Captured Maoist Flag out of Laos?

[smwinter207]

I think this is considered a Maoist flag? Captured in 1970 in Laos. Comes from a good source.

Looking for opinions.

Thanks
S

[smwinter207]

Closeup

 

 

[gwb123]

I would say it is a North Vietnamese flag. If I recall correctly, they were flown this way in the North during the war. This is now the flag of the present day Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

 

The blue and red flag with a yellow star is that of the "Viet Cong", or more correctly the National Liberation Front. NLF flags were officially discouraged after the country was unified, but were later allowed for commemoration purposes.

 

There are a lot of reproductions out there, but I like the look of this one.

[badash5946]

Definitely is an NVA flag; I'm wondering what your seller meant by referring to it as a "Maoist" flag.

[smwinter207]

That was my question, not the vets.

[Bluehawk]

Well, in a sense, ALL asian Communist flags after a certain point in history were, in effect, Maoist - IMHO

 

But, I do not recall there ever being an actual flag which was ever properly specifically termed "Maoist"

 

There may have been, I suppose.

 

Check this web search out, for variants on that theme.

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=maoist+flags&client=safari&rls=en&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjxm_DXvNXYAhUP82MKHcZIBOgQsAQIKA&biw=1000&bih=734#imgrc=LAeBLEXPj1pmvM:

[smwinter207]

I was reading about the heavy influence of the Chinese in Laos late in the war and afterwards. And, I've mostly seen the two colored captured flags in VN. Thanks for the post.

[AnDuc49]

The two colored flag was mainly used by the NLF/VC. I've seen a lot of North Vietnamese troops carrying these flags as well. The main point was that the N. Vietnamese government wanted it to appear that the war was a popular uprising in the South. They actually claimed up until fairly recently I believe, that there were no North Vietnamese troops below the 17th Parallel in South Vietnam. If you look at photos of NVA soldiers at Hue in 1968 by Catherine Leroy, you'll notice that they're wearing red and blue armbands, the colors of the NLF. In 1975 as the NVA entered Saigon, you'll notice that many wear the same armband and they fly the NLF flag as well.
Actual N. Vietnamese flags like yours I think showed up more commonly in the later stages of the war, thought I don't think many were publicly displayed

[smwinter207]

The two colored flag was mainly used by the NLF/VC. I've seen a lot of North Vietnamese troops carrying these flags as well. The main point was that the N. Vietnamese government wanted it to appear that the war was a popular uprising in the South. They actually claimed up until fairly recently I believe, that there were no North Vietnamese troops below the 17th Parallel in South Vietnam. If you look at photos of NVA soldiers at Hue in 1968 by Catherine Leroy, you'll notice that they're wearing red and blue armbands, the colors of the NLF. In 1975 as the NVA entered Saigon, you'll notice that many wear the same armband and they fly the NLF flag as well.

Actual N. Vietnamese flags like yours I think showed up more commonly in the later stages of the war, thought I don't think many were publicly displayed

Thank you for that lesson. That makes a lot of sense.