Can't ID three Vietnam patches

[vintageproductions]

Does anyone recognize any of these Vietnam made patches?

 

The NIA, I believe is a private contracting type piece that was worn and made in Vietnam.

The white shield at one time I thought it was a support unit but have never seen it id again.

The Big Guns is 9th division related, maybe 4th FA but not sure.

 

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[patches]

That bottom one "Big Guns The Best", noting it's a tracked vehicle mounted piece, might be for a D Battery of one the big M109 155mm Self Propelled Artilley Battalions, of which there several in Nam and had D Batteries in them as modified in Nam.

[River Patrol]

I thought the white shield was a land clearing group but never confirmed....so still unknown.

[vintageproductions]

Makes sense on the Big Guns.

 

Steve I agree I saw it id'd like that once but also as a service & supply, so it has sat in the unknown box

[patches]

Going on the assumption the Big Guns The Best patch is Army,(Not certain it would be for a Marine Corps Big Gun Unit), and the big Red D stands for a D Battery, and is from either a 155mm Howitzer Self Propelled, or a 155mm Towed/8-Inch unit which had D Batteries, the best place to look is for the units that had these pieces.

 

Start Googling for unit associations Bob

 

155mm Self Propelled, 155mm Towed/8-Inch Battalions of the Vietnam War.

 

5th Battalion 4th Artillery (155mm Howitzer, Self-Propelled), 1st Brigade 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized).

 

8th Battalion 6th Artillery (155mm Towed/8-Inch Howitzer, Self-Propelled) 1st Infantry Division.

 

3rd Battalion 13th Artilllery (155mm Towed/8-Inch Howitzer, Self-Propelled) 25th Infantry Division.

 

5th Battalion 16th Artillery (155mm Towed/8-Inch Howitzer, Self-Propelled) I Field Force Vietnam.

 

1st Battalion 27th Artillery (155mm Howitzer, Self-Propelled) II Field Force Vietnam.

 

2nd Battalion 35th Artillery (155mm Howitzer, Self-Propelled) II Field Force Vietnam.

 

1st Battalion 82nd Artillery (155mm Towed/8-Inch Howitzer, Self-Propelled) Americal Division.

 

1st Battalion 84th Artillery (155mm Towed/8-Inch Howitzer, Self-Propelled) 9th Infantry Division.

 

2nd Battalion 138th Artillery (155mm Howitzer, Self Propelled) XXIV Corps. This was that Kentucky National Guard unit.

 

Since you mentioned at first both the 4th "FA" and the 9th Division, then a good place to look first will be for pages/sites on the 5th Battalion 4th Artillery, 1st Bde 5th Inf Div (Mech), and the 1st Battalion 84th Artillley, 9th Inf Div.

 

Happy Hunting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Patchcollector]

I have a few examples of the "NIA" patch.One I believe I bought from you not long ago and the other one(a larger example) I've had for ages.The only info I was ever able to find was for an entity named the "National Intelligence Agency"(IIRC!)

Unfortunately,I lost the link to the site where I found the info,and have not been able to find it again. I remember that the info I found was linked to Central America,and yet the patch looks Asian made.I can't remember if my other example is Asian made or not.
I have an example of the big "D" patch,and I believe that Patches is on the right track.I think mine is a variation with minor differences.I'll have to dig it out when I get time.
Was'nt the white shield with the tree and lightning associated with a Security unit?I seem to remember something to that effect.

 

Hope this helps

[VarkDriver]

The M107 and M110 were "big guns" and self-propelled, too.

[quack]

NIA was in fact the National Intelligence Agency, a sub-group of the CIA. See Wiki for more information: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Intelligence_Agency_(United_States)

 

 

I have no idea if this patch goes with this agency, but the terminology certainly exists.

[vintageproductions]

I believe this patch has nothing to do with that NIA.

 

Back in the day, and I believe it was in a issue of VICN there was reference to this patch and it was a Tech Rep / private contractor firm working in Vietnam. Similar to Dynaelectron, Vinnel, etc...

 

Also the big guns patch is related to the 9th division in that a uniform appeared on ebay a couple of years ago, that was straight out of a rag mill, that had all incountry made 9th division patches and this on the pocket.

[patches]

The M107 and M110 were "big guns" and self-propelled, too.

Right you are, however from what I,ve found so far, Battalions that had M107 175mm Guns and the M110 8-Inch Howitzers did not have a Delta Battery listed in their TO&E, just Alpha though Charlie, in example 8th Battalion 4th Artillery (175mm Gun, Self Propelled) (8-Inch Howitzer, Self Propelled).These were "Dual" Battalions, they intially had exclusively the 175mm Guns, then added the 8-Inchers with both being used.

 

On the M110 8 Incher they will be covered in the above listed Battalions that are 155mm towed/8-Inch Howitzer, Self Propelled. These Battalions were also "Dual" Battalions, some of their Batteries were equipt with Towed 155mm, while other's were equipt withthe M100 8 inch SP piece, their TO&E lists a Delta Battery.

[patches]

I believe this patch has nothing to do with that NIA.

 

Back in the day, and I believe it was in a issue of VICN there was reference to this patch and it was a Tech Rep / private contractor firm working in Vietnam. Similar to Dynaelectron, Vinnel, etc...

 

Also the big guns patch is related to the 9th division in that a uniform appeared on ebay a couple of years ago, that was straight out of a rag mill, that had all incountry made 9th division patches and this on the pocket.

Then the candidate must be for D Battery 1st Battalion 84th Artillery (155mm Towed/8-Inch Howitzer, Self-Propelled) 9th Infantry Division.

[TMBN]

Same ID that i have on mine. Based on that i saw the Big Guns patch on Vintageproductions site as an unknown and that it had been on a 9th div shirt, when i was looking for an ID on mine.

[VarkDriver]

Right you are, however from what I,ve found so far, Battalions that had M107 175mm Guns and the M110 8-Inch Howitzers did not have a Delta Battery listed in their TO&E, just Alpha though Charlie, in example 8th Battalion 4th Artillery (175mm Gun, Self Propelled) (8-Inch Howitzer, Self Propelled).These were "Dual" Battalions, they intially had exclusively the 175mm Guns, then added the 8-Inchers with both being used.

 

On the M110 8 Incher they will be covered in the above listed Battalions that are 155mm towed/8-Inch Howitzer, Self Propelled. These Battalions were also "Dual" Battalions, some of their Batteries were equipt with Towed 155mm, while other's were equipt withthe M100 8 inch SP piece, their TO&E lists a Delta Battery.

 

Cool. Didn't know that! Thanks!

[Patchcollector]

I believe this patch has nothing to do with that NIA.

 

Back in the day, and I believe it was in a issue of VICN there was reference to this patch and it was a Tech Rep / private contractor firm working in Vietnam. Similar to Dynaelectron, Vinnel, etc...

 

 

 

 

 

 

The National Intelligence Agency has ties to the CIA.It is well established that the CIA owned and operated out of many different "private companies",and used "contractors".

 

According to the article that Quack posted a link to,the National Intelligence Agency employed both civilians and members of the United States armed forces.

 

They were also around during the Vietnam war.

 

So until someone can produce better evidence that another "NIA" with Military ties existed,I'm sticking with my theory.