Tonomachi Posted June 12, 2014 Share #26 Posted June 12, 2014 Thought I'd share what I've come across over the years with SVN paratrooper wings. Here is a set of stamped regular Army ARVN paratrooper wings in basic, senior and master. They were probably patterned after the French paratrooper wing minus the wreaths. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonomachi Posted June 12, 2014 Share #27 Posted June 12, 2014 Here is set of sand cast regular Army ARVN paratrooper wings in basic, senior and master. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonomachi Posted June 12, 2014 Share #28 Posted June 12, 2014 Here are a number of variations of this paratrooper wing. The upper left one is unique as it is a sand casting but made in two pieces with an attached gold colored star. The one on the upper right is an early stamped piece with a French style pin back. The lower left wing is the same style stamping as in Post # 22 which is serial numbered like the French paratrooper wings. I don't know what the significance of the red cloth behind paratrooper wing on the lower right but it is similar to the red cloth behind this SVN airborne intendance (support) pin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonomachi Posted June 12, 2014 Share #29 Posted June 12, 2014 Here are two SVN regular pattern paratrooper wings that I feel were probably made as replacement wings for soldiers authorized to wear them but not made in SVN and post war. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonomachi Posted June 12, 2014 Share #30 Posted June 12, 2014 Here is an example of the French paratrooper wing which the Army ARVN regular paratrooper wing was probably patterned after. The ARVN paratrooper wing in post # 22 copies the serial numbering and rear attachments of having two loops and this dumb bell looking pin unique to French insignia. I understand that during the French Indochina era there were no grades (basic, senior & master) which came about once the Americans arrived and they saw how we wore our paratrooper insignia with three different grades. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonomachi Posted June 12, 2014 Share #31 Posted June 12, 2014 Lastly here are a number of ARVN LLDB Special Forces style paratrooper wings. The most common that you come across are the top two with the stamping on the upper left and sand casting on the upper right. The one on the lower left I feel is an original piece made of a very light weight metal and have rear pins that aren't sharpened or don't have a point at the end but are blunt. I've seen this same construction on other ARVN insignia so I have a feeling they are crude and cheaply made but period originals. The one on the lower right and bottom I'm not sure about. The front of the very bottom wing is similar to the US made replacement paratrooper wings but the back has a checkerboard board cross hatching surface. What you have to watch out for with this style wing or the Army version is the sand castings minus the silver coating with a slightly different pin that came out of Communist Vietnam after the war. They are all reproductions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonomachi Posted June 12, 2014 Share #32 Posted June 12, 2014 Found a photo of the reproduction paratrooper wings that are or were coming out of Communist Vietnam. They all lack the silver coating and the way in which the pins are attached is a little different. They used the same plastic clutches as the originals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thefallenbuddha Posted June 13, 2014 Share #33 Posted June 13, 2014 Tonomachi, Thank you for taking the time to post these wings from your collection. Your posts are informative, and I am sure are much appreciated by members of the forum! Great looking wings, too, by the way! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
triplecanopy Posted July 1, 2014 Share #34 Posted July 1, 2014 Beautiful examples of South Vietnam parachutist wings! Thank you Tonomachi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smwinter207 Posted March 25, 2017 Share #35 Posted March 25, 2017 How does these wings look? The back seems okay, but the front is really pitted. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vintageproductions Posted March 25, 2017 Share #36 Posted March 25, 2017 It looks fine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smwinter207 Posted March 25, 2017 Share #37 Posted March 25, 2017 Thanks Bob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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