Help please looking for info - Arrowhead badge on Soldier's pocket - RECONDO?

[Burner]

moderator i posted this in the wrong forum so I'm moving bere my apologies. 

 

Hello everyone I'm new and I apologize if this is a topic that has been discussed  but I need some info, my father(my HERO) passed recently.  He was all Army and a silver star recipient, I'm putting a shadow box together for his funeral and found most of his citations  and awards. But there is an arrow head on his left breast pocket pointing downwards ,I know he was LRRP for the 9th inf, in 1968 in the Dinh Tuong area when he received  the silver star,  he didn't talk alot about  his experience  but it was understood that pop saw alot.Me and my brother loved and admired him. Can anyone help in letting me know were I can get this pin and what it meant? I  appreciate you all and God bless. I attached a picture of him in his early years,  he ended up retiring in 2001 with 34 years in the army. Thank you

[easterneagle87]

I believe it is a "RECONDO" badge. Check the selling site promoted by this forum, The Historical Auction Block, if not there try ebay. T here is an ROTC version that is pretty common, but you'd have to remove the torch to get the look of the one your dad is wearing.  Am sorry to hear of your loss. 

[Burner]

Thank you sir

[stratasfan]

Doing a quick look on eBay and online images, it seems the ROTC badge is available and the non-ROTC badge must be rarer. Here is a ROTC badge:

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/154581697576?hash=item23fdc98428:g:gPMAAOSwbBxeeU13

 

 

 

Perhaps you could remove the torch from one of these?

 

Sorry to hear of your loss. Wonderful that you enjoyed your time with your Dad. A display will be a very nice thing to do!

[Burner]

Thank you, Stratusfan I was thinking I would end up having to do that exactly.  I really wanted to have the the R.A version just so everything  could be perfect. I have found some with the word recon on the tail end but in his pictures  I don't see that word . Doing some research  he was with the 2nd brigade 9th infantry and I'm not sure if they had a different  badge or not. I wish I could have pick his brain before we lost him.  Thank you for thebkind words everyone. 

[easterneagle87]

Just a comment. There isn't an "RA" produced metal Recon badge. It was probably theater / in-country produced.   Many of the Divisions (82nd, 101st, 9th INF, etc.) had cloth pocket patches made for their programs. Die hard Vietnam collectors may have original produced metal badges, in their collections, but it's going to be a pretty obscure badge to find. If you do find one, it will probably be pretty pricy to obtain. I'm not going going to call it "rare", but definitely not easy to find.  We all wish you luck and success putting this together and would like to you share the finished piece when you're ready.      

[Burner]

Thanks I definitely will, maybe someday someone will scroll through here and see this thread and may have 1 they would sell, I would pay the money. He deserves  it to be perfect. Thanks to you all

[Steve B.]

Recondo qualification badges were never an official Army-wide badge, but were locally authorized, usually at division level.  You can look on eBay and find a multitude of variants, almost all in cloth.  Many feature the division shoulder sleeve insignia, and my quick search found none in metal.  

 

The idea of modifying an ROTC badge as a "placeholder" is a good one until you can find a real badge.  

[patches]

1st (Recondo) Brigade of the 9th Infantry Division, it was a Brigade insinia in 1968-69 it was worn in either cloth form or in metal, any originals are rare we should think, the metal ones especially, the cloth ones you may luck out on simply because they're sewn to a tropical coat still if one gets an original one.

 

 

 

[patches]

Burner, do you know what battalion he was in?

[Burner]

Yup he was A co 2nd Bat, 9 th ID and he got his silver star in the plane of reeds. 1968.

 

Thx for the info anyone willing g to separate  from one? Or know anyone who has one?

[patches]

8 hours ago, Burner said:

Yup he was A co 2nd Bat, 9 th ID and he got his silver star in the plane of reeds. 1968.

 

Thx for the info anyone willing g to separate  from one? Or know anyone who has one?

