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RECONDO!!


Desertrat
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  • 3 years later...

Here's a 1970 Army film on the 5th Infantry Division Recondo Course at Fort Carson, Colorado along with some photos of the cadre wearing the subdued 5th Infantry Division Recondo patch on their pockets.

 

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  • 10 months later...

Now this is odd, see these two photos, the 82nd's RECONDO Arrowhead worn abouve the NAME tape, the one from a 1972 1st Bn 32nd Inf yearbook (posted by member rd12), and this second one on a 70s or perhaps late 60s SF jungle coat. Was this always worn like this? even the earlier full color version? I have to admit these are the first two photos shoing the 82nd's worn at all, photos seem to be scarce of the 82nd's RECONDO Arrowhead being worn, not like 101's.

 

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Now this is odd, see these two photos, the 82nd's RECONDO Arrowhead worn abouve the NAME tape, the one from a 1972 1st Bn 32nd Inf yearbook (posted by member rd12), and this second one on a 70s or perhaps late 60s SF jungle coat. Was this always worn like this? even the earlier full color version? I have to admit these are the first two photos shoing the 82nd's worn at all, photos seem to be scarce of the 82nd's RECONDO Arrowhead being worn, not like 101's.

 

post-122639-0-95708400-1513616640.jpgattachicon.gifungle_2_2.jpg

Interesting. Note that in the photo of Captain Spaulding he has other patches on each of his pockets, either the Pathfinder or Imjin Scout Badge on the left and what looks like the Drill Instructor or Jungle Expert Badge on the right.

 

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  • 5 months later...
VolunteerArmoury

Interesting. Note that in the photo of Captain Spaulding he has other patches on each of his pockets, either the Pathfinder or Imjin Scout Badge on the left and what looks like the Drill Instructor or Jungle Expert Badge on the right.

 

I believe it’s Jungle Expert under his name tape & Pathfinder wing on the other pocket.

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I believe it’s Jungle Expert under his name tape & Pathfinder wing on the other pocket.

More stuff on Spaulding, he is a DSC winner.

 

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Lt. Col. Spaulding entered in the service in June of 1958 and spent the next 9 as an enlisted man before being commissioned. He retired from service in June 1987 as a Lt. Col. Throughout his career he exemplified the finest spirit of the U.S. fighting man as an Airborne Ranger, Pathfinder, Master Parachutist, Raider/Recondo NCO and Special Forces Officer. His superiors consistently called upon him for the toughest of jobs. Equally important to his combat heroics was his mentoring of classmates during the various schools he attended, particularly during OCS. Several Officer Candidates credited him with their success in graduating.

He served in three combat areas, Dominican Republic, Korea and Viet Nam; Commanded five rifle companies, two HOs’ companies, and 3 Special Forces “P” Teams. He was Selected for United Nations Honor Guard duty at Eighth Army Headquarters, Seoul, Korea; NCO of the Year (1963) for 1st CAV Division, and runner up for Eighth Army NCO of the Year. He has been awarded the CIB, Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Stars w/V, Air Medals w/V, Presidential Unit Citations, and Valorous Unit Awards.

While serving as an instructor at the 82nd Airborne Div., Raider/Recondo, and Airborne Schools in 1965, then SSG Spaulding was selected among 4 other Rangers in the Battalion to be point man across the Duarte Bridge into Santo Domingo leading the 3rd Platoon, C Company, 2/325th and the 82nd into its battle since WWII.

 

 

https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/85771

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I see a DFC..Distinquished Flying Cross

Yes, the photo was no doubt one of his many awards parades, here awards of the many other ones he got. Looks like Philippine Army jump cloth badge there right!

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  • 1 month later...
  • 10 months later...

Here's an unidentified badge that's clearly linked to the 9th Infantry Division. I'm not sure if it's a Recondo Badge, since it's not in the shape of an arrowhead. It appears to be a metallic 9th Infantry Division SSI superimposed over an Army Expert marksmanship badge. I have seen a similar version of this for the 82nd AIrborne Division. The interesting thing is that the soldier is wearing DUI's and a beret indicating his assignment to the 2nd Battalion 75th Infantry in this photo. The info I have found on him is that he was assigned to the 2/75th Infantry from 1977 to 1979 but had earlier been assigned to the 2nd Brigade 9th Infantry Division in 1977.

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A 25th nf Div RECONDO Arrowhead on a late 60s mid 70s shirt, great insignia as we see overall, a 25th Inf Div Infantry vet in the 2nd Inf Div's 4th Sq 7th Cav (Shirt on Worthpoint sold long time ago).

 

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  • 1 month later...

Found this one of a Tropical Coat that was sold a long time ago where we see what we presume is the so called "Hawaiian Department" RECONDO Arrowhead, calling it a Hawaiian Department item is a misnomer since this unit hasn't been titled that since 1944, August 1944 when it was redesignated as the Central Pacific Base Command, it's gone through a couple more redesignations since in the period this might of been worn, so when this patch was worn, would be either the United States Army Hawaii (Redesignated to this title July 1957) or United States Army Support Command Hawaii (Redesignated to this title November 1972). (Redesignated United States Army Garrision Hawaii in March 1994, but unlikely coat was worn after that date we should think).

 

Not sure at all who would of been awarded these and why, as the 25th Infantry Division even when it returned to Schofield from Vietnam in 1970 and was reformed ran their own Recondo course with it's own RECONDO patch, or for that matter, when, like was it starting in the late 60s? sometime in the early to mid 70s? awarded till the late 70s-early 80s??

