Very cool t-shirt baring the iconic “Southeast Asia War Games - Participant - Survivor” slogan. An ironic and derogatory phrase often used by disgruntled veterans of the conflict in Vietnam. While my research on this specific shirt hasn’t yielded much information, I’m nearly certain this dates to the mid-1970’s. It’s construction matches with a number of similarly dated shirts I’ve handled. The stains, while of course can’t be confirmed, match the color of dried blood. Maybe the result of a bar fight? The reality of these types of stains is that we can almost never know for sure.
The t-shirt is made of a very thin cotton, showing the slogan surrounding the South Vietnamese, Cambodian, Thai, and pre-Communist Laotian flags - indicating the wider reach of the conflict in Vietnam. The tag is unfortunately completely faded, so brand and date identification is not possible.
This slogan can be seen in wide use during the Vietnam War period in the form of Shirts, banners, and souvenir patches. It was a particularly popular slogan during the late war period and by the organization Vietnam Veterans Against The War as public support for the conflict waned dramatically.
**If anyone is able to source a period photo of this exact shirt please let me know!**
An absolutely fantastic National Liberation Front (Viet Cong) flag brought home by SPC4 Steve Kieffer of MACV Advisory Team 49 stationed out of Xuân Lộc Airbase (Firebase Husky)
The flag is well used and shows stains which, while of course can never be fully confirmed, appear identical in color and pattern to blood stains I and others have previously examined.
Along with this flag, as well as a beautiful Cambodian flag which I’ll post in the future, was a copy of his memoirs written in July of 1998.
His memoirs begin in January of 1969 when Steve decided to enlist for a three year contract.
He continues on to describe his 1971 tour in Vietnam, including a range of dramatic scenes that paint a vivid picture of Vietnam in the late war period. Drafted Black Panthers throwing up the Black Power fist, hippies blasting Jimi Hendrix and smoking dirt weed, and even walking in on a unit mate having tragically overdosed on heroin, a needle still in his arm.
An awesome South Vietnamese made 101st Airborne pocket hanger patch belonging to author and PFC. Jerald “Jerry” Berry 3rd Battalion, 506th Infantry, 101st Airborne
Vietnam 1968-1968
Just a single piece from a massive grouping I was able to purchase from Jerry recently. As a draftee and amature photographer, Jerry as quickly assigned the unit’s Public Information Officer. It was Jerry’s job to both document the divisions ongoing missions as well as to disseminate anti-communist and pro-South propaganda of all sorts across the central highlands. He became one half of a two man PIO team not unlike Joker from the movie Full Metal Jacket.
As he states, though he did not have total freedom of movement across areas of operation, as a photographer he was allowed a high degree of movement and often wore this hanger patch when moving from area to area.
Jerry is also an established author of several books including:
“The Stand Alone Battalion: A Pictorial Chronology of the 3-506 Vietnam Odyssey (1967-1971)”
“They Called Us Currahees: The 3-506 Vietnam Legacy”
And
“Psychological Warfare Leaflets of The Vietnam War”
I’ll continue to post more of this amazing grouping as I lean toward sharing bits of my Vietnam collection
Really cool grouping belonging to Bronze Star recipient Major Raymond Holland, 27th Infantry Regiment 25th Infantry Division
March 30, 1933 - October 5, 2023
The cigar box and its contents tells a colorful story of Major Holland’s 23 year Army career having served in Korea, Vietnam, and Taiwan as an artillery advisor to ROK and ARVN motermen.
The highlights of the grouping are of course the two well used silk camouflage parachute ascots showing light/dark variants and uniform removed pocket patch. It also includes his Arkansas drivers licenses dated 1955 and 1956 as well as a diary belonging to his wife.
Also included are DUI for the 27th Infantry Regiment (which I suspect he served with under the 25th ID during his time in Vietnam), the 91st Armored Field Artillery Battalion, and the 21st Field Artillery Regiment.
Pristine 1st Cavlery Division hanger patch belonging to Bronze Star recipient Sgt. Frederick Black 1st Cav. 5th Cav Regiment 1969-1970
Just one piece of a larger grouping acquired through the Black family
Kata’ib Hezbollah / Hezbollah Brigades
‘Battalions of the Party of God’
A Shia paramilitary organization active during the early Iraq War, Iraqi insurgency, and the war against the Islamic State.
Veteran acquired, Iraq 2015
Same grouping as the previous two PMF patches.
Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq / Khazali Network
“League of the Righteous”
A Shia Islamist political party / paramilitary organization
Active during the Iraqi insurgency, Syrian Civil Was, and the war on the Islamic State
Veteran acquired, Iraq 2015
Kata’ib al-Imam Ali / Imam Ali Brigades patch
The Imam Ali Brigades, under the umbrella of the Popular Mobilization Forces, played a significant role in both the Iraqi Civil War as well as the war against the Islamic State in the mid 20-teens.
Patch acquired from an advisor apart of Task Force Taji.
Veteran acquired, Iraq 2015
Unfortunately no name attached to this one but it’s almost certainly theater used. The interior is still absolutely caked in desert sand, so even without an ID it’s got tons of character to it.
Super legit Blackwater USA cap. Not a ton of genuine BW stuff out there but this one is as real as they come. Purchased from a former Police advisor to the Iraqi Federal Police. Dude worked alongside lots of Blackwater employees during the height of their time in Iraq.
After a brief hiatus we back baby.
Hard hat from the United States Embassy in Baghdad. Purchased directly from a retired Army colonel and current Department of Defense Military Advisor to Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection.
This patch I unfortunately have much less information on.
What I do know is that it too came from the same Naval Special Warfare advisor as the last two, and was worn by him during his time advising Kurdish YPG and YPJ forces in Syria during Operation Inherent Resolve.
From what I’ve been able to gather, these were regularly worn by advisors of different nationalities working alongside Kurdish forces during the peak of their operations against the Islamic State.
If anyone has more information on this specific design, please don’t hesitate to reach out and let me know. I’m always searching for a more full understanding of these items.
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