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ARVN Ranger Advisor 1965


gwb123
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As mentioned in post 196 you will find few Rangers in this photograpgh of the 34th Ranger Command group wearing the heavy weight uniforms. The soldiers prefered to wear light weight O.G. uniforms. You can view my

Jungle Fatigues worn on the top row next to Maj. Xien, CO of the battalion.

 

Also note all of the different types of head gear worn. Maj. Xien served in the French Army prior to joining the Rangers and rose in the ranks from enlisted to Lt.Col. Because of his service with the French, the Battalion always wore soft head gear on operations.

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Jewler made BDQ qualification badge.

 

There is also out there another varient of a jewler made badge, which I had ordered but left on emergency leave and was not able to pick it up. The person who was to send it to me never performed his mission. It was not as beautiful as the badge shown.

 

 

September 9, 2001

 

 

To: Capt. D.M. Kim

 

Sr. Advisor 34th Vietnamese Ranger Battalion, ‘66-‘67

 

Sr. Advisor to the Chief of Tactics, Duc My Ranger Training Center ’68-‘69

 

 

Chao Dai Uy Kim,

 

The BDQ (Ranger) Badge that you bought from me on September 7, 2009 on e-Bay is one of only ten distinct ARVN Ranger Badges reportedly ordered for and presented to what General Toan called, “My Top Ten Rangers.” It is my understanding that these badges were made and crafted in Saigon by a Chinese jeweler for General Toan. There is neither a jeweler’s mark nor any gold Kt. marking numbers. My guess is it is 10K; it has never tarnished and I've worn and held it for more than 35 years. The craftsmanship is excellent; with fine details. Most of these badges were stamped out of common metals and they lacked the fine detail of this badge.

 

I was presented this badge by an aide of General Nguyen Van Toan, the II Corps Commander in 1973. At the time I was assigned to MACV as the II Corps Ranger Command as the G-2/3 Advisor. I was informed that these distinctive badges were modeled on the original BDQ badge, and were intended to be a morale booster following the news that the Americans would be going home and leaving their Vietnamese comrades to stand alone. Shame on American politicians!

 

Like all young, confident Infantry Officers, I too believed I was the best there ever was. However, I don’t want to steal credit for unique skills and accomplishments that honestly belong to others. I must tell you that I don’t believe that General Toan selected me to receive this very special BDQ badge because of any heroism or proven Ranger skills on my part that placed me over other Rangers. Instead, I believe that he presented me with this badge due to my close association with General Michael D. “Iron Mike” Healy, the II Corps Sr. Advisor.

 

General Healy was chosen in Washington to replace the well known II Corps Senior Advisor, John Paul Vann immediately following Vann’s death. General Healy selected me to go back to Vietnam with him for various reasons; amongst them, he knew that most of the Montagnard Soldiers from my days as a battalion commander in the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) “Mike Force” were then serving as ARVN Rangers (BDQ). He knew that they held me in high regard, and he wanted a quick and trusted assessment of the situation in II Corps. He knew I could get that for him from the Montagnard tribesmen. To carry out this tasking, he had me assigned to the II Corps Ranger Command. All my tours in Vietnam were spent in the company of the renowned Montagnard tribal warriors both with Special Forces and Vietnamese Rangers.

 

I, C.M.R attest that the information provided above is true and accurate.

 

 

Signed cmr

 

When complete this grouping will consist of the badge, pictures of Cpt. Randall both as a Ranger and Special Forces officer, orders and documents relating to this badge, and other information provided.

 

One interesting fact about General Toan was that the Ranger's did not like him at all. In the heat of battle as a young armor officer he ran over and killed many Rangers in his hasty retreat.

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A picture of my field uniform. To the right of me you will see a U.S. made jungle hammock, with a poncho over it and a box of C Rations under it. This was my bed.

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Here is a picture of me wearing a heavy weight camo uniform

 

 

Great pics, was the cap also made in the same heavy weight camo ?

 

Even of the poor sewing quality and discomfort, it fitted you better than the US Jungle fatigue ;)

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One last photo which shows another side of my uniform. When I first got into country I was loaded for bear whenever I went on operations. It also shows what their uniforms looked like and how they were worn.

