or REMF thing. Can't see many trigger-pullers wearing jewelry tho. But to use Hollywood as a totally unreliable source, didn't John Wayne wear a yard bracelet in the Green Berets?

 

The US Army did issue disposable watches, which came on a nylon band.

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If the Army was giving out wristwatches in Vietnam, I never saw one with the infantry I served with as one thing and another of an FO team for nearly nine months. Everybody I knew had to buy a watch from some place or get one sent from home when whatever they had stopped working. And there were no Montagnards villages in the Delta and no particular reason for 9th Divison troops to want anything the yards might have owned since we never knew any. However, I think it would be a safe bet that all kinds of things happened in Vietnam from one time and one place to another.

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Montagnard bracelets could be bought back then. So anyone could of worn them. The popularity of this kind of wearable stuff seems to depend mainly on the groups of people and units. Certian units and groups of people got into wearing certian stuff and others just didnt. Like something may become popular to wear between guys in a company or platoon but not be worn at all in other units. Or certain groups of black soldiers might start wearing necklaces and bracelets symbolizing black power. It all varried. Things like the thick watchbands or certain bracelets and necklaces were not as practical for infantrymen or guys in the field but you can still find pictures of them being worn by groups of them. Watchbands, bracelets, necklaces, etc.. is all kinds of personal stuff that Vietnamese vendors would sell, especially late in the war. Or stuff people had sent from home.

 

The picture originally posted was taken by Vaugn Banting (2/12 Inf 1970-71, vlbanting.com). I have in my collection what looks like one of the exact same watchbands as shown in Bantings pictures. I had got it from a 25th Infantry Div vet who had bought it from a roadside vendor in 1970. Its pretty cheaply made and is basicly some kind of animal skin sewn over a black plastic material. These particular brown watchbands seem to of been sold by Vietnamese vendors around 70-71 mainly north of Saigon since Ive seen them in other people pictures.

 

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Another one of Vaugn Bantings pictures showing the watch bands being sold by a vendor.

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The bracelet in the first photo isnt paracord, its just woven boot lace. Woven boot lace stuff seems to of been most popular with black soldiers late in the war. You can also see necklaces made from woven boot lace in photos. Im pretty into collecting this kind of personal stuff and had some nice pictures of this kind of stuff in use but unfortunetly just about all of my collection is in storage. I remember there is a great photo of a black soldier with boot lace necklace, bracelets, rings, etc. on cover of a September 1971 issue of NY Times magazine.

 

This isnt a real complex one but heres a woven bootlace cross necklace. This was found in a camera equipment box along with a camera w/ "Saigon" marked film cases, black power dog tags, and pictures of a black soldier in a medical unit in Vietnam around 1971.

 

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This isnt a real complex one but heres a woven bootlace cross necklace. This was found in a camera equipment box along with a camera w/ "Saigon" marked film cases, black power dog tags, and pictures of a black soldier in a medical unit in Vietnam around 1971.

 

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Not much to add to the discussion, except that I found a similar bootlace cross necklace at a sale years ago, from a 25th Division vet. A "Brother," must have been a REMF (his jungle uniforms told a different story.)

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You could buy those Montagnard bracelets in gift shops or from people selling at road sides. I wore an aluminum one for a while and one day I looked down and it was gone. It must have snagged on something (not hard to do in the artillery) and got lost.

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  • 1 month later...

When I was there, these saddle shaped leatherette things were popular. They came in black or brown, the band was fitted between the two slots and the watch over the saddle, theoretically as a barrier to keep sweat out of the works. I don't know it was just a 9th Division thing or done throughout VN. There were also the wide leather watchbands, but I think most guys just wore them "naked."

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11thcavsniper

Interesting topic. The woven boot laces were popular in 1969 both by Blacks and Whites in the III Corps area, at least out in the field. The necklaces were usually adorned with a cross, hand grenade pin made into a piece medal, Boars tooth Buddha, or any personal item. The Montagnard Bracelets we encountered were usually traded with the Tribesmen we worked with. From what I see on Ebay, they are mostly currently made items. The originals were made from brass or aluminum found from things we left behind. It's almost impossible to tell if they are authentic unless you can trust the person you are buying them from.

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