P-59A Posted June 18, 2018 Share #1 Posted June 18, 2018 I just picked this up tonight. It's an M-1C with a Mitchell cover. I had to shoot this with no flash to keep from blowing the colors out. The first thing I noticed was all of the canvas straps and the cover have a reddish brown hue. The hue isn't on the cloth, its in it. The next thing I noticed is the nape strap is tied to the "A" yoke and has been for a long time. I also noticed the helmet chin strap is tucked under the swivel bail and runs to the rear of the helmet from the liner snaps. The sweat band snaps show exposure and have been on the liner webbing a long time. The liner and pot are fused together, I can not get them to pull apart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P-59A Posted June 18, 2018 Author Share #2 Posted June 18, 2018 Now for the really good stuff. On the left side of the helmet are names of places. Some of the ink is so faded that I am not sure if I read it right. Those places will have a question mark after them. TUY HOA, DAP DA ?, DAP DOC?, PHU MY, LONG BINH, PHU CAT, AN KHE, BONG SON, BINH DINH, PLEI KU, CAM RHAN BAY, KONTUME, DOC CO, NHA TRANG. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P-59A Posted June 18, 2018 Author Share #3 Posted June 18, 2018 It gets even better. On the right side are a list of LZ's. LZ HAMMOND, LZ RUG?, LZ OASIS, LZ GLADE, LZ CRYSTAL, LZ ENGLISH, LZ CHEYENE, LZ ARAPAHO, LZ TWO BIT, LZ APACHE, LZ UPLIFT? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P-59A Posted June 18, 2018 Author Share #4 Posted June 18, 2018 It gets even better. On the front of the helmet above and to the right it says OPERATION PAUL REVEER IV and OPERATION PERSHING. I did some checking and Operation Paul Reveer IV took place in 1966 and is associated with DUC CO and LZ OASIS. Operation Pershing took place in 1967-68 and is associated with BINH DINH and LZ ENGLISH and both operations are associated with the 1st Air Cav. I am not sure how everything ties together, I need help to put this together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1canpara Posted June 18, 2018 Share #5 Posted June 18, 2018 That is a very cool helmet! Great graffiti! Hope you find out more about it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P-59A Posted June 18, 2018 Author Share #6 Posted June 18, 2018 The "Operations" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P-59A Posted June 18, 2018 Author Share #7 Posted June 18, 2018 Hard to read ink Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P-59A Posted June 18, 2018 Author Share #8 Posted June 18, 2018 I think these will show that reddish brown color better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P-59A Posted June 18, 2018 Author Share #9 Posted June 18, 2018 I just called my buddy Gil. He was Radio Operator and a Sgt in MAC V 67-68 and he has issues with a guy covering that much ground in a year. Three years maybe. In as far as graffiti on the helmets he says it was common place. One of his issues is that when it came time to go home your gear stayed in country and was reissued. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P-59A Posted June 18, 2018 Author Share #10 Posted June 18, 2018 LZ Uplift is associated with Phu My and the 1st Air Cav was there in 1966. LZ Cheyene is associated with Bong Son and the 1st Air Cav was there in 1966. The 1st Air Cav was in Nha Trang in 1965. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P-59A Posted June 18, 2018 Author Share #11 Posted June 18, 2018 The 1st Air Cav was at An Khe in 1966 and at LZ Hammond in 1966. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USARV72 Posted June 18, 2018 Share #12 Posted June 18, 2018 Your buddy is correct, unless one had " extras" in gear and could send it home you had to turn it all in at CIF. When I DEROSed we could take 1 set of jungle fatiques, underware( no one wore it)a cap and pair of boots. Got issued khakis, black socks and shoes to go back " to the world". Thinking back I regret not buying all the tiger stripes and in country made patches I could and mailing them home. One could mail just about anything ( legal) home. Still have 2 of the 4 large ceramic elephants plant stands with " Vietnam" in script on sides. Vietnamese lore says if placed at front door they bring good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P-59A Posted June 18, 2018 Author Share #13 Posted June 18, 2018 This came from a yard sale. The lady who sold it was in her 70's and said her boyfriend at the time gave it to her. I don't know if it was through the mail or in person. I also do not have a name. A friend saw this at the yard sale and sent me texts. I told him to buy it and I would give him a finders fee. I forgot to ask him to ask real questions. My buddy Gill also told me they never wore under ware due to crotch rot, in fact he said they would rip the inner thigh of the pants to get air flow around the twig and berry's. Gill also said the tropical jackets they wore never had name tags or the Army tag or even unit patch's. He told me the jackets were swapped out with re supply in the field or when they got back due to rips tears and blood stains and trashed. He says the O.D. shirt would of had those items on them but those were never worn in the field. