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Vietnam era "Skull" Jump Wings special forces


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triplecanopy

Here is a nice looking master parachutist badge with a good looking skull and cross bones. These are currently being made by a guy in Key West. He does nice work and offers quite a few other novelty wings and badges.

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vintageproductions

Here is another one that I saw a while back . Notice that it has two combat jump stars. This is also a well made badge. I do not have a photo of the back. It was also represented as a MAC-V SOG parachute badge.

 

The skull on this one looks like it is off a ROC / Taiwan ARP badge

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Thanks for the information about the skull and crossbones being plated as I thought they were something like 10K solid gold. I'm guessing these were made stateside after the Vietnam War?

It may be 10k, I am not positive except for the fact that it is real gold. Mike Tucker would have the answer.

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Here are a couple of skull wings I've picked up over the years. Probably not real but worth asking, I suppose! Both appear to be from the same die, fairly cheaply made and plated.

 

post-265-0-02943600-1381110312.jpg

 

The backs, however, are different. It's tough to see in the photo but the top wings have what appear to be copper pins with broad heads and smaller stabilizing pins sticking out from the heads. The bottom wings have small nails for pins. (well, they used to anyway - one is missing now.) Any thoughts on wear and when these were made?

post-265-0-10484000-1381110328.jpg

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Patchcollector

Here are a couple of skull wings I've picked up over the years. Probably not real but worth asking, I suppose! Both appear to be from the same die, fairly cheaply made and plated.

 

attachicon.gifDSC04694.JPG

 

The backs, however, are different. It's tough to see in the photo but the top wings have what appear to be copper pins with broad heads and smaller stabilizing pins sticking out from the heads. The bottom wings have small nails for pins. (well, they used to anyway - one is missing now.) Any thoughts on wear and when these were made?

 

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The ones you are showing are also the same wing design that I have.It looks like the copy is on the top,and it appears that the bottom one may match my authentic piece.

Here is my prior thread on this topic:

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/94369-not-sure-if-this-is-the-right-catagory/?hl=%2Bskull+%2Bwing&do=findComment&comment=692839

 

The authentic piece is Vietnam war era,mine is still on the makers' card so you can see who made it and where.As you can see in my prior thread,the wing,and even the makers' card have been copied.

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vintageproductions

I am not posting this to start a Pi**ing contest just to state facts. So let's not make it a pi**ing contest.

These cards are bogus as are the insignia pinned to them. The cards were made in the 1990's and were sold by I believe Saunders and a couple of other companies. The card images are lifted off of a original Vietnamese insignia shop's shopping bag. You will find the skull wings, LLDB badges, PRU beret badges, BDQ qualification badges, all the classes of ARVN jump wings, Mike Force beercans, etc.

These were made only to deceive collectors and to make fake / remake insignia look sexier when they were out for sale. You see these pop up frequently on Ebay.

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Here are a couple of skull wings I've picked up over the years. Probably not real but worth asking, I suppose! Both appear to be from the same die, fairly cheaply made and plated.

 

attachicon.gifDSC04694.JPG

 

The backs, however, are different. It's tough to see in the photo but the top wings have what appear to be copper pins with broad heads and smaller stabilizing pins sticking out from the heads. The bottom wings have small nails for pins. (well, they used to anyway - one is missing now.) Any thoughts on wear and when these were made?

 

I've seen these wings first pop up in an insignia catalog (Fox Militaria) circa early 1980s that sold a lot of reproductions. Afterwards I believe they were copied by other folks because I noticed that the quality of these wings were degraded.

 

Found this image on another post:

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/141128-tigerstripe-jump-wing/?hl=%2Bmike+%2Bforce&do=findComment&comment=1069205

 

Does anyone know if this is an original Mike Force skull type wing or a fantasy piece?

post-1389-0-32308700-1381587191.jpg

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I can't remember where I copied this photo from but it is of a cavalry death card showing the skull wing and their motto. So if I read this thread correctly the consensus is that there were some original unauthorized insignia made and worn unofficially by both the Air Cavalry as well as some Airborne/Special Forces units during a particular conflict and afterwards as novelties and mementos. However if one were to try and locate pieces for their collection there is also a lot of bogus stuff that never existed that you need to be very wary of.

 

 

post-1389-0-28828500-1381587400.jpg

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I am not posting this to start a Pi**ing contest just to state facts. So let's not make it a pi**ing contest.

These cards are bogus as are the insignia pinned to them. The cards were made in the 1990's and were sold by I believe Saunders and a couple of other companies. The card images are lifted off of a original Vietnamese insignia shop's shopping bag. You will find the skull wings, LLDB badges, PRU beret badges, BDQ qualification badges, all the classes of ARVN jump wings, Mike Force beercans, etc.

