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US Army Air Assault


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9 hours ago, Boy Howdy said:

Did the 101st use a para oval with this badge back in 1974?

Probably, on the Class A and Khaki, and in the old familiar way, on the soft cap when in fatiques, the 101's ovals were already established, though they did not wear them anymore after early 1968 due to the division (Now all of it In Country) being taken off jump status and in due course redesignated an Airmobile division, with majority new guys, (that's EMs) assigned not being jump qualified, something that was consistent for the rest of their time there.

 

In example.

 

The 1st Battalion 327th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile) comes home as a unit in late January 1972. Low quarters, no Para Glider badges but DIs on caps, not one jump qualified one in these photos at least, some wear a Belgian Rope while some do not, at least two are not wearing a Blue Rope, but they are wearing Blue discs, one even has no DI, but as we see there's seems to be one constant, by 1972, the unit lost all it's trappings of it's former jump status. This is just but one unit. It's safe to say I think that soldiers in the other battalions at this time would have a similar appearance in their Class As and or Khakis, with any jump boots, or if jump qualified being worn would be as an individual preference I,m thinking, possibly in the RVN itself, or just boarding the plane in the RVN (one photo from this series does show one GI, a E-5, in khakis with his boots bloused as he's bounding down flight stairs from the airliner after it touched down in Oakland, but he's the only one, all the others have low quarters on, and he also ain't got no jump badge).

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Oh I forgot, while not ovals, they did wear flashes,flashes in the color of the ovals these the unauthorized Dark Blue Berets,  the 101 starts to wear them 1973, so the wear of the ovals on the soft cap come back into use when the Berets Army Wide are Banned in 1978.

 

Here's thee topic for the 70s 101. Flashes and Ovals.

 

 

 

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Okay, just plucked these from the bay.

I noticed the "star" between the V & 21.

Does this mean anything to any one?

Also I read that  Vanguard went from V-21 to V-21-N in 1974 so did I find another pair of early issue wings?

Thank you in advance.

 

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9 hours ago, Boy Howdy said:

Okay, just plucked these from the bay.

I noticed the "star" between the V & 21.

Does this mean anything to any one?

Also I read that  Vanguard went from V-21 to V-21-N in 1974 so did I find another pair of early issue wings?

Thank you in advance.

 

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This one above may be a real curent one. With the V-21-N, these are Navy stuff that's marked with that code.

 

In example.

 

A Seal Badge, and a Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation.

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  • 2 months later...

In all seriousness  I have seen Vanguard badges marked CH for badges that were made in China.

I'm guessing, IMHO, that the K may mean the badge was farmed out to South Korea (?).

 

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6 hours ago, Boy Howdy said:

In all seriousness  I have seen Vanguard badges marked CH for badges that were made in China.

I'm guessing, IMHO, that the K may mean the badge was farmed out to South Korea (?).

 

CH China, no way!

 

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To be clear these are counterfeits made without license from Vanguard.

Maybe the Koreans are doing the same. 

Spit balling here,

 

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On 1/24/2021 at 6:22 PM, Boy Howdy said:

To be clear these are counterfeits made without license from Vanguard.

Maybe the Koreans are doing the same. 

Spit balling here,

 

post-1389-0-96869000-1463098634.jpg

 

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  • 1 year later...

Here's a most curious sighting of the first type Air Assault Badge being worn, it's being worn by a guy who was not in the 11th Air Assault Division, he wasn't even in the Army yet when it was being awarded as far as I can tell, his name is Frank Gowrie, a LRRP in the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment sometime I think in 1968. He has a few totally confused and conflicting Obits, one has him as a Engineer, one has him in the "11th Air Cavalry Division" one has him serving 3 Tours, one with the Green Berets,  one has him as a NYPD Officer after Vietnam, while another has him a a Nassau or Suffolk County Long Island Police Officer etc etc.

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  • 6 months later...

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