Dad's VN Jungle Fatigue Shirt

[IA Born]

Edge getting me to post my great grandpa's WWI uniform got me thinking about my dad's stuff from Vietnam. Most everything he has is a replacement/exact replica of everything he carried in the jungle as an infantry mortarman. I've told the story of his company being ambushed by a battalion-sized NVA element on Nov 11, 1967. Most everything dad had was left behind or had been taken/rummaged/looted when the NVA closed the horseshoe-shaped ambushed and surrounded dad's company (often breaching the perimeter).  Dad was medevaced out Nov 12, 1967, when they could finally get helicopters in. Everything he had was in his rucksack and his fatigues were cut off at the hospital. 

Fast forward to Nov 19, 1978. Our house in our small Iowa town burned to the ground the night we moved in. We lost everything we owned. We barely got our alive and it was a total loss. We were living off donations for absolutely everything (clothes, place to stay, food, etc). I was 5 years old and only have two memories of the night. I vaguely remember dad being upset about the few things he managed to have from Vietnam that he shipped home prior to Nov 11, 1967. He had his original purple heart, with yhe plastic melted, and one of his bronze stars w/ "V" device, covered in soot. They were in a metal lockbox and that was the only thing to survive the fire.

Fast forward again to the late 1980s. I was in high school, maybe finishing junior high. A friend of the family found one of dad's original jungle fatigue shirts in a footlocker of his. Nobody knew why this guy had it or where he got it from, but I'll never forget the look on dad's face when he got it back. I used to wear it all the time and was super proud to do that. I look at it now, and it's a grim reminder of just how small my dad was when he was 19/20 and all of the stuff he carried. Every time I start to complain about a load being heavy and a hill too steep, I find myself thinking of dad carrying all of his gear, plus 5 mortar rounds for his 81mm tube, including up triple canopy slopes in high humidity. 

Anyway, thanks for indulging me again. 

[dusty]

173rd Airborne, the herd. They were the only ones to do a jump in Nam. Truly badass. 

[IA Born]

1 hour ago, dusty said:

173rd Airborne, the herd. They were the only ones to do a jump in Nam. Truly badass. 

Yep, that was 2nd battalion/503rd PIR, carrying on their lineage from Corregidor in WWII.  Dad was in 1st battalion and did the air assault via helo for that operation.

[Heat]

I feel you bro, one of the few things I have of my Dad's.

[Edge]

13 hours ago, IA Born said:

Yep, that was 2nd battalion/503rd PIR, carrying on their lineage from Corregidor in WWII.  Dad was in 1st battalion and did the air assault via helo for that operation.

Very cool.

[IA Born]

18 hours ago, Edge said:

Very cool.

I have some of the "souvenirs" he and a couple of friends brought back too.  I have a pair of Ho Chi Minh sandals that he took from a VC soldier who didn't really need them anymore, and some Montagnard bracelets, chop sticks, and knives that one of dad's medics/good friends brought back.  When I was in jr high/high school, I used to wear the sandals around in the summer.  Way before Chacos or Tevas.  I thought it was cool, knowing the history!

[Edge]

Lol

I've been accused of wearing a dead man's clothes. .

"Hey buddy, you take that hat off a dead. _____?."

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[25-06]

Love it, really cool thanks for posting it along with the story's. Good stuff for sure.