These were made only to deceive collectors and to make fake / remake insignia look sexier when they were out for sale. You see these pop up frequently on Ebay.

 

I always thought insignia on these cards were bogus. Here is one that I came across I think on eBay:

post-1389-0-96481800-1381587899.jpg

post-1389-0-79093400-1381587910.jpg

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Here is a grouping of skull wings that I think were being offered for sale on eBay. The challenge coin looked good but I wasn't sure about the enameled MACV SOG bursting skull. The first three skull wings didn't look good but the very bottom one with the ruby eyes I wasn't sure about. This wing looks like it used to have dual clutch backs and there is a hallmark. it looks like but is not the same as an original Japanese Occupation made piece with ruby eyes. I felt that it might have been made from an original paratrooper wing.

post-1389-0-47220200-1381588276.jpg

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Here is a poor photo of the skull wing that I was told was available for sale at the PX at Fort Bragg during the Vietnam War. I have since seen this wing without this hallmark and felt it was being reproduced. Does anyone know anything about this particular skull wing?

 

 

post-1389-0-84376000-1381588775.jpg

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Patchcollector

I am not posting this to start a Pi**ing contest just to state facts. So let's not make it a pi**ing contest.

These cards are bogus as are the insignia pinned to them. The cards were made in the 1990's and were sold by I believe Saunders and a couple of other companies. The card images are lifted off of a original Vietnamese insignia shop's shopping bag. You will find the skull wings, LLDB badges, PRU beret badges, BDQ qualification badges, all the classes of ARVN jump wings, Mike Force beercans, etc.

These were made only to deceive collectors and to make fake / remake insignia look sexier when they were out for sale. You see these pop up frequently on Ebay.

 

 

The shop existed during the war and made insignia,one is listed on the L-J militaria site,and yes I know that there are copies made of badges and patches affixed to the card.However,I believe that my darker,more detailed wing is authentic,and from the period.

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Here is one similar to others posted that is available right now for only $183.00 straight from China.

 

I agree with Tonomachi and others who have contributed to this thread. In some case skulls were worn on patches, displayed on flags and featured on calling cards. Skulls were worn on hats and vests, but were almost without exception very unofficial. To claim a set of parachute wings with an attached skull device was a MAC-V SOG badge goes a bit far in my opinion. These wings are an interesting sideline much as other attached devices are.

post-48217-0-96232100-1381699847.jpg

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Patchcollector

There are copies out there,I have one I bought from Pete Morgan,if I remember correctly.Those are the ones I believe Bob is referring to.I can't speak to the other badges posted here,only mine.

I have got mine out and will post close up detailed pics of the front and back,as mine is different from all the others I have seen.Even the card it is on is different from the "Saunders"(or whoever made them) copies.I never claimed my wing to be MACVSOG,honestly I don't know who it was made for.

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I can't remember where I copied this photo from but it is of a cavalry death card showing the skull wing and their motto. So if I read this thread correctly the consensus is that there were some original unauthorized insignia made and worn unofficially by both the Air Cavalry as well as some Airborne/Special Forces units during a particular conflict and afterwards as novelties and mementos. However if one were to try and locate pieces for their collection there is also a lot of bogus stuff that never existed that you need to be very wary of.

 

 

 

 

These are the cards Capt Mozey had made.

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  • 2 years later...
  • 1 month later...

Can anyone tell me if this design of skull was ever made in VN(#43)? I know the one pair in POST #16 is confirmed, but it is a very different design.

 

#43 was owned by a MF soldier. 67-68 and 69-70.

 

Thank you.

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Patchcollector

Can anyone tell me if this design of skull was ever made in VN(#43)? I know the one pair in POST #16 is confirmed, but it is a very different design.

 

#43 was owned by a MF soldier. 67-68 and 69-70.

 

Thank you.

 

I can't speak to yours,as there were/are many copies of this design floating around,but I believe that the example that I posted(posts #'s 14 & 15) on the "Chieu-Anh" store card to be authentic.

Looking at the photos from my posts you can see that the detail on mine is quite nice,and it has developed a patina over time.

Also,in post # 14 I added a link to another thread of mine that shows a cheap "Saunders made"copy of the Wing that is also on a newly made "Chieu-Anh" store card.The difference in quality is obvious.

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  • 6 months later...
smwinter207

This skull variation has the same construction as the one I posted in #43. I like both as being original sandcast. IMO

 

 

post-20483-0-17454000-1489545628.png

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This skull variation has the same construction as the one I posted in #43. I like both as being original sandcast. IMO

 

 

I found some information on a piece of paper that one of these skull wings was attached to which identified this piece as having come from 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry, Airborne Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division circa 1965 - 1968.

 

Concerning the other skull wing in Post #43 I have yet to come across one that I felt was an original period SVN made piece.

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