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USAF camo patch on an ERDL shirt


hochiminhtrail
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Hi all,

I confirm that the jacket was worn at U Tapao RTNAF in Thailand.

The difference between TSF and RTG patches remains a mystery to me, did they switch from one to the other at one time? I don't know.

 

b.jpg

Here is a reenactment pic showing three RTG/SPS variants. The RTG patch seems to be more commonly found than the TSF patch.

 

As for the lack of chevrons, the only explanation I have would be that the jacket was not finished ans never worn. Hope that helps.

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hochiminhtrail

the picture is so cool, super les gars. thumbsup.gif

 

Hi all,

I confirm that the jacket was worn at U Tapao RTNAF in Thailand.

The difference between TSF and RTG patches remains a mystery to me, did they switch from one to the other at one time? I don't know.

 

b.jpg

Here is a reenactment pic showing three RTG/SPS variants. The RTG patch seems to be more commonly found than the TSF patch.

 

As for the lack of chevrons, the only explanation I have would be that the jacket was not finished ans never worn. Hope that helps.

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  • 2 years later...
Hi gwb

 

i have found this article about the 635th, for sure the patches on my shirt are not of Vietnamese origin, just from the look at the camo material, not sure what period and where they were made, they do not look like the cheap patches i have seen in Vietnam, but i might be wrong to.

 

i have found this article about the 635th looks that the 635th served in vietnam at one time. This account come from a veteran posted on a website, there is no further comment on what base and where it was, i have sent him a message and hope to get some news.

 

from 635th Security Police Squadron

 

Jun

23 Jan.10th 1972 2;30am

Bombers come underattack from VC terroist. Security force succeded in replelling the forces and only 1B-52D model was slightly damaged. One VC was killed while no security forces were injured.

cheers

 

Alex

I was stationed at U-tapao thailand 1975-1976 in the 635th SPS, the patches are thai made, you bought them from civilian stands on base and had them swoen on your cammies I still have 3 or 4 sets myself

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You are going to love this website:

 

http://www.vspa.com/aspprotect/7th-af-crests-p1.asp

 

This is the patch collection of the Vietnam Security Police Association.

 

If you page down you will see one like yours with the TSF identified to the 35th Security Police Squadron, Phan Rang AB.

 

However I question if that is correct. I've always understood that the RTG version stood for "Royal Thai Guard", and that the the TSF would stand for "Thai Security Force". Royal Thai Guard would have been Thai military police. Technically our airbases in Thailand were on loan from the Thai government and had a joint guard force. The Thai Security Force were most likely Thai nationals working directly for the Americans.

 

Because of that, I have always associated these patches with an airbase in Thailand.

 

So, this patch needs a bit more research. But I have seen these before, and I have seen them in camouflage. I've also seen USAF Airmen's and NCO sleeve ranks done in OD and camouflage material, as well as name tapes and security police badges. This seems to have been a favorite thing amongst Security Police, and less common among other USAF personnel.

I was stationed at U-tapao in the 635thSPS 1975-to 1976. no stripes ment he was an airman basic e-1, the royal thai guards were contract security hired to fill out the security force, TSF was made because the thai security force worked with us and it was made up of thai navy and royal thai marines. we had a company of thai marines about 200, and 5 or 6 hundred thai guards, and about 500 USAF security police. we never had airmen basics until about 8 months before the base closed and than they sent 50 right out of SP Tech school to U-tapao these guys had a hard time getting thier patchs and uniform done as allmost all the taylor shops had closed by than thats also why the shirt looks new because he only used it 8 months. i remember jacobson he was 18 than and i was a sgt

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Hi,

I just wanted to post a nice brown dominant Erdl jacket that I have like the one pictured above. It is what it may have looked like when it was completly badged out. Short sleeves like most USAF jackets from Thailand. The one posted is for TSF/SPS. It ahs all insignia ,nametapes in camo except for the Thai made K-9 patch. The name tape has the guys name in Thai also. All patches are original to the jacket with the normal wrinkling to the inside of the jacket behind the patches.

Regards, Mitch

post-592-1283955998.jpg

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Close up of K-9 patch

misc_123.jpg

 

Great example. Thanks for posting. I always get a kick out of the bilingual name tapes. These have also appeared in Japan and Korea.

 

That K-9 patch is really exceptional to find on a camo uniform.

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nguoi tien su

Really neat jacket.

 

I have the feeling that late productions used more camo material as a base for the making of the patches.

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  • 1 year later...

Just found this posting.

 

Here's my flight at U-Tapao R.T.N.A.F. 1971:

 

scan0005.jpg

 

I'm in the lowerf right corner in the non standard fatigues. I had these made because it was too hot far stateside fatigues and my Jungles and cammoflaged woiuldn't be ready for some time. It was actually quicker to have these made first. Sometimes the bush hats weren't available because in that climate daily wear would wreck them in a matter of months so a cammoflaged fatigue hat was allowed. If you were not on the main gate during the night shifts sometimes you could get away with a flop hat, especially if you had a starlight scope for river watching. The one I have is reversable with a daytime cammoflage on one side and tiger stripe on the other.

 

The only personnel authorized to wear cammoflage were the police, E.O.D., and I think Red Horse, but I'm not sure about this point.

 

scan0006.jpg

 

This is at the gate (hole in the fence really) that led to U-Tapao village near the coast.

 

scan0125-1.jpg

 

This is at the East gate where the bomb convoys arrived at a regular basis. In the back is the Thai Navy area.

 

 

These articles are from the Pacific Stars and Stripes and the base paper about the sapper attack in 1972.

 

scan0044-3.jpg

scan0046-3.jpg

scan0047-3.jpg

scan0043-3.jpg

 

Contgrary to what was posted above, there was at least one injury on our side. One of the GIs in a tower near where the sappers were first spotted was injured when the shooting broke out. The sappers were detected by a K-9 patrol operating near the end of the runway near the East gate when he spotted a couple people standing in the middle of the road that led from the gate to the bomb dump. They were lighting cigaretts and when challenged the opened fire on the K-9 guy who returned fire. The guy in the towere was looking out at the fence line and when he hears the shooting rand to get to his M060. The only trouble was that out of all the towers on the base, this one had no trap door, just a hole in the floor. He broke a leg when he hit the ground.

 

The only other injuries on our side was a aircraft mechanic who was at his snackbar having a break. He saw the flares explosions, and tracers and tried to get a better view of the action. He found it when a short guy in cammoflage put a .38 in his face and pulled the trigger three times. It mis-fired all three times. He was taken to the clinic later when it was declared safe so someone could talk to him.

 

When all this was going on I was at the Thai navy gate with 4 of their marines. The call came over the radio to switch to the Base Defense frequency as the law enforcement handed its people over to A.B.D. I could watch some of the fightint while trying to come up with a way to impress on my counterparts that something was happening and come up with some way to get something better than my .38.

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