Part #2, Army Infantry during the Vietnam War:

First Sergeant, Second Field Force:

II Field Force was a part of MACV and had its headquarters in Long Binh, and much of the operational US. Army Forces in Vietnam were commanded by them.

So the First Sergeant was assigned to one of the command facilities in Long Binh Vietnam. He has prior overseas service with the 2nd Infantry Division, doing work near the DMV in South Korea, where the US. and South Korean forces have been on vigil watch since the Cease Fire in 1953. 1st Sergeant Trent has been in battle before, and understands it completely, as he wears a CIB, indicating, he served in Korea in the Korean War or a prior tour of Vietnam. Nicely all subdued, it’s likely this uniform was generally “Strack”, meaning it was heavily starched, and worn as a base uniform, rather than a field uniform.

Corporal, 196th Light Infantry Regiment, Republic of Vietnam:

The 196th Infantry Brigade, sometimes called themselves, “The Chargers” or the “Charger Brigade”. They were created on the 24th of June 1921. Their main purpose was to train soldiers for war, but their assignment was with the “Army Reserves” 98th Division, but they built up their facilities to do so.

By the end of the Second World War, the 98th Division was spread out over the islands of Kauai, Hawaii, and Maui, Defending all of them, and even Oahu, Hawaii. Then as it became evident they were going to have to invade the Japanese “Home Island”, with all the experience fighting the Japanese Soldiers, They realized this might be the biggest fight Americans have ever had to fight, it was decided it would be a fight to the end, with uncountable casualties, they would fight to the last person, we needed to start training up, and, get the troops on-duty in Europe, and get them to help train soldier, and get ready for what would be the biggest invasion of all time.

And in May 1945 they started Training, as on the 8th Hitler Shot Himself, thank God. But the War for the Americans, ended on 2 September 1945, bringing all hostilities to a close, before the division left Hawaii. They did end up serving in Japan, on occupation duty, now the 3rd Platoon, “98th Reconnaissance Troop Mechanized”, 98th Infantry Division. They were inactivated on 16 February 1946, in Charlotte, NC in the USA.

Specialist, 196th Infantry Battalion, Fatigue Shirt:

Ok, I have a couple, of similar uniforms representing the 196th Infantry Brigade, and the 23rd Infantry Division, in short, the unit served from 15 July 1966 to June 1972 in Vietnam. So I’ll get this story going. The 196th (LIB) Light Infantry Brigade was reactivated again in September 1965 at Fort Devens, where it was scheduled to be sent to the Dominican Republic, but was instead rushed to the Republic of Vietnam on 15 July 1966 via transport ships, it was the first U.S. Army infantry unit arriving on 14 August 1966 at Tay Ninh City where it soon began combat operations in the Western Area of the II Corps Tactical Zone.

I realize these field uniforms all begin to look the same after a while. They are general fatigue shirts, but the jackets get redundant really fast too. I do try to show various caps and helmets and whatnot, but it’s all in the little details in the insignia that lets us know who they are, and where there from. This blouse depicts the in-country obtained bright green backed patch, with orange flames rather than black. This Specialist earned his CIB with the First Cavalry Division early on in the conflict. His helmet is a particularly nice example of a re-issued batch with the green-tinted liner.

S.SGT., Khaki, 196 INF. BG:

He has earned the Silver Stan, Bronze Star with V (twice), leading to quick promotions, to Staff Sergeant, Purple Heart (twice), Meritorious Service Medal,3x Air Medals (So there may be an unseen Air Crewman’s Wings under the collar, Army Accommodation Medal x3, Good conduct with 3 enlistments, the American Campaign Medal, National Defence Sevice Medal 2nd award, US Expeditionary Medal 3rd award, Vietnam Service Medal, with 3 campaign stars, Vietnam Gallantry Cross, and the RVN Campaign Medal. His shooting award shows proficiency with the Rifle, Bayonet, and Grenades…the Infantryman’s tools of the trade.

The uniform does not have the CIB is not evident, though, with the decorations already received, one would assume, it’s in the weeks, a matter of time in the field in a battle zone, it would seem appropriate, and may just be a ceremony away.

Staff Sergeant, Americal DIV. 23rd INF, DIV.):

We’ll continue the story with this uniform, The Brigade became under the control of the 23rd Infantry Division famously known as the “Americal Division”, on the 25th of September 1967, and soon participated in Operation Wheeler / then came Wallowa, and Golden Fleece, Fayette Canyon, Fredrick Hill, Lamar Plain, Elk Canyon I and II, in early May 1968.

Note, the uniform recognizes his affiliation with the 196th Infantry Brigade, with the patch on his right pocket, and the 2/1 of the 196th became a separate temporary identity to safeguard the same area of operations.

In April 1971, the 196th moved to Da Nang to assist in Port Security duties, and finally left Vietnam on June 29th, 1972 as the last combat brigade to do so. The Brigade had suffered 1,188 Killed in Action and 5,591 Wounded.

The Staff Sergeant wears the subdued brigade patch on the right pocket, while he wears the also subdued (In-country made) Americal division patch on the Left shoulder, sleeve of his 3rd pattern jungle fatigue jacket. Rank insignia has begun the move from the sleeve to the collar, in this case, sewn on. All the insignia in the subdued format by this time in the war, in various forms the Name, and the US. Army tapes and CIB from a previous tour, are standard issued, the rest made in-country by a local tailor. While on patrol he would have the standard M1 steel helmet, with a helmet cover on it, the cap here Standard issue ball cap, has on it an unofficial “Americal Insignia” above his rank. He would have his issued (LBE) load-bearing ‘Webb’ gear, butt-pack, 3-4-5 canteens, ammo, food, and whatnot. Trousers and Jungle boots.

