My Vietnam display so far

[burb1989]

Hey guys. Over the past few months I have organized all of my Vietnam war items together and here is what I have so far. Hope you all enjoy it.

[burb1989]

Here are some of my smaller pieces. Everything on this table aside from the canteen and the mag pouch on the left was my dad's and he even helped me arrange where each item was on his belt when he wore it. Found the bottle of insect repellent in my dad's old golf bag from the 70s (light blue leather and all). Sorry you guys can't see the m55 flak vest completely. It is in beautiful shape for being used (only one small tear along the zipper). Also the boots were a Christmas gift from my dad (new old stock boots from 1968).

[Jeff V]

Very cool, especially with the family connection!

[burb1989]

Here is my USMC camo fatigue that my mom bought at a small gun show for her to wear but she selflessly donated it for my display. The rifle is a Chinese copy of a German Gew88 that was taken off of a dead VC soldier back in 1969. I bought it from a gentleman who belongs to the same VFW hall as my dad. It even has a Vietnamese era AK-47 sling on it.

[NOR_collector]

The vietnam war has always fascinated me ever since I was a kid. The uniform, equipment, weapons etc. is something I would like to collect myself. You have some really great items and I'm looking forward to see more of this. Thank you for showing your collection.

Best regards,
André

[burb1989]

Here is my dad's backpack. The only thing here that wasn't his is the poncho on top but it is the same style as his was. The etool and cover came home with the backpack.

[burb1989]

Here is a set of fatigues that I bought from another member of my dad's VFW hall. He never wore them much and as to the belt he only had the buckle. I found out that Nike makes some good elastic belts that kind of look like the USMC issue fatigue belts (minus the buckle) and after fitting the buckle it looks ok. Plus the fatigues are in my size so I'm happy to use them for reenacting in the future.

[burb1989]

Here is my dad's "sea bag" that he brought everything home he could in. It had a hole at the bottom where my dad's captured sks poked through during transit stateside. Luckily the MPs didn't care or didn't look so he got away with that. Sadly I don't have the sks anymore. My dad traded it away in the 90s for a handgun for personal protection. I asked my dad why and he told me that it had killed a friend of his on a search and destroy mission. He does still have a picture of the person that killed his friend though it is gruesome. This bag has seen a lot of action during and post war years. My dad used to put his clothes in it whenever he and my mom would move. He sewed a patch over the hole though to use it for that. The bag has my dad's last name and even his old phone number from the late 70s when my parents used to live near Vicksburg, MS.

[timothy downum]

Nice collection of Nam items gosh I am getting old I remember when it was everywhere and I used a lot of it in the early 70 when I was in. timothy

[burb1989]

Finally the cream of the crop of my Vietnam collection. On the left is a VC flag dad captured during Operation Arizona, one of his biggest battles and one his unit got a presidential unit citation for. On the right is my rarest rifle. It is a Vietnamese indochinois berthier rifle made in France in 1926 and was used throughout the Indochina area until it was picked off of a VC sniper in 1967. I bought it from the son of the marine who brought this home along with an all matching French lebel rifle. His dad just wanted to get rid of it and he only wanted cheap money for this one ($50). I kind of felt bad I bought it for so little so I asked if he had anything else. Turns out he had a bayonet that was for the rifle I just bought! It was an all matching bayonet and scabbard but it was for the Mle 1892 berthier. Still after $150 the bayonet was mine as well and we both left happy. Heck the rifle still has its pre WW2 French sling on it after 80+years! Thanks for bearing with me on this long post and hope you all really enjoy my little display.

[Spanish Freiwillige]

it will make a nice late war saet for sure....combination of late flakvest +erdl..very nice...!!

[burb1989]

Here's a better picture of my M-55 flak vest. My dad's never had the pockets in the front (thankfully I had a picture of him wearing his flak vest in Vietnam for comparison) but everything else was exactly like my dad remembered. I had to trade two really bad condition rifles for this but I like to think I ended up with the better deal.

[burb1989]

Also here's a better image of the Chinese Gew 88. It is a very crudely held together weapon but still functions fine. The stock is cracked all the way down from the front barrel band to just behind the receiver. Though it still has the stock cartouches on the butt as well as a painted name as well. The bayonet lug was cut off and sadly the former owner had a small metal bar welded into the barrel to render it unshootable. Other than that it is a very cool piece.