 

The coat has no other insignia on it, nor was from what can see at anytime, the patch itself differs from the couple of examples posted on USMF in that it has RECONDO embroidered on the top, and is of a "Theater made" quality, not unlike those seen in South Vietnam and South Korea.

 

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  • 1 month later...

Lets see how this takes on my very first Image Post on the NEW USMF Format.

 

A Contrary photo of the 82nd Abn Div's RECONDO Arrowhead, in the others I posted, we see the patch worn above the NAME Tape, here we see it in the normal place on the pocket, this the Full Color Version, the others are subdued worn in the 70s. Did the 60s one was worn on the pocket and sometime in the 70s the local REGS changed to above the NAME Tape???

GI by the way is one S/Sgt James. Mosel, a 82nd Jump Master in the summer of 1968 at Bragg, Mosel as we see was in one of the Jump Battalions of the 1st Brigade (Airborne) 1st Cavalry Division in 65-66 , doesn't show in the Rosters of the 1st Battalion 8th Cavalry, so he was either in the 2nd Battalion of the 8th Cavalry or the 1st Battalion 12th Cavalry.

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1 hour ago, patches said:

Lets see how this takes on my very first Image Post on the NEW USMF Format.

 

A Contrary photo of the 82nd Abn Div's RECONDO Arrowhead, in the others I posted, we see the patch worn above the NAME Tape, here we see it in the normal place on the pocket, this the Full Color Version, the others are subdued worn in the 70s. Did the 60s one was worn on the pocket and sometime in the 70s the local REGS changed to above the NAME Tape???

GI by the way is one S/Sgt James. Mosel, a 82nd Jump Master in the summer of 1968 at Bragg, Mosel as we see was in one of the Jump Battalions of the 1st Brigade (Airborne) 1st Cavalry Division in 65-66 , doesn't show in the Rosters of the 1st Battalion 8th Cavalry, so he was either in the 2nd Battalion of the 8th Cavalry or the 1st Battalion 12th Cavalry.

loki.jpg

That'll be Staff Sergeant James T. Mosel.

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On 1/29/2010 at 8:13 AM, Proud Kraut said:

Some of mine.

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Lars what is the arrowhead with the 39 on the Black Diamond for do you know? 39 would if Infantry, be associated with the 9th Infantry Division, but the Black Diamond is indicative off the 5th Infantry Division.

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  • 1 year later...
On 1/29/2010 at 8:13 AM, Proud Kraut said:

Some of mine.

RECON.jpg

Found another subdued RECONDO Arrowhead with the 39 on a Black Diamond, a German made one we would presume as its being sold over at SPARKS Militaria in Germany (No image of the rear was done).

 

It differs with the example Proud Kraut posted above as this one is machine embroidered on "Twill", while the one he posted is fully embroidered. Still would like to know just for what unit this is, as mentioned in above topic, the Black Diamond really signifies an association with the 5th Infantry Division, while 39 is automatically linked with the 9th Infantry Division, one of the battalions of the 39th Infantry.

 

Since the one Proud Kraut posted is clearly one that was used, removed off a fatigue item, probably German made, maybe a Kalka, then it had to be one that was worn by a legit unit, but what unit, a West German based unit right!

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Just discovered this topic from 2014, two unused fully embroidered ones bought by a member, a  member who looked in, believes these were for the Arkansas NG 39th Infantry Brigade (Sep).

 

Are these German made too, or U.S. Made? The one Proud Kraut posted looks to be German right. The one sold by SPARKS we assume is NOS, and would not be a Repro.

 

 

 

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So to respond to Patches, I located these in Little Rock in 2014 at a small surplus shop. In 2019 I was back at Camp Robinson for work and stopped by the museum, they had one on a patch display there but the curator had no additional information to provide. I’ve dug into it from time to time and can confirm 39th Infantry Brigade ran a Recondo school at Robison but that’s about it. 3C596FF3-B5C1-402A-9B84-05E4E9599DDF.jpeg.26f7e89c087766831c7b576f599cb917.jpeg

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Great information, patches & heftaa01! Indeed "Sparks Military" is selling off cloth insignia made by KALKA. Here´s a close-up of my variant. I always thought it looks U.S. made.

 

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Defense Secretary Melvin Laird wearing a 5th Infantry Division Recondo patch on his cap in Vietnam along with MACV Commander Creighton Abrams.

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7 hours ago, seanmc1114 said:

Defense Secretary Melvin Laird wearing a 5th Infantry Division Recondo patch on his cap in Vietnam along with MACV Commander Creighton Abrams.

Recondo Badge.5th Infantry Division.Melvin Laird.jpg

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Great photo, one always gets the impression the 5th Division RECONDO patch was worn only really at Carson rather then in Vietnam, still have to find a photo of it in Nam worn by a Trooper of the 1st Bde 5th Inf Div, this one with Melvin Laird, and the earlier post by yu of the Troops of the 69th Inf Bde at Carson are the only sighting thus far.

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I found these photos of the 25th Infantry Division Recondo patch online. I can't speak to the authenticity, but it looks right to me. For info on the unit that wore the scroll, see this link:

 

 

Recondo.25th Infantry Division.Vietnam.1.jpg

Recondo.25th Infantry Division.Vietnam.2.jpg

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