Master Sergeant, 196th Infantry Brigade, 23rd Infantry Division “Americal”, RVN:

The elements of the 196th fought in numerous, “platoon sized” actions, bobby-trap incidents, surprise attacks day and night, and search and destroy operations and the like, but also in some major full-brigade sized and as part of division-sized assaults on the enemy, such as Operation Cider Falls, Gadsden, Lancaster, Operation Junction City, Benton, and Operation Attleboro, where it turned into a major action after a large enemy base camp was found on 10 October 1966. In April of 1967, the 196th was selected along with 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, and the 35d Brigade of the 25th Infantry Division to form a temporary division-size unit called Task Force Oregon, where it was moved up to I Corps Tactical Zone.

23rd Infantry Division “Americal” Troop, going-home khakis:

And if the soldiers performed well, and had some luck they got to go home, that’s where we see in pictures most Army Solier pictures of the era, are going to or from the Republic of Vietnam. The Sergeant First Class has all his, ribbons in place with many of the typical decorations, a Divisional pocket hanger patch, and his shooting qualification badge. Complete with the Regimental DUI on the shoulder strap. This was the warm weather-semi-dress uniform of the 1960s and 70s and had khaki trousers as well, as black army boots with enlisted men.

Note picture is a troop from the 25th Infantry Division “Tropic of Lightning” or “The Electric Strawberry”.

Major, 199th INF. BG.:

The 199th Infantry Brigade (Light) had originally served as an Army Reserve Group from 1921 until 1940. But they went active in 1966 and they served in the Vietnam War till 1970, when they came back home. It wasn’t till 1991–1992 that they came together again. Now stationed in Washington State at “Joint Base” Fort Louis / Mcchord and as of recently, in 2007 they are an active army training formation at Fort Benning (now Fort Victory or something).

*The helmet is most unusual, in being all marked-up with full-color insignia, and bright rank, more likely seen on a helmet liner the steel pot itself, but if anyone could do it it was probably a Major.

199th INF. BG. Spec. 4:

EDITING

Forming up for the second time the 199th Light Infantry Brigade was being trained at Fort Benning, Georgia, and Camp Shelby, in Mississippi (The only combat unit to train at Camp Shelby during the Vietnam War, for several months, and by November 1966, they reformed together Fort Benning, Georgia, and began their deployment to Vietnam. They were Nicknamed "the Red-Catchers", upon arrival, they were quickly whisked off to Song Be, Vietnam. In early December they were providing infantry support to the III Corps Tactical Zone.

The brigade was participating in Operation Uniontown in the Dong Nai Province when the “TET Offensive of 1968” started, immediately throwing all of South Vietnam lit up into full-on war, terrorizing every major city with a maximum effect. While there had been some warnings, they were not taken seriously enough, and chaos in-sued! Even the II Field Force Command Post, headquartered at Long Binh observed attacks in full force by the 275th VC Regiment!

Then one battalion was air-lifted by a helicopter assault into the command post the Viet Cong has set up in the Phu Tho Race Track in Saigon City, and the begant-as its said-kicking-in doors, and started in “hand-to-had fighting” and brought hell down on the enemy forces, in brutal city fighting.

As control began to be regained in 1969, the 199th was put in charge of security in the region North and East of the Capital City. moving into 1970 they started to participate in operations in the enemy-controlled “Iron Tri-Angle” area, while other US forces participated in, while in support of ARVN Operations that became the - “Cambodian Incursion”, The Brigade began coming back to the United States then, returning to Fort Benning on 11 October 1970, there they were inactivated.

Khaki Dress, 199 INF. BG. Specialist, End of the tour:

This Specialist is happy to be going home, yet, misses his buddies already, as they were out in the bush “Chasing Charlie” most of the time, now it downs on him, and he realizes he may never see any of them again, but a short-timer, and soon he’s going home, but then he wonders what it’s like back in “The World” now, he heard it’s changed, and has been told he doesn’t have to wear his uniform through the airport? This has him puzzled, the people that told him to save the world, now are ashamed of him? Welcome home Specialist Canning.

During his enlistment, he earned the ribbons for the “Defence Meritorious Service Medal”, the Meritorious Service Medal, Good Conduct, the American Campaign Medal, the National Defence Service Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, with 3 stars, the Vietnam Gallantry Cross, and the RVN Campaign Medal. He has qualified with the Rifle, Carbine, and Rocket Launcher. On his Khaki Shirt, he has his rank insignia on his sleeves, DUIs on the shoulder straps, and Brigade “Pocket Hanger” on a button for the pocket. Being a grunt in a grunt outfit, he likely has earned the Combat Infantryman’s Badge but may be given to him when he gets back to the States.

It will take him years of analyzing, adjusting for, and to just figure out just what happened during his tour of Vietnam, and his time in service will be reflected on for some time, but in privacy, often at night, or when he’s alone, he’ll have to come to grips, with how much “Home” changed while he was away, probably having permanent injuries that just won’t go away, scars heald over others. The nightmares still come back though, he hopefully carried on with his life successfully and raised a family, but we also know it would never be easy for those who served during this war, the had war changed over the years, and the reason for it, the amount of effort to begin with and then the sudden pull-out, and defiantly the way they fought it changed, our Government had changed, and so those serving there changed too.