You left off what regiment he was in Burner, A Co 2nd Battalion ? Infantry 

 

 As you say he was a LRRP, LRRPs are not in Line Companies, whish A Company was, they are in separate companies in a division or separate brigade, the pre 1969 LRRP unit for the 9th Infantry Division was E Company, 50th Infantry, which was redesignated as  E Company 75th Infantry (Ranger) called locally as the Echo Rangers   He might of served a bit in whatever Battalion he was in in their RECON Platoon, Recon Platoons were found in 1968 in either the battalion's Headquarters Company or in a Echo Company, Echo Companies in a Infantry Battalion were formed to take off the hands of the Headquarters Companies select Combat Support Platoons, one of which was the battalion's Recon Platoon, it must be said that members of battalion recon platoons were considered an elite within their battalions.

 

Now Of battalions that had a 2nd Battalion of Infantry in the Vietnam War period 9th Infantry Division Order of Battle were.

 

2d Battalion, 39th Infantry

 

2d Battalion, 47th Infantry (Mechanized)

 

2d Battalion, 60th Infantry

 

It was the 2d Battalion, 39th Infantry that was in the 1st (Recondo) Brigade it was only the brigade headquarters headquarters company, its HHC, and the battalions in this brigade of the division that wore the arrowhead.

 

[Burner]

Sorry it should have read as 

A co 2 battalion 39th inf 9th inf div.

 

And that was as of June 3rd 1968.

Thanks for the clarity

[patches]

Can you tell us where this photo of him was taken? It's a interesting one because he wears no Infantry Blue Rope of Crossed Rifles and U.S. Collars Disc with Infantry Blue Plastic backing Discs. His Branch Disc is not or appears not to be Infantry, as if he switched MOSs after coming home and at his next duty station., but was in a unit that was entitled to wear the French Fourragère.

[Burner]

@patches we tried finding anyone that may have served with him, he said that the guy he returned with and him were the only ones, we found most of his Crew on the  vietnam wall that fell in action the same time he was in country.....we have never ran into anyone he ever served with during his 34 years in the army. Sad, he did say that only him and 1 other returned from the war and the other guy was in pieces and didn't live long after his return. I wish I could find somebody that served with him there.

[Burner]

He went back to Vietnam in 1970 as as support and built gun trucks in the motor pool he also came back to ft hood in 71 and changed Mos to MP, then he to the 545th in muenter nato site 5 and went into supply for the rest of his years, he retired a cw5 at hhc discom at schofield barracks  for the 25th 

[Burner]

Maybe this can help if anyone scrolls through the forum. And recognize the actions , I know it's a long shot.

[Burner]

@patches I don't know were the picture  was taken , and yes the cord throws me off also hoping I can find some clarity.

[patches]

3 hours ago, Burner said:

He went back to Vietnam in 1970 as as support and built gun trucks in the motor pool he also came back to ft hood in 71 and changed Mos to MP, then he to the 545th in muenter nato site 5 and went into supply for the rest of his years, he retired a cw5 at hhc discom at schofield barracks  for the 25th 

Supply would be in the Quartermaster Corps. and that's probably the disc he's got on in the photo, can't make out the unit crests he got on unfortunately even in a up close zoooom.

[Burner]

@patchespatchesi have ordered  his OPMF and hope to find out more....good or bad I don't care

[patches]

I'm sending you a PM.

[patches]

3 hours ago, Burner said:

@patchespatchesi have ordered  his OPMF and hope to find out more....good or bad I don't care

Now what could be Bad in his Jacket, he was in Leavenworth 

[Burner]

Lol....right!.......he would be laughing at that if read it.hahahahaha

[CavalryCombatant]

Hey, I looked and it appears that it wouldn’t be hard at all to take the ROTC Torch off a badge.  I know it’s not ideal but would definitely be a great placeholder and save you some money.

 

(Photo credit: EBay listing) 

[Burner]

3 minutes ago, CavalryCombatant said:

Yup I did just that, CC I have it here on my desk,  it just looks smaller than the one on the photo but it will do for now.