Sample 1:

Size large. No longer in collection.

Sample 2: USAF with Korean Name Tapes

Custom dual language (English and Korean) name tapes.  USAF rank insignia.

Sample 3: Dual Patched Medic

Airborne-qualified medic. Served with 1st Cavalry then 101st Airborne Divisions in Vietnam era. Shirt is small sized.

Patches:

Tag:

1967 date.

Sample 4: Seabees Private Purchase Tropical

Made of same non-ripstop poplin as jungle fatigues that is lighter weight than sateen normally used. These were offered for private purchase through the PX (post exchange) and other storefronts.

Stamps:

Seabees stamp on left pocket (as worn).

ACB-1 (Amphibious Construction Battalion 1) stamp on back under removed glint tape (?) patch.

Patch Remnants:

Sample 5: 18th Engineer Brigade In-Country Patches

This soldier served with the 18th Engineers Brigade in Vietnam, then the Air Defense Artillery School at Ft. Bliss, Texas in the USA. The 18th Engineers Brigade was one of the first conventional US Army units to enter Vietnam. Although they were supposed to help build infrastructure, like roads and bridges, their combat engineer elements also supported search and destroy operations against the Viet Cong (source: https://web.archive.org/web/20071024200751/http://www.18engineers.army.mil/#history).

Tag:

1965 date.

In-Country Patches:

The rank and 18th Engineers Brigade patches were hand sewn in Vietnam. The subdued color would have provided better camouflage than the full color “official” patches in use at the time.

Full Color Patch:

Service Number/Laundry Tag:

Service number is hand-written on the inside back and on a laundry tag located at the collar.

Tapes:

US Army tape is hand-stitched.

Button:

Cuffs:

Sample 6: Inshore Undersea Warfare 11-1

Inshore Undersea Warfare (IUW) units were meant to provide security for US Navy installations, particularly against seaborn infiltration attempts (frogmen and saboteurs) (source: http://iuwg1.stabledoorveterans.com/). IUW 11 was active around Cam Rahn Bay starting in June 1966 as part of Operation Stable Door (source: http://www.iuwg1vets.org/history).

Tag:

1968 date.

Patch:

Japanese made (source: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1726441960963865/posts/3243986482542731/?comment_id=3244309492510430). Patch was hand-stitched on and was found partially detached.

Tapes:

Sample 7: MAC-V Hand-Embroidered Patches

MAC V Patch:

Hand embroidered subdued patch made in-country (Vietnam).

Rank Chevrons:

Applique style with fuzzy velvet material that has disintegrated due to age and field use. This is common for applique style insignia. The rank could be for a Private or Private First Class (PFC) since the PFC rank design changed to the modern style with the rocker in May 1968 (source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Army_enlisted_rank_insignia#Timeline_of_changes), during this shirt’s service life. It is likely to belong to a PFC since there were very more PFC’s than Privates in Vietnam (source: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1726441960963865/posts/3401352546806123/?comment_id=3401673180107393&reply_comment_id=3402642880010423).

Tags:

Branch Tape:

Sample 8: Vietnam War Naval Aviator Modifications

This shirt was found together with a 1980’s period commercial jungle jacket with an Army Ranger tab on the sleeve. Both are a similar medium size, but it is impossible to tell for sure if they belonged to the same individual.

Sleeve Pocket:

Sleeve pocket is made of nylon material tailored from a survival vest, likely the SV-1 in use at the time, by unit riggers (source: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1726441960963865/posts/3605696296371746).

Chest Velcro:

Thread used for chest velcro patch matches the one used for the sleeve pocket.

Tags:

Contractor tag is missing, but features are consistent with a late 1960’s OG-107 sateen shirt.

Usage Photos:

These modified shirts were commonly used by US Navy tactical aircrews from 1965 – 1968 (source: https://www.facebook.com/groups/849342692173935/posts/1763829230725272/, https://www.facebook.com/groups/849342692173935/posts/1746867979088064/, https://www.facebook.com/groups/1726441960963865/posts/3605696296371746/?comment_id=3607203822887660). Other examples can be seen in this thread here: https://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/300265-interesting-vietnam-og-107-shirts-1st-pattern-us-navy/