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thomasglover Posted June 18, 2018 Share #14 Posted June 18, 2018 Good transitional 1964 liner! A lot of these in Vn (including 1st Cav) but rare now. I like the look of this helmet and I generally like the look of about 1% of 'used in Vn' lids! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P-59A Posted June 18, 2018 Author Share #15 Posted June 18, 2018 I took an outside shot. The Mitchell cover on the right is dated 1959. The hues are different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P-59A Posted June 18, 2018 Author Share #16 Posted June 18, 2018 It is hard to show you how different they are from each other! Grrrr! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USARV72 Posted June 18, 2018 Share #17 Posted June 18, 2018 Could not see the " red" you mentioned, however much of Vietnam had red dirt. 6" of red dust until monsoon season, then red mud. By chance this was a uninspected duffle bag item the red could be dust, it was everywhere and got on everything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cap Camouflage Pattern I Posted June 18, 2018 Share #18 Posted June 18, 2018 I really like the way it looks, worn, rusted, and stained, which are all good signs but not impossible to fake, but your friend has a good point, don't see how someone could have been all those places. If possible you may want to get your friend to give your the woman's contact info and ask her if she remembers his name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P-59A Posted June 18, 2018 Author Share #19 Posted June 18, 2018 When I was poking around this in the sun I noticed a vertical yellow orange line on the back of the helmet under the Mitchell. I can't pull the liner off to look at this. Any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P-59A Posted June 18, 2018 Author Share #20 Posted June 18, 2018 I really like the way it looks, worn, rusted, and stained, which are all good signs but not impossible to fake, but your friend has a good point, don't see how someone could have been all those places. If possible you may want to get your friend to give your the woman's contact info and ask her if she remembers his name. I agree, the only way I can see it is if he did more than one tour. It's my understanding 3 tours was the max. As a kid my friends older brother did three with the 44th Medical. He was on a slick and would cover the medic on the field and assist as needed. So fat the names and places lining up with dates and units is looking good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P-59A Posted June 18, 2018 Author Share #21 Posted June 18, 2018 This is with a flash witch blows out the true color, but look at the slits. The 59 Mitchell shows white stitching around the holes. If you look at the bottom cover stitching at those same slits all around the hole's all of it has a reddish hue to it. The nape has the same thing going on, the white threads are reddish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P-59A Posted June 18, 2018 Author Share #22 Posted June 18, 2018 With and without flash. The nape and yokes have a reddish hue. When you zoom in on the nape the threads that are normally white are reddish in color. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P-59A Posted June 18, 2018 Author Share #23 Posted June 18, 2018 All around the rim in places the cover has worn all of those threads are normally white. These are reddish and the cover shows no indication of having been removed in a long time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P-59A Posted June 18, 2018 Author Share #24 Posted June 18, 2018 What I identified as LZ DUG is actually LZ DOG. This LZ is associated with operation Masher January 28 1966. This was also a 1st Cav operation out of their base at An Khe located in Binh Dinh Provence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P-59A Posted June 18, 2018 Author Share #25 Posted June 18, 2018 LZ Crystal is associated with Operation Pershing 1967 and this also had 1st Cav in the operation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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