RECONDO
One of the most prestigious qualifications that could be earned by soldiers during the Vietnam War was to graduate from the Recondo School.
Who are you calling Chicken?
Vietnam Gear investigates the development of the U.S. Army’s aircrew body armor from the 1962 heavyweight pilots shield through to the 1971 lightweight Nomex mesh back vest.
Tigerstripe Collecting
My militaria collecting first started with reasonably easy to obtain WWII items. The first time I became aware of Vietnam Tigerstripe camouflage was when I saw the films "The Deer Hunter" and "Apocalypse Now". I was curious to know what this strange striped camouflage was called and where I could buy it. It was not until the early 1980`s when I saw an illustrated colour drawing in a UK magazine called "War In Peace" that I found out that this pattern was called "Tigerstripe".
Use of the One-Time pad in Vietnam
Special Forces were one of (if not the only) units in Vietnam to utilize Morse code on a regular basis. We used a method of encryption called the Diana Cryptosystem.
Maj. Peter Dewey, America's First Vietnam Casualty
Like the last, the first U.S. casualty in Vietnam is shrouded in controversy, mystery and political intrigue. Even the statement "the first," like "the last," is open to question. You won't find his name on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, nor will it appear on any Missing in Action list, even though his body was never recovered.
The Tiger Lady
Her exploits were legendary, even in the war torn region of South East Asia. She marched and fought with one of the most respected military units in Vietnam: the South Vietnamese 44th Ranger Battalion-"The Black Tigers".
Exotic and Unusual Weapons of the Vietnam Conflict
The Vietnam Conflict was home to virtually every type of individual weapon imaginable, from crude firearms manufactured in jungle workshops to ultra-sophisticated, hi-tech pieces complete with silencers and scopes.
Son Tay - A Story of Success (Part 2)
On 20th November, at 23.18 hours, Operation IVORY COAST was underway. With over 170 intense rehearsals under their belts the raiders and flight crews were literally prepared for any eventuality.
Road Watch Teams
The CIA in Southeast Asia was tasked to recruit indigenous forces to watch and report on the North Vietnamese army as they moved along the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos.