VIETNAM WAR M1C HELMET w/MITCHELL CAMOUFLAGED COVER & 1st CAV. GRAFITTI

Description: This is a nice, salty Vietnam War US M-1C Airborne Helmet with Mitchell camouflage cover that remains in original and very good field used condition. The helmet shell is without dents or any type of damage. It is complete with both clip-on type canvas chin straps and small snap tabs at the bales to hold the liner in place. The ends are with the T1 hook and claw fasteners. The heat temper number is illegible. The airborne liner is a Korean War type with ‘A’ yoke straps at both sides and with open cloth chin cup. It is marked with both the Westinghouse and CAPAC logos in the dome. The leather sweatband is dated ‘70’ and shows some darkening from wear. The Mitchell camouflage cover is with faded color and rim wear from actual use in the bush. The brown side is marked ‘COVER HELMET CAMOUFLAGE, DSA-100-74-f-U060, 8415-261-6833, LOT 2, MPLS. SOC. F/T/BLIND, INC. It is complete with the original elastic band around the lower part for holding additional camouflaged foliage. The original owner has written his name in now faded ink, ‘DAVID MARSH’. He has also applied some fine graffiti on the cover which includes a facsimile of the 1st Air Cavalry patch and ‘BRAVO CO, 1/7’ in two places. These markings are faded by sun and monsoon exposure to the same degree as the colors on the cover and I believe are original to the piece. Bravo 1/7 of the 1st Air Cav saw heavy fighting at Ia Drang and was featured in the excellent Vietnam War film, WE WERE SOLDIERS. It remains a beautiful example. On November 14, 1965, the 1st Battalion (Bn), 7th Cavalry Regiment (Regt), 1st Air Cavalry (Cav) Division (Div) was sent on a search and destroy mission deep into the jungles of a plateau in the Central Highlands in the Ia Drang River Valley, thirty-seven miles west of Pleiku in the Gia Lai Province, Republic of (South) Vietnam (RVN). There they met the 32nd, 33rd, and 66th Regts of the People’s Army of Vietnam (PAVN). The U.S. had fought against local Vietnamese Communist (Viet Cong) forces in small skirmishes since the withdrawal of the French in 1954; however, the Ia Drang Valley marked the first time U.S. forces faced off against trained North Vietnamese regulars in the battle that has become synonymous with the beginning of full-scale U.S. involvement in the RVN. While the Battle of Ia Drang constitutes roughly a month-long period, the two major battles occurred at Landing Zones (LZ) X-Ray and Albany. 9075

Price: 375 USD

Location: Fredericksburg, Virginia

End Time: 2024-11-07T13:06:42.000Z

Shipping Cost: N/A USD