VN UNIT QUESTION: WHAT IS AN ADVTM?

[BEAST]

I recently bought an ID'd VN jungle shirt ( http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/ind...c=28303&hl= ). When his paperwork arrived from NPRC, I find that his unit of assignment was ADVTM #34, IICORPSADVGP, USMACV-USARPAC. My first thought is that it is Advisory Team #34, II Corps Advisory Group. But I wanted to run it past the forum and get your thoughts.

 

How long were advisory teams used? Throughout the war, or until the major US buildup? Also his MOS was an 05B20 and 05B40 "IS RAD OP" . Any idea what an IS Radio is?

[Andrei]

Could we get full name with middle ?

[Andrei]

Is this Gary M. Fitzgerald by chance ?

[BEAST]

Is this Gary M. Fitzgerald by chance ?

 

 

Andrei, Yes it is. Any info on him?

[Andrei]

Name: FITZGERALD GARY M

Branch: ARMY

Rate: E02

Rank: PRIVATE

MOS: 63B

MOS Title: Light-Wheel Vehicle Mechanic

Entered: 7105

Discharged: 780823

Service Number:

State: MARYLAND

Race: CAUCASIAN

 

Gary served in Advisory Team 34 during the year 1967.

[BEAST]

Name: FITZGERALD GARY M

Branch: ARMY

Rate: E02

Rank: PRIVATE

MOS: 63B

MOS Title: Light-Wheel Vehicle Mechanic

Entered: 7105

Discharged: 780823

Service Number:

State: MARYLAND

Race: CAUCASIAN

 

Gary served in Advisory Team 34 during the year 1967.

 

Thanks Andrei. You are correct about Gary serving with ADVTM 34 during 1967, but I not sure if the personnel information is for the same Gary M. Fitzgerald. According to his records, my Gary M. Fitzgerald entered the service from Indianapolis, Indiana and was a radio operator (05B20 and 05B40). Also the info above shows that he entered the service in May 1971. Are there any other Gary M. Fitzgeralds in the database?

 

By the way, what would be the correct SSI? The one on the uniform is gone, but it looks like it might have been a MAC-V SSI. Would it have been any other?

[Andrei]

Name: FITZGERALD GARY M

Branch: ARMY

Rate: E05

Rank: SERGEANT

MOS: 93J

MOS Title: Countermeasures Search Specialist or Air Traffic Controller Radar

Entered: 6910

Discharged: 720504

Service Number:

State: ILLINOIS

Race: CAUCASIAN

 

This is the second and last Gary M. Fitzgerald of www.militaryusa.com

Keep in mind that they dont have the full roster of all servicemen and women of the VN War.

MACV would be the SSI.

[Andrei]

I have found Gary's year of tour of duty at www.counterparts.net

[BEAST]

Thanks Andrei! Great site!

[J_Andrews]

Numbered "Advisory Teams" were apparently is use before MAAG-VN became MACV. IIRC this took place late in 1962 or early 1963. In the change-over some were renumbered and some new ones added.

 

However, pre-MACV there may have been a couple dozen numbered Teams (mostly at Division or Corps level), while from 1963 there were more -- and even more once Vietnamization kicked in during 1969 (one for every Province, for example).

 

Does anyone out there have a listing of MACV Advisory Teams?

 

I saw a list (intended to facilitate routing of mail) while in RVN, but never since.

 

I have never understood how come one of the earliest-formed -- ARVN Abn Div -- had a HIGH number (162).

[Mr-X]

I think you will find that MOS 05B20 isn't IS RAD OP but in fact LS RAD OP meaning Low Speed Radio Operator. This has to do with his Morse skill level. Training was done at Fort Devens,Mass. over a period of 7 weeks.

 

I would guess that 05B40 might be High Speed Radio Operator.

[Wailuna]

...How long were advisory teams used? Throughout the war, or until the major US buildup?

In 1967, MACV Advisory Team 34 was in Tuyen Duc Province, which consisted of Da Lat City and Don Duong, Duc Trong and Lac Duong districts (Tuyen Duc was merged with Lam Dong Province after "reunification"). It appears that Team 34 was on the CORDS side of MACV (link here). CORDS (for Civil Operations and Revolutionary Development Support) was created May 9, 1967, which appears to be about when Fitsgerald was a member of Team 34.

[BEAST]

Numbered "Advisory Teams" were apparently is use before MAAG-VN became MACV. IIRC this took place late in 1962 or early 1963. In the change-over some were renumbered and some new ones added.

 

However, pre-MACV there may have been a couple dozen numbered Teams (mostly at Division or Corps level), while from 1963 there were more -- and even more once Vietnamization kicked in during 1969 (one for every Province, for example).

 

Does anyone out there have a listing of MACV Advisory Teams?

 

I saw a list (intended to facilitate routing of mail) while in RVN, but never since.

 

I have never understood how come one of the earliest-formed -- ARVN Abn Div -- had a HIGH number (162).

 

 

J_Andrews, I found a pdf on-line that list several teams and provides their mailing addresses. It is at http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:HhLGZ...;cd=4&gl=us .

[BEAST]

First of all, THANK YOU!! to all of you who responded! I really appreciate the information.

 

Wailuna, Thanks for the CORDS information. While I knew about the "hearts and minds" concept, I didn't know the about this particular program. Too bad it wasn't more successful.

 

Mr.-X, For both of his MOS's (05B20 and 05B40), the annotation in his record is "IS RADIO". At first I thought it still might be a typo, but after doing some more surfing, I ran across a document titled: "RESOURCE ALLOCATION FOR THE RVN ARMY, REGIONAL FORCES, POPULAR FORCES, AND THE US ARMY ADVISORY PROGRAM FY65-FY67" written by the RESEARCH ANALYSIS CORPORATION. Originally it was a confidential document that was declassified.

 

In it, each level of advisory team has an "IS Radio Operator" with both the 05B20 and 05B40 MOS. Maybe IS Radio is an information secure radio or something similiar?

[Wailuna]

...Wailuna, Thanks for the CORDS information. While I knew about the "hearts and minds" concept, I didn't know the about this particular program. Too bad it wasn't more successful....

There is a complete list of the 44 MACV/CORDS Provincial Advisory Teams in ASMIC Trading Post (January/March 1989). There is also an article on CORDS "The Other War in Vietnam" (pp. 2-12) and on one of the teams "Profile of a Provincial Advisory Effort -- Hau Nghia" (pp. 13-14).

 

By the way, the "Hearts and Minds" concept(?) had another component and the actual saying went something like "We are here to win their hearts and minds or to kick their behinds." And there definitely was an a*s-kicking dept. in the CORDS teams. You are correct, however, that it is too bad we were not more successful.

[J_Andrews]

Corollary: If you got em by the balls, their hearts and minds just naturally follow.