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Viet Nam 173rd Airborne jungle coat 1968

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Military Patches1 of 160U.S.Navy Chief & 1st Class Chevron'sVINTAGE MILITARY STYLE GARRISON SIDE CAPS SHIP WHEEL EAGLE EMBLEM
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    Posted 11 years ago

    tlmbaran
    (136 items)

    Nice Ebay find! Auction showed a blurry photo of what I could only tell was a run of the mill Viet Nam era jungle jacket, "BUY IT NOW" for $6.50 OR best offer....So I thought for ANY Viet Nam era ANYTHING is worth that! I put in an offer of $5 dollars, and when it arrived, I was THRILLED to see the "IN COUNTRY" patches, and the fact it was 173rd Airborne was ALL the better!
    It is a "type 3" style jacket, meaning all buttons are hidden, epaulettes and waist tab adjusters are no longer on the jacket, yet it has the extra piece of material at the cuffs for adjustment. Dated 1968, it does have some faint rust stains from improper storage. No rips or holes.
    Name tape has been removed, and the "jump wings" are way more faded out than the Combat Infantry Badge, U.S. Army tape & 173rd Airborne patch, which tells me it came off an older, worn out uniform, and was re-sewn to this jacket.......
    Here is a brief history of the 173rd Airborne:
    Activated in 1915, as the 173rd Infantry Brigade, the unit saw service in World War I, but is best known for its actions during the Vietnam War. The brigade was the first major United States Army ground formation deployed in Vietnam, serving there from 1965 to 1971 and losing almost 1,800 soldiers. Noted for its roles in Operation Hump and Operation Junction City, the 173rd is best known for the Battle of Dak To, where it suffered heavy casualties in close combat with North Vietnamese forces. Brigade members received over 7,700 decorations, including more than 6,000 Purple Hearts. The brigade returned to the United States in 1972, where the 1st and 2nd battalions of the 503rd airborne regiment were absorbed into the 3rd brigade of the 101st Airborne Division. The remaining units of the 173rd were deactivated

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    Comments

    1. Manikin Manikin, 11 years ago
      Love love !!!!!! what a great find
    2. scottvez scottvez, 11 years ago
      Nice buy tlmbaran.

      I am sure you know-- but for others, Operation Junction City was the ONLY combat Airborne drop of the war.

      scott
    3. scottvez scottvez, 11 years ago
      These VN jungle fatigues were issued (6 X MINTY, like NEW) to soldiers at FT Campbell during my first assignment there. All were VN surplus and when you damaged a set you could DX (direct exchange) for a new set.

      I only kept one set (earlier straight pocket version), but wish that I had kept more.

      scott
    4. tlmbaran tlmbaran, 11 years ago
      Thanks for that info Scott! These Viet Nam fatigues are REALLY becoming collectible! I do have a few sets in my collection. I remember back in the day me & my brother would pick these up at the surplus store for $2 & 3 dollars each. When my brother was a Freshman, walking home from school one day, he came home with a Viet Nam jungle fatigue jacket left at a construction site. It had name tapes, 25th division insignia, subdued staff SGT stripes, etc. Not to mention it was a type 2 fatigue jacket as well. One day he decided to play football in it, and after playing a full game of running back, there was nothing left of the jacket. Ripped to shreds. Wish I would have salvaged the patches & insignia at least.....
    5. scottvez scottvez, 11 years ago
      Yep-- they were light weight, quick drying and very comfortable in a jungle climate (I wore them in Panama), but small tears got big very quickly.

      We could buy them for $6 a set.

      scott

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