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US bring back SOG knife


KnifeDog
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I'm a member of a very well known knife forum/ A frequent poster there is Russian, well respected for his vast collection of military knives and knowledge of them. A couple of years ago he posted a pic of a genuine SOG knife that he obtained from N. Vietnam.

 

We talk about 'bring backs,' but almost always that is souveniors brought back by US troops that they have picked up on the battle field, or obtained from captured or killed enemy soldiers. When I think of that knife, I sadly wonder about the US soldier who got separated from it. Kinda puts a whole new spin on the collecting of the spoils of war.

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River Patrol

Not knowing the history, it could have simply been a surplus item founded in a store room and traded or sold over the years.

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Not knowing the history, it could have simply been a surplus item founded in a store room and traded or sold over the years.

 

Actually, I'd prefer to think that, rather than it being taken from a dead US soldier or a POW. The Russian collector that owns it is beyond reproach, and if he said he obtained it via North Vietnam, then that is where it came from.

 

I have no photo. The guys on the forum that know these things were all of the opinion that it was genuine. It did show much use.

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River Patrol

 

Actually, I'd prefer to think that, rather than it being taken from a dead US soldier or a POW. The Russian collector that owns it is beyond reproach, and if he said he obtained it via North Vietnam, then that is where it came from.......

 

And actually, that's my point. We just don't know. Probability dictates that it's a surplus item that got traded through the years and moved northward.

 

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I get teh same feelings from a US sniper rifle that was captured back from the VC. I wonder often about the original sniper team that had it.

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River Patrol

I get teh same feelings from a US sniper rifle that was captured back from the VC. I wonder often about the original sniper team that had it.

 

Do you have this item? Do you have it documented? Show some pics in a new thread please....

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I get teh same feelings from a US sniper rifle that was captured back from the VC. I wonder often about the original sniper team that had it.

 

I think you get my point.

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I purchased ny first SOG knife back in the early 80s at a gunshow.One of the vendors asked if I knew anything about Randalls as a guy had an "experimental"Randall.I told him they really didnt have experimental Randalls to my knowledge(I was maybe 16 years old at the time)but I said lets look at it as Im willing to learn.He was hesitant as he was intrested in buying it.I told him if he wasnt intrested in the knife I would maybe be intrested and maybe I could tell him if it was or wasnta Randall.

 

We went over to the sellers table and he pointed it out.I said its a Special Forces knife.He said "its not a Randall"? and sounded disappointed.Being a kid he looked at me odd and I said lets go look at the book I have back at the table and I pointed out the kife in one of Coles books my dad had at the table.He said he wanted a Randall,thanked me for my time and said go get it.I did and paid $35 for it.THis said I asked the seller after buying it where he got it.He said a neighbor had him bring it to the show to sell it.I asked if the neighbor was a SF vet.He said no but he did serve in Viet Nam.I asked about the scabbard and the seller seemed a bit reluctant to answer.He began to say the owner stated the knife had been found in the chest of one of his platoon members.The man had not been seen that morning and when found he was outside the wire a few hundred yards with the knife in his chest.Why the guy kept it I wont know but the seller said he had it in the garage and it was time to get rid of it.I know buy the item not the story.I had already bought the item so the story came later.

 

Hearing the story I recalled something a relative told me.He stated they had two large 20mm ammo cans show up packed with these knives at his camp.They were told to take and use them.He took two.He called them a "throw away knife",as if you lost it or threw it away it wasbnt like loosing your Randall.Some of the little people they had took several.He said later they traded them for things they needed/wanted.Just saying its possible these knives would get around.Plus there were teams who were captured and disappeared.One was set on a mountain top in Loas and was never heard from again.Nothing was ever found.No weapons,clothing,buttons,brass,boot tracks...nothing.THey had made radio contact when inserted and never seen again.THings could get captured.

 

As far as it coming out of North Viet Nam really doent prove if it was or wasnt taken from a soldier or SOG member.I have heard there are museums with lots of US artifacts on display.One friend told me a place he visitied had a couple piles of patches on the floor.He said it looked like they had just went into a tailors shop and scooped up the stuff and then piled it on the floor in the museum.

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Do you have this item? Do you have it documented? Show some pics in a new thread please....