 

After I became the Senior advisor to the 34th and observed what my counterpart wore, we had a talk over a breakfast of pho. He indicated to me that it was more important for me to assist him rather than to fire a rifle. His comment was that if I had to fire my rifle then the enemy would be close at hand and there would be a rifle that I could find from a wounded or dead soldier to use. It was not my job, I was not there to be a infantryman.

 

From then on I followed the lead of a commander who had 20 plus years in the field. What you see is all I took with

me and what I wore. What I realized is that as a advisor my most important piece of equipment was the PRC-10 radio and smoke granades.

 

The picture is of the 2nd Bde. Commander of the U.S. 25th infantry division in 1966 examining a 82mm motar that we captured on one of our operations. We had a very unusual relationship with this unit. After having gone on several operations with the Bde. their commanding general made a request that our Bn. be directly attached to the Bde. The ARVN 25th Division Commander agreed but he had to receive something in return since we protected Division HQ surrounding Duc Hoa. So in return he got a battery of 105 move close to the Division.

 

From October of '66 to when I left in June of '67 we were attached to the Bde. and participated in all of the largest Search and Destroy operations of the war with them. It was a good relationship and the only regreat that I have is that I sould have requested that all of my wounded be treated by them. Afer visiting our wounded in Saigon with my counterpart, I learned that ARVN hopitals were pitiful.

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The guy in the right hand side wore a rucksack over the binocular box, this rucksack doesn't look like any one I saw used in the ARVN, could you tell me if he was carrying any specific gear in it ?

 

I just met a 34th BDQ in 74-75 vietnamese vet through a Ebay deal this afternoon, he confirms that he used to carry very light gear (usually 7-8 mags for his M16 + 4 grenades), he said that that the VC didin't have more than him, so just strategy, fire discipline and courage mattered, no need for overwhelming firepower.

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Great pics, was the cap also made in the same heavy weight camo ?

 

Even of the poor sewing quality and discomfort, it fitted you better than the US Jungle fatigue ;)

 

No it was made of light weight material, marine design.

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The guy in the right hand side wore a rucksack over the binocular box, this rucksack doesn't look like any one I saw used in the ARVN, could you tell me if he was carrying any specific gear in it ?

 

I just met a 34th BDQ in 74-75 vietnamese vet through a Ebay deal this afternoon, he confirms that he used to carry very light gear (usually 7-8 mags for his M16 + 4 grenades), he said that that the VC didin't have more than him, so just strategy, fire discipline and courage mattered, no need for overwhelming firepower.

 

Copran, I knew that you would pick up on the pack and how the binoculars were carried. I do not believe that the pack was Ranger issued. Most of the Rangers had the typical Ranger ruck that was issued. Not sure if anything special was carried in this pack. The individual was part of the command group and was always arround Thieu-ta. Thieu-ta took care of me very well. He had a Ranger assigned to me as an aid. He would look after my needs, set up my hammock and drove for me.

 

Whenever we went on operations we carried everything that we needed. Rice was stored in nylon tubes, heavily salted meat, and other food stuffs were carried in containers along with pots to cook in. Most of all the food was cooked in the field; there were no C-Rations other than what I could muster. We were resupplied by helicopter, but if we were not the Rangers were very proficient in living off of the land. Snakes, paddy rats, leaves, roots and whatever else that could be found were often shared fare. Whatever Thiu-ta ate, he shared with me. It was not always gormet fare and my bout with amebic dysentery was proof that all was not good even if thoroughly cooked. There were 2 things I could not stomach, raw ox blood and half formed chicks still in the egg, although it was known as a poor man's Viagra. Pulling the little feathers off before eating the chick was not my cup of tea.

 

I would have to agree with the vet, we traveled light far from what the Americans were used to carry, 60 pounds plus.

 

For more on the BDQ, go to Wehrmacht Awards Forum and join so that you may view pictures:

 

http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/index.php

 

Scroll down to Indo-China Wars 1955-1975

 

Open pinned thread: Vietnamese Ranger Insignia, Headgear & Uniforms.

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  • 1 year later...
  • 1 year later...

This is about time to kick off this thread once again.

Another of my BDQ advisor shirt. ARVN ERDL heavy weight, late war.

 

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  • 4 months later...

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