Very early Vietnam uniforms

[carrabassett]

Picked these up yesterday at a flea market and the guy that sold them told me they came out of a house where he was told the soldier was KIA. Unfortunately, no name but they are essentially 2 identical unworn sets of 1st pattern tropical uniforms and a cotton rain pant. What little I know about VN clothing leads me to believe these are either very early examples (1962 date) or experimental? Would like to learn more if anyone has more info. Thanks in advance! Jim

 

[carrabassett]

[tankerman]

Very nice early uniforms. thanks for posting

[Mike Force]

Awesome 1st pattern uniforms! they look definitely experimental.

[Andrei]

Very interesting contract, pre-DSA?

[sgtmonroe]

Very interesting contract, pre-DSA?

 

Not a contract. LP/P DES stands for Limited Production Purchase Description. It is the precursor to a Military Specification (MIL SPEC) being issued for an item. Basically it indicates that the item is needed immediately for use and either the item has not had the MIL SPECs drawn up (meaning the item had not, at the time, been standardized, which is why there is no FSN on the label) yet OR they believed (at the time) the item would be used for only a short time (i.e. acquired for a finite period of time for a specific usage). These ARE, literally, the first issue of the hot weather coat and trousers.

 

I have a document somewhere about their limited procurement in 1962 for use by "Special Warfare Forces" (prior to being commonly called "Special Forces") being shipped to Vietnam (along with the limited procurement of the lightweight rucksack and bladder canteen). It might show the same project number as on the label. I'll try and find it and post it as I believe it has the quantity of the hot weather coat and trousers ordered by the Army for use.

 

Again, these are the FIRST issue of the hot weather coat and trousers. They are probably going to end up being the rarest set I have ever seen.

 

GREAT FIND!

 

Do not know much about the rainsuit pants but the "T 66" is indicative of the 1960s test/trial designations being used at the time (such as with the lightweight rucksack).

[kammo-man]

Thanks for posting !

I have never seen these before !

 

Owen

[carrabassett]

Thanks for the wonderful information sgtmonroe and the other comments from members as well. Wow, I knew they were pretty unusual but the more I looked at them the more I realized they were different. Initially when I picked them out of a box I didn't even realize they were 1st pattern. I just saw the slant pockets and figured they were worth buying. Actually left the rain pants behind but went back once I realized what I had bought. Now I'm hoping I didn't leave the rain parka behind! I did a little research and looked in Stanton's book "US Army Uniforms of the Vietnam War"and it does mention the rain pants on pages 119-120. Apparently Natick Labs shipped 100 sets of three different 2-piece rain suits (300 total) to Vietnam for evaluation. One was like mine, cotton with reinforced seat and knees. They were all rejected and cancelled. So these too might be a first production experimental pant of only 100 pieces? Not a bad day considering I got a WW2 M1 para helmet (see my post in helmet section) as well! Thanks to everyone, Jim

[sgtmonroe]

carrabassett, the more I dug around, the more my hands shook. Basically, you definitely have a piece of Vietnam-era Special Forces history! The document I spoke of is not what I remembered, but so goes old age. The document I have is for the first tropical boots, poncho liner, hammock, canteen, and rucksack (dated 5 June 1962) and pre-dates the requirement for the hot weather coat and trousers (tropical combat uniform).

 

What I did dig up was from the Army Material Command February 1967 report. In that the tropical combat uniform was developed from a 11 October 1962 dated request from AMC to Natick Labs (at the time designated QMR&E, they would change their name to Natick Labs in November 1962) to develop a "specialized uniform for Special Forces personnel in Vietnam." On 22 October 1962 the uniform Natick designed was shown to "General Rosson, Assistant Chief of Staff for Special Warfare, and was immediately adopted for Special Forces Troops."

 

The tropical combat uniform was later adopted (standardized and type classified) by a DA directive dated 20 June 1963 (MIL-C-43199 for the coat, don't have the MIL SPEC for the trouser at hand) for Army-wide use (albeit in tropical areas).

 

So what you have is the Limited Procurement (7 November 1962) from Natick Labs which was procured for the immediate use by Special Forces troops in Vietnam.

 

The design may have some differences compared to the 20 June 1963 production of the tropical combat uniform as sometime things were tweaked before full military classification was made. Of course, prior to this find, the FY1963 contract dated tropical combat uniforms were believed to be the earliest PRODUCTION uniforms. This definitely trumps those.

[sgtmonroe]

carrabassett, I have the original document that Stanton uses for his reference concerning the rain pants and was going to follow up with the same information you had gathered.

 

Again, GOOD JOB and GREAT FIND!

[Justin]

Amazing find.

 

As mentioned above. I have one of those test rucksacks dated 1962.

 

J

[decontrol215]

WOW! Talk about a lucky find!! It's amazing what is still floating around at flea markets.

[wiliki46]

This is an amazing find. Preserve it well.