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Vietnam Era Novelty Patches (Choking 101st, MACV Middle Finger)


John4022
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Hi everyone, my father picked these up and he was wondering if he could get some extra opinions on them regarding their authenticity. I personally like the choking 101st, even though I don't collect Vietnam era patches I might make him an offer depending on your comments.

 

Thanks in advance!

-John

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vintageproductions

The choking the eagle is a novelty patch made in Korea. Usually it has an armband that looks like an 82nd airborne patch.

 

The middle finger novelties are all Vietnamese made.

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1 hour ago, vintageproductions said:

The choking the eagle is a novelty patch made in Korea. Usually it has an armband that looks like an 82nd airborne patch.

 

The middle finger novelties are all Vietnamese made.

 

Thank you!

 

I didn't know the 101st had patches made in Korea. I couldn't find any comparisons on the forum but maybe I just got unlucky with my searches. 

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I don't own any of these patches but I've kept photographs for reference.  Here is a close variant that I believe was made in South Vietnam.  The one with the 82nd Abn Div wrist band is probably Korean or it could be Japanese made.  I'm not sure what the "Who Me" one signifies.  Lastly is the one off of the Bando website with the "HERD" (173rd Airborne Brigade) where he explains how these patches came about in the 1970s after the 101st Abn Div began accepting non-airborne personnel into their ranks while the 82nd Abn Div and 173rd Abn Bde remained all airborne.  He says these patches were made during the war in Phu Bai as well as Japan.  I wasn't aware they were also made in South Korea.  

 

 

101st Abn Div Choking Chicken (2).jpg

101st Abn Div Choking Chicken (1).jpg

101 RVN Joke.jpg

101st Abn Div WHO ME (1).jpg

101st Abn Div WHO ME (2).jpg

Bando29.jpg

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Here is a 173rd Abn Bde novelty patch where the sword was replaced with a pipe I'm guessing signifying the use of marijuana during the war.  I'm guessing the second novelty patch show solidarity between the races within the ranks of the 173rd Abn Bde while the rest of the Army was having problems.

 

 

173rd Abn Bdg HERD (2).jpg

173rd Abn Bdg HERD (1).jpg

173rd Real HERD (6).jpg

173rd Real HERD (7).jpg

173rd Two Shades of Soul.jpg

173rd Two Shades of Soul1.jpg

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The only 82nd Abn Div novelty patch I could find had to do with Grenada and a few more 101st Abn Div novelty type patches from the Vietnam War.

 

 

82nd No Way Jose.JPG

82nd Abn Div No Way Jose.jpg

Camranh Bay (1).jpg

Camranh Bay (2).jpg

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Thank you Tonomachi for the great references! The 1st example that you shared of which you believe was made in South Vietnam looks pretty close to my patch. Do you remember where you saw it?

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7 hours ago, John4022 said:

Thank you Tonomachi for the great references! The 1st example that you shared of which you believe was made in South Vietnam looks pretty close to my patch. Do you remember where you saw it?

Sorry but I don't recall where I copied the photographs from.

 

 

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439th Signal Battalion

I assume this pocket patch would fit into this thread.  It was given to me by an early member of the 199th LIB from 66-67.  The story about the patch was that it was passed around to those personnel who burned the waste on latrine duty for the first time.  

 

 

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  • 2 years later...

Here is a photo of the MACV Finger patch being worn by a member of the 388th Transportation Company. I assume this is some sort of novelty uniform, but it does have rank insignia.

MACV.Shooting The Bird.jpg

MACV.Shooting The Bird.2.jpg

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