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USMC Force Recon Grouping


Tonomachi
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Back in May of 2017 I went to the West Coast Historical Militaria Collectors Show at the Fairplex in Pomona, California. I picked up this grouping of insignia that once belonged to CWO4 James F. Donner Jr. who passed away on December 21, 2016. I knew that most of the insignia was reunion and/or copies but I felt the top two patches were probably original and worth the asking price. Well I was wrong as the top central circular patch is a copy as well. So a little disappointing and lesson learned but at least the top oval patch was real as well as possibly the B Recon shield shaped patch below it, name tape, paratrooper wing and possibly the SAT CONG tab. The Force Recon buckle doesn't belong in this grouping as I had found it at another table on the same day and simply placed it in this Riker Case. There was also a second Riker Case full of USMC aviation related insignia belonging to James Donner which I passed on as it was too expensive and things I don't collect. I found some information on the Internet about CWO4 James F. Donner Jr. who as an enlisted marine who served in three combat tours in Vietnam with Force Recon and Recon Battalion. After Vietnam during the second half of his career James Donner was commissioned as a permanent Naval Aviator and became an Aerial Observer on OV-10 Bronco aircraft.

 

 

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Not sure if this is an original period piece or maybe something made afterwards. Anyone know?

 

 

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There was this laminated card amongst this grouping of insignia.

 

 

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Now last weekend I returned to Pomona for the 2018 West Coast Historical Militaria Collectors Show. I walked by a table and noticed something familiar which was another one of these USMC/USN cloth paratrooper wings. I then notice two Riker cases with photos of CWO4 Donner and numerous aviation clothing related name patches. I spoke with the insignia dealer and told him that last year I was the one who had purchased a Riker case full of USMC Recon insignia once belonging to CWO4 Donner. He told me that the person who had purchased the other Riker case of USMC aviation insignia had asked him if there was anyway of obtaining a photograph of CWO4 Donner. So this insignia dealer approached the family again to obtain a photograph whom he discovered had additional insignia. The insignia dealer wanted to show me a possibly one of a kind patch that was USMC Recon related and once belonged to CWO4 Donner. The USN School Underwater Swimmers at Key West, Florida, trained over 6000 divers from 1954 until it closed in 1973. They trained students from all branches of the service as well as several civilian governmental agencies. The school patch has a scuba diver riding on top of a shark with the wordings of U.S. NAVY UNDERWATER SWIMMERS. It would appear that CWO4 Donner attended this school but wanted a patch with the same school logo but with USMC not USN on it. I have never some across this patch before which looks like it was made in Japan. Taped on the back is the wording SAMPLE. So the question is was more than one of these patches made? Has anyone come across another?

 

 

 

 

 

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Here is a picture of CWO4 Donner which I got with the above patch. I am also familiar with a similar USMC patch having to do with the USN School Underwater Swimmers which is pictured below in a 1985 magazine article.

 

 

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MilitaryPicker1941

The sat cong tab looks like it’s japanese made. I’d say it’s probably original

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I have placed a link below that CWO4 Doner wrote about his experience during a mission at LZ Margo with the 3rd Force Recon Company in Vietnam. You have to scroll down to page 20 and 21. Just realized I have been spelling his name wrong as it is Doner not Donner.

 

http://www.talespress.com/Spearhead_Summer2009.pdf

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The sat cong tab looks like it’s japanese made. I’d say it’s probably original

Thanks for the information.

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firefighter

Not sure if this is an original period piece or maybe something made afterwards. Anyone know?

 

Great looking patch.

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