 

I think the idea that the OP, and the poster you're after, are that not all bringbacks are captured by us and that the human factor to a knife captured by an NVA soldier is rather striking, and personal. It would be the same of a guy from VN came to this forum, saw a captured document book from a NVA soldier, and felt a connection there.

 

 

 

This picture says it all:

 

16877d1206351033-iraq-5-years-war-pics-3

 

and his information:

 

http://www.fallenheroesmemorial.com/oif/profiles/reynosoyadirg.html

 

 

 

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River Patrol

 

I think the idea that the OP, and the poster you're after, are that not all bringbacks are captured by us and that the human factor to a knife captured by an NVA soldier is rather striking, and personal. It would be the same of a guy from VN came to this forum, saw a captured document book from a NVA soldier, and felt a connection there.......

 

 

 

OK, to be clear......I'm not "after" anyone. I suggested that a new thread be started on a sniper rifle. I would like to see this.

 

Secondly, I have no problems understanding the connection issue that someone might have with captured items. That's great! Hopefully stories from veterans will be shared here.

 

My point - clearly stated here again, is that if we don't know, then what we have is a story. The story that pops into my head about the knife found in N. Vietnam is that aliens placed it there in some weird time warp, and ultimately it'll help explain why the pyramids were built. But that might seem contrived and a little disrespectful. Logically thinking, without documentation it's a utilitarian surplus item that moved north. If you want to revel in the idea that there is some other explanation that may involve pain and suffering of a soldier's life, that is your issue - I won't partake in that - unless it's a first hand account!

 

Are these first hand accounts? If so, we should be documenting it. Unfortunately, this is not usually the case, and once the item is seperated from the original owner, we loose context. Without context, the history gets blurred real quick!

So what's the lesson: Document it while it's with the original owner! That way you can actually share with future generations those feelings and events lived by that veteran.....hopefully so they won't be repeated.

 

Steve

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OK, to be clear......I'm not "after" anyone. I suggested that a new thread be started on a sniper rifle. I would like to see this.

 

Secondly, I have no problems understanding the connection issue that someone might have with captured items. That's great! Hopefully stories from veterans will be shared here.

 

My point - clearly stated here again, is that if we don't know, then what we have is a story. The story that pops into my head about the knife found in N. Vietnam is that aliens placed it there in some weird time warp, and ultimately it'll help explain why the pyramids were built. But that might seem contrived and a little disrespectful. Logically thinking, without documentation it's a utilitarian surplus item that moved north. If you want to revel in the idea that there is some other explanation that may involve pain and suffering of a soldier's life, that is your issue - I won't partake in that - unless it's a first hand account!

 

Are these first hand accounts? If so, we should be documenting it. Unfortunately, this is not usually the case, and once the item is seperated from the original owner, we loose context. Without context, the history gets blurred real quick!

So what's the lesson: Document it while it's with the original owner! That way you can actually share with future generations those feelings and events lived by that veteran.....hopefully so they won't be repeated.

 

Steve

 

While what you said are all valid points about documentation, I still believe you're missing the OP's intent. Its not about the knife being found, or the other one about the recovered rifle, its the idea that these items and others like them were lost by US personnel. Its not about specifics in this case, its the general idea behind it.

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River Patrol

 

While what you said are all valid points about documentation, I still believe you're missing the OP's intent. Its not about the knife being found, or the other one about the recovered rifle, its the idea that these items and others like them were lost by US personnel. Its not about specifics in this case, its the general idea behind it.

 

OK.....I get the point....as long as we aren't artificially depicting events of a soldier's capture or a take down of a team crossborder.......

 

See and that just adds to it. If undocumented stories get attached to U.S. knives and equipment "found in Cambodia or Laos"......well then certainly your next assumption is that these items would have to be SOG items.....I can see the Ebay descriptions NOW!!

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OK.....I get the point....as long as we aren't artificially depicting events of a soldier's capture or a take down of a team crossborder.......

 

See and that just adds to it. If undocumented stories get attached to U.S. knives and equipment "found in Cambodia or Laos"......well then certainly your next assumption is that these items would have to be SOG items.....I can see the Ebay descriptions NOW!!

 

Completely agree with that. I think with anything like that the documentation has to be solid. Ebay is the devil lol

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  • 5 years later...

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