Regular Army Units ERDL Photos

[NamHelmet]

I know the Marines made extensive use of ERDL tropical jackets towards the end of the war, along with SF and Recon units. However, I read regular Army units at the end of the war were issued ERDL as well.

 

Do you have reference photos of this? How was it decided which regular Army units received ERDL?

 

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[Longhorn92]

If by regular army you mean non-SF or Ranger Companies, therere plenty of pics of Battalion Reconnaissance platoons, Aero Rifle Platoons, Pathfinders and similar units wearing ERDLs.

 

Ive seen lots of pics of late war unitsvery latebut not seen any army line units wearing ERDLS.

 

But as they say about Vietnam, anything is possible. Ive just not seen it.

[gwb123]

I agree with Longhorn92. As far as I am aware, camouflage uniforms were not issued to "regular" units until the advent of BDU Battle Dress Uniforms in the early 1980's.

 

Please look through this thread, and you will see ERDL being worn post Vietnam by some of the special unit troops mentioned above.

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/226067-tropical-coats-worn-outside-southeast-asia/page-2?hl=+fatigues%20+worn%20+outside

[BEAST]

Not sure if this helps but Andrei posted this 11th Cav ERDL acouple of years ago. http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/22213-erdl-jungle-jacket-medic-11th-cavalry/?fromsearch=1

[patches]

If by regular army you mean non-SF or Ranger Companies, there plenty of pics of Battalion Reconnaissance platoons, Aero Rifle Platoons, Pathfinders and similar units wearing ERDLs.

 

Ive seen lots of pics of late war units very late but not seen any army line units wearing ERDLS.

 

But as they say about Vietnam, anything is possible. Ive just not seen it.

+1

[Salvage Sailor]

I know the Marines made extensive use of ERDL tropical jackets towards the end of the war, along with SF and Recon units. However, I read regular Army units at the end of the war were issued ERDL as well.

 

Do you have reference photos of this? How was it decided which regular Army units received ERDL?

 

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Just a note. The USN Salvage forces also wore ERDL uniforms

 

Photos from Harbor Clearance Unit One circa 1971 RVN

[DiGilio]

5th Infantry Division (1/11 and 1/61 Infantry) immediately comes to mind as having a particularly high prevalence of ERDL for regular infantry. If you look through photos from 1970-71, seeing pictures of ERDL being worn by a guy here or there, even at firebases or in the field, isn't too hard to find. It would seem that some ERDL was mixed with their regular uniform resupplies. I guess you could call that infantry "being issued" ERDL.

 

But I think a key question would be to what extent was ERDL getting to infantryman as a result of conscious decisions. As opposed to just being a side effect of a certain amount of ERDL floating around in the supply systems.

 

Just from a quick search on the internet heres a few pictures.

 

1st plt. A Co. 1/61, 1971

 

 

 

 

 

[DiGilio]

A Co. 1/61

[DiGilio]

A co. 1/11 Inf., 1971

[DiGilio]

A co. 1/11 Inf

[DiGilio]

1/11 & 1/61

[Longhorn92]

5th Infantry Division (1/11 and 1/61 Infantry) immediately comes to mind as having a particularly high prevalence of ERDL for regular infantry. If you look through photos from 1970-71, seeing pictures of ERDL being worn by a guy here or there, even at firebases or in the field, isn't too hard to find. It would seem that some ERDL was mixed with their regular uniform resupplies. I guess you could call that infantry "being issued" ERDL.

 

But I think a key question would be to what extent was ERDL getting to infantryman as a result of conscious decisions. As opposed to just being a side effect of a certain amount of ERDL floating around in the supply systems.

 

Just from a quick search on the internet heres a few pictures.

 

1st plt. A Co. 1/61, 1971

 

 

 

 

 

I agree with you except I wouldnt necessarily categorize the wear of ERDL in those cases as issued. Id bet these are guys who found some ERDL and their chain of command has tolerated it. Ive seen regular troops wearing tigers, or pieces of tigers, for the same reason; it was cool looking and their chain of command looked the other way.

 

Cool pics.

[kammo-man]

 

 

 

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[kammo-man]

You don’t just find

 

 

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[patches]

Hmm, seeing the dates of 70-71 with these 1st Bde 5th Inf Div (Mech) GIs with the ERDLs, makes me wonder if they didn't acquire a truck load from the departing 3rd Mar Div that was located near them up on the DMZ, the Marines start to wear EDRLs almost as standard in country sometime in early 1969 (3rd Mar Div people are wearing ERDLs by January-March in Operation Dewey Canyon), BUT once back on Okinawa, and indeed for the rest of the Marines, Corps wide, the OD,s continued to be worn, not till what 1977 do the Marines start wearing cammies as standard, the ERDLs and the "newer" RDF Cammies.

 

This leads me to think that they may have left stocks behind of this when the 3rd Mar Div left fin November 69 to where they first started from in 65, Okinawa and these were grabed up or who knows even given to the 1st Bde 5th Inf Div.