Nice, well worn USN aviation buckle   It's a poorly drawn Snoopy HC-3 Packrats Vietnam 1970       Regarding HC-3 and the other HC squadrons in the Pacific Fleet   Helicopter Support for SEAL Teams/River Patrol Boats Operating in the Mekong Delta VN Mid-1966. – In response to the need for helicopter support for SEAL teams and River Patrol Boats operating in the Mekong Delta, HC-1 began to deploy small, two-helo detachments to four separate locations in the Delta region. The Army lent the Navy a number of UH-1B helicopter gunships and provided maintenance support for them.   Helicopter Attack (Light) Squadron Three (HAL-3) Was Established April 1, 1967. – Helicopter Attack (Light) Squadron Three (HAL-3) was established at Vung Tau, CDR Robert W. Spencer commanding. A spin off HC-1, the Seawolfs took over the four HC-1 detachments. First three, and later two more detachments were added, for a total of nine. By the time the squadron was disestablished on 26 January 1972, its officers and men had been awarded 17,339 decorations and medals, making it the most decorated squadron in U.S. Navy history.   HC-1 Splits into Four Different Squadrons (note:  odd numbered squadrons and commands are assigned to the Pacific Fleet) September 1, 1967. – HC-1 was split into four different squadrons: HC-1, HC-3, HC-5, and HC-7. HC-1 retained the plane guard mission. HC-3 assumed the vertical replenishment mission. HC-5 became the Fleet Replacement Aircrew Training squadron. HC-7 took on the CSAR and minesweeping missions. In fulfilling the CSAR mission off the coast of North Vietnam, Navy helicopter crews wrote many pages of heroic history. The story of a rescue by HC-7 Detachment 104 in a dark summer night in 1968 is a stellar example.  LTJG Clyde E. Lassen Was Awarded the Medal of Honor

I couldn't resist this one.  I turned 18 the year they stopped the draft - and had a pretty low draft number.     From Wikipedia:  The "Packrats" were originally established as HC-3 on 1 September 1967. They were the Navy's sole vertical replenishment (VERTREP) squadron and operated the CH-46 Sea Knight from supply vessels operated by the Combat Logistics Force (CLF) to carry across supplies from the deck of the supply ship to fleet ships being re-supplied.   From the Gia Vuc website:   Det 103, also known as A-103, was a unit involved in the Vietnam War, specifically at Gia Vuc. It was part of the U.S. Special Forces and operated in the region from 1965 to 1966.    From the seller:  The text in the bottom center reads "TURKEY HOLES" and refers to the Cu Chi tunnel system used by the Viet Cong.   The flying dog is probably meant to be a CH-46 Sea Knight (not a flying rat?)    

Thank you, I've been reading up more on SATC vs ROTC. I guess the former former was for enlisted for training and not degree oriented? Interesting times! And thanks for the pointer on the collar disk!

+1

Unfortunately I can`t, not got my hands on them yet.

There’s a frame on eBay for 65$ that 1” too large I might breakdown and get

Hi Janine, the photos of Richard C Merkle did not have exact dates attached to them.  That said, if I had to guess (and it's only my best guess), I'd say the photo on the extreme left might've been taken around late 1943.  The one in the middle I believe is an earlier photo of him and might've been the earliest photo of the three, taken perhaps in the 1936-1937 timeframe while in Hawaii where he played basketball.  Lastly, the far right photo might have been taken in mid 1944 to mid 1945 timeframe.   Some additional information to note:    On the Morning Reports I attached please note that pages 20, 21, and 22 have nothing to do with Richard Merkle.  Sometimes during the scanning process by National Archives some morning reports are blurry and the service numbers are misread into the optical character reader.  Such was the case on those particular pages.   Richard's MOS or Military Occupation Specialty was 533, which was a Demolition Specialist (Construction and Engineering)   For an example of what these Army Airborne Aviation Engineer Battalions were trained to do see this YouTube video =>  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjwnGGP6SIw   Here's another link that might be of interest =>  https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/AAF/VII/AAF-VII-9.html#:~:text=At the time of the,of airfields in forward areas.  

RayRay,  I don't often see yard longs matted, so they are pretty simple. It's just a frame with glass and appropriate acid free backing material and the hanging bits.  Hobby Lobby used to have the pre-cut metal, modular frame sections available in twos. This way you buy two sides together and the top and bottom together based on whatever you need. They have rotating 40% sales in different departments so that might be a way to cut costs. The glass you would have to buy but that should not be prohibitive. Similar to the backing material, glass comes after you have assembled the frame and can measure the ID with a little wiggle room. That should be about the cheapest you can go as labor/expertise is what really drives the cost up.

Don't think they are the WWII-era high-tops. Can you decypher any contract number on the stamping?

It came out about a year after I left the Joint Staff. The Army Element wore no SSI or DUI.