M-1C Vietnam with lots of graffiti, Maybe 1st Cav opinions please

[P-59A]

Info on the cover and the name BOND in black ink on green painted masking tape. I could not find a heat treat stamp on the lid. It is a rear seam.

[P-59A]

Everything went back on as it came off. I got lucky it looks the same. The letters BDH on the sweat band I now think stand for D.H.BOND.

[P-59A]

[P-59A]

[P-59A]

I posted this to another post on Parish made M1 helmets. This to me looks like this pot is a Vietnam era made helmet. It is not magnetic, has no stamps any place inside and looks to me to be made by Parish.

[elh1311]

If I remember correctly, 1st BDE of the 1st Cavalry Division was on jump/airborne status until late 1966 or so. Seeing as it's an M1C, that might help you narrow down unit/previous owner. 

[P-59A]

1 hour ago, elh1311 said:

If I remember correctly, 1st BDE of the 1st Cavalry Division was on jump/airborne status until late 1966 or so. Seeing as it's an M1C, that might help you narrow down unit/previous owner. 

Funny you should bring that up. All weekend I have been going over the info on the helmet trying to figure out what group was in all of these places. As best I can tell 2nd Btln fits, but who in the 2nd is the problem.  

 

[elh1311]

1 hour ago, P-59A said:

Funny you should bring that up. All weekend I have been going over the info on the helmet trying to figure out what group was in all of these places. As best I can tell 2nd Btln fits, but who in the 2nd is the problem.  

 

2nd Battalion or 2nd Brigade? There were two "2nd Battalions" in 1st Brigade: 2nd BN, 8th Cavalry Regiment and 2nd BN, 12th Cavalry Regiment. Either way, it's a cool helmet. 

 

[P-59A]

Why must you complicate my life?  : p  I was never in so I get fuzzy on the numbers. 2nd Brigade. The 1st Brigade was with Col. Moore and this helmet doesn't line up with 1st Brigade movements for that time frame The 2nd Brigade was in the Kontume area of operations and the Pleiku plane  area. The 2nd Brigade 1st Cav was at LZ Oasis during Operation Paul Revere 4.  Most of the LZ's are in and around the central area. The 3rd was costal out of Qui Nhon  as best as I can tell. Thanks! It is a cool helmet!! Trying to figure it out is no simple task.

[P-59A]

On 20 October the 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division deployed to Plei Djereng and began to sweep northwest towards the southern Plei Trap and the Cambodian border engaging platoon-sized units from the PAVN 95B Regiment, 10th Division. On 22 October the 2nd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division arrived at Plei Djereng and began sweeping west.[1]:69

The two US Brigades found abandoned PAVN base camps and few enemy, but were subjected to attacks on their night defensive positions. On 30 October the 2nd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division deployed to Landing Zone Oasis to protect Đức Cơ and the rear of the US force. On 5 November 6 US Battalions moved north along two parallel lines of advance into the Plei Trap Valley, while a combined Army/Special Forces unit designated Task Force Prong (TF Prong) moved directly west towards the Cambodian border.[1]:70–1

 

[P-59A]

The helmet shows LZ Cheyene. That comes up under the control of the 25th ID. The 25th was a player in Paul Revere 4.

[P-59A]

This is the only group that fits with what is on the helmet.......

On 14 September 1965, the 2nd Brigade disembarked the USNS Buckner and marched onto Vietnamese shores at Qui Nhon.  2nd Brigade continued its tradition of firsts by becoming the first Brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) to reach Vietnam.  The Brigade, consisting of 1-5 Cavalry, 2-5 Cavalry, and 2-12 Cavalry, loaded into helicopters and flew in-land to the division base camp at An Khe.

In addition to being the first Brigade into Vietnam, the 2nd Brigade would also become the first Brigade in the division to see combat when on 18 September 1965 the 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment would be OPCONed to the 101st Airborne Division to participate in Operation GIBRALTAR.  The 2nd Brigade was involved in many operations during their hard fought deployment in Vietnam.  The most significant were:

Operation SILVER BAYONET
Operation MATADOR
Operation WHITE WING
Operation CRAZY HORSE
Operation PAUL REVERE II
Operation THAYER I
Operation PAUL REVERE IV
Operation THAYER II
Operation PERSHING
Operation LeJEUNE
Operation JEB STUART
Operation PEGASUS
Operation CAMBODIA
Operation JEB STUART III

[P-59A]

I did a photo search and the only time you see M1C helmets in any numbers is the 1965 1st Cav landing and LZ Xray.  After that time period they fade out real fast.

[P-59A]

On the helmet is Dap Da. It is three kilometers outside of Hue. The 1st Cav sent troops to Dap Da to take pressure off the Marines during the Tet offensive. Nothing on the helmet indicates any combat past that point in time.

[P-59A]

Tae Koo is misspelled. It's Ta Ko and is located in Hien, Quang Nam-Da Nang near the Laos border. I do not know why its on the helmet.

[P-59A]

On 5/31/2021 at 12:15 PM, P-59A said:

I have no idea why I did not look this up before. 1st Cav Div. 3rd Brig. 25th Inf. sounds like the outfit the owner may have run with.   "Operation Pershing was an operation conducted by the 1st Cavalry Division, the 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) 22nd Division and the South Korean Capital Division in Bình Định Province, lasting from 12 February 1967 to 19 January 1968.[4]: 181 

The operation concluded on 19 January 1968 with the 1st Cavalry Division being ordered to move 350 km north from Landing Zone English in Bình Định Province to Camp Evans in Thừa Thiên Province as part of Operation Checkers, to increase the number of maneuver battalions in I Corps in order to support the besieged Marines at Khe Sanh Combat Base and defeat any other People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) attack across the DMZ.[5]"