Cool elephants! Welcome to this Forum. You’re probably going to get a wide variety of answers. In my case I was in a MACV Advisory Team, but our standard departure gifts were a plaque and an engraved lighter. The plaque has gone “walkabout”, but here’s the lighter:     I’ve never seen anyone gifted elephants before, but the range of possible gifts was infinite. Probably the production expense and uniqueness of a gift went up as the ranks went up, too. Let’s see what others have to say.   By the way, I have several ceramic elephants from Vietnam, of various sizes. I even went to a ceramics factory with my interpreter and picked out the colors I wanted. 

Most likely on base

. Not only were Jeeps crated . . . . . . .    A couple of photos from the manual for un-crating Ford GTB trucks ( aka. the Burma Jeep )         Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, 17  June  2O26.   ..

Hello everyone, I recently acquired an incredible matching pair of Vietnam War-era ceramic desk elephants (the classic "BUFEs") and I am hoping the expertise of this board can help shed some light on their specific history. From my understanding, these appear to be higher-end presentation pieces rather than standard street-market souvenirs, primarily due to the dual naval insignias and the specific maker's marks on the base. The Details of the Pieces: Side One: Features the enameled metal shield for the Naval Advisory Group Vietnam (MACV). Side Two: Features the metal medallion for the South Vietnamese Navy Command (Hải Quân Việt-Nam / Bộ Tư Lệnh / Hạm Đội). Construction: Heavy, hand-built earthenware with multi-tonal turquoise, brown, and white glazes (consistent with Bien Hoa or Lai Thieu pottery). The white glaze shows heavy, natural crazing. The Maker's Marks: Unlike slip-cast pieces, these have rough, raw clay underbellies. One elephant retains a heavily oxidized, original paper tag inside the bottom cavity. The other elephant features a distinct, hand-incised maker's mark carved directly into the wet clay before firing. It shows the letters "NH" inside a square, and a cross/star tally mark in the square below it. My Questions for the Group: The "NH" Mark: Does anyone have records or knowledge of which specific Bien Hoa/Lai Thieu master artisan or workshop used the "NH" mark during the war? The Context: Have you seen this specific dual-insignia pairing before? I am curious if these were standard presentation items for departing US Naval Advisors, or if they were reserved for specific ranks/officers working directly with the VNN Fleet Command. The Insignias: The medallions appear to be attached with an era-original adhesive. Was it common for MACV/VNN to officially contract these ceramics and attach the shields locally in Saigon? I have attached detailed photos showing the overall pieces, the insignias, the raw clay interior, and the specific "NH" maker's mark. Any historical context, unit information, or insight into the pottery marks would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for your time and expertise!  

Hello everyone, I recently acquired an incredible matching pair of Vietnam War-era ceramic desk elephants (the classic "BUFEs") and I am hoping the expertise of this board can help shed some light on their specific history. From my understanding, these appear to be higher-end presentation pieces rather than standard street-market souvenirs, primarily due to the dual naval insignias and the specific maker's marks on the base. The Details of the Pieces: Side One: Features the enameled metal shield for the Naval Advisory Group Vietnam (MACV). Side Two: Features the metal medallion for the South Vietnamese Navy Command (Hải Quân Việt-Nam / Bộ Tư Lệnh / Hạm Đội). Construction: Heavy, hand-built earthenware with multi-tonal turquoise, brown, and white glazes (consistent with Bien Hoa or Lai Thieu pottery). The white glaze shows heavy, natural crazing. The Maker's Marks: Unlike slip-cast pieces, these have rough, raw clay underbellies. One elephant retains a heavily oxidized, original paper tag inside the bottom cavity. The other elephant features a distinct, hand-incised maker's mark carved directly into the wet clay before firing. It shows the letters "NH" inside a square, and a cross/star tally mark in the square below it. My Questions for the Group: The "NH" Mark: Does anyone have records or knowledge of which specific Bien Hoa/Lai Thieu master artisan or workshop used the "NH" mark during the war? The Context: Have you seen this specific dual-insignia pairing before? I am curious if these were standard presentation items for departing US Naval Advisors, or if they were reserved for specific ranks/officers working directly with the VNN Fleet Command. The Insignias: The medallions appear to be attached with an era-original adhesive. Was it common for MACV/VNN to officially contract these ceramics and attach the shields locally in Saigon? I have attached detailed photos showing the overall pieces, the insignias, the raw clay interior, and the specific "NH" maker's mark. Any historical context, unit information, or insight into the pottery marks would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for your time and expertise!

. Not only were Jeeps crated . . . . . .   a couple of photos from the manual for un-crating various Dodge WC's series trucks            Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, 17  June  2O26.   ..

. Not only Jeeps were crated  . . . . . .   a couple of photos from the manual for unpacking crated Ford GPA's ( amphibious Jeeps )         Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, 17  June  2O26.   ..

. Searching for the Unicorn of the Jeeping world .... A crated Jeep. !!!   Everyone knows that there were crated Jeeps in WWII and the search has continued for a genuine crated Jeep for the last eighty years, even I have made trips in search of an elusive fairytale.  Six months ago we did find the remains of a wooden crate in Cherbourg where crated Jeeps arrived and assembled.         Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, 17  June  2O26.   ..

Well it is a shuttle craft carrier 😁 mikie

Super cool.  Thanks for posting.  Something never seen before is always exciting.