The Fields of Ambrosia - An Khe Emergency Medical Team - VN

[Andrei]

I have this jacket for at leat 20 years and never been able to ID the pocket patch.

The name matches a field nurse and the jacket is recycled hence the removed collar ranks and the added novice wings. Never had any SSI.

I need your help!

 

[Andrei]

 

Was it an independent team? Regular Army or SF?

[Patchcollector]

Interesting patch has a "Peace sign" within the design

[BEAST]

The fields of ambrosia may have been a reference to a Vietnam War era movie (or the earlier book) "The Travelling Executioner. From http://every70smovie.blogspot.com/2011/10/traveling-executioner-1970.html

"Stacy Keach plays the wonderfully named Jonas Candide, a executioner working the Southern U.S. jail circuit in 1918. He’s perfected a colorful routine: As he straps terrified convicts into his chair, which he calls “Reliable” and treats as tenderly as a woman, he gives a spellbinding speech about how one of the men he killed contacted him through a medium and described “the fields of ambrosia” to which he was delivered after death. One warden chides Jonas for making the afterlife sound so appealing that guards are ready to line up for execution after hearing Jonas’ spiel."

[Patchcollector]

Hahaa,gotta love the inscription on the movie poster:

 

"In 38 seconds he will send you away to the Fields of Ambrosia,

sizzlin' like a piece of bacon"

 

I'm going to have to put that on my "must watch" list

[patches]

Found this guy, Gratiano, the only one with this surname in the Army or for that matter in all branches I might add. An 91B, it doesn't give his rank but it does give periods of service, so I would say he would be there around 1970-71, late 1969 at the very earliest.

 

ietnam Veterans Database

Name: GRATIANO FRANK

Branch: ARMY

Rate: E00

Rank: UNKNOWN

MOS: 91B MOS

Title: Medical NCO

Entered: 6907

Discharged: 720121

Service Number:

State: CALIFORNIA Race: CAUCASIAN

[BEAST]

There is a findagrave entry for a Frank A. Gratiano

http://findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=gratiano&GSbyrel=all&GSdyrel=all&GSob=n&GRid=36268918&df=all&

[Andrei]

Well, it seems that movie had a certain popularity among the troops!

 

This is not a peace symbol but the death rune.

 

None has an ID for the team?

[firefighter]

Very cool jacket and patch.Nice when you can id a jacket to a soldier.Yes it seems like movies and t.v. shows had a lot to do with patch designs and sayings, mottos.

[firefighter]

I assume with the jump wing he was 1st Cavalry or 173rd A/B BDE? Being a 'TEAM' I would think very few men.

[tredhed2]

I assume with the jump wing he was 1st Cavalry or 173rd A/B BDE? Being a 'TEAM' I would think very few men.

 

In RVN, medics usually did 6 mos in the field and 6 mos at a hospital or other medical unit. That's all I can remember. I believe his MOS was that of medic.

[firefighter]

 

In RVN, medics usually did 6 mos in the field and 6 mos at a hospital or other medical unit. That's all I can remember. I believe his MOS was that of medic.

 

 

Yes he was a medic.I was a 91A.

[patches]

He need not of been in the 1st Cav Div, jump qualifed not withstanding. There were two major MC units based at Ah Khe unrelated to the 1st Cav Div in the 1969-70 period, the 8th Field Hospital and the 17th Field Hospital.

 

On the coat itself we see ghostings of cloth EM collar ranks, correct?

[firefighter]

He need not of been in the 1st Cav Div, jump qualifed not withstanding. There were two major MC units based at Ah Khe unrelated to the 1st Cav Div in the 1969-70 period, the 8th Field Hospital and the 17th Field Hospital.

 

On the coat itself we see ghostings of cloth EM collar ranks, correct?

 

 

Definitely.He may have been in a hospital since there is no CMB.

[Andrei]

Gratiano is the second owner of the jacket. Name tape has been changed and jump wings added with the same thread. The collar ranks probably did not match Gratiano's SP5 so they've been removed.

[patches]

Gratiano is the second owner of the jacket. Name tape has been changed and jump wings added with the same thread. The collar ranks probably did not match Gratiano's SP5 so they've been removed.

Maybe they were Sp5s Andrei? By the way is there ghosting of a shoulder patch say the small-ish shield of the 44th Med Bde?

[Andrei]

Absolutely no ghost of former SSI.

[BEAST]

Just as a tease, Gratiano was in SF at one point, but that's not when he wore this shirt.