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US Army Special Operations Steryl Tunic - Vietnam War -
The United States Army Special Forces is a Special Operations Force (SOF) of the United States Army tasked with four
primary missions:
- unconventional warfare
- Foreign internal defense
- Special reconnaissance
- Direct action
Special Forces units deployed to Laos as "Mobile Training Teams" (MTTs) in 1961, Project White Star (later named
Project 404), and they were among the first U.S. troops committed to the Vietnam War. Beginning in the early 1950s,
Special Forces teams deployed from the United States and Okinawa to serve as advisers for the fledgling South
Vietnamese Army. As the United States escalated its involvement in the war, the missions of the Special Forces
expanded as well. Since Special Forces were trained to lead guerrillas, it seemed logical that they would have a deep
understanding of counter-guerrilla actions, which became the Foreign Internal Defense (FID) mission. The 5th Special
Forces Group mixed the UW and FID missions, often leading Vietnamese units such as
Montagnards
and lowland Civilian Irregular Defense Groups.
In many occassions, American military intervention in Vietnam had to be kept secret. special forces were employed
for this purpose. The uniform featured here is a classic example of the steps that were taken to reduce awareness
of US military presence.
This is a standard four pocket jungle tunic. However, all tags have been removed and the original green color has
been changed to a dark grey shade. No patches or rank insignia were sewn to the shirt. In case of capture it was
harder to pinpoint a place of origin.
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This page is a recognition and identification guide for special forces militaria
Multiple detailed photos of a specific sample are provided. Descriptions point
out clearly defined areas that should be noted.
One of the most commonly asked questions is "How much is my item worth?".
A price guide is included here to address this question. The value of the items is
reviewed over a period of several years. A trend can be observed. The present worth
of the American special forces militaria in the collector's market is illustrated.
This service is provided free of charge to the visitor/enthusiast courtesy of
MilitaryItems.com,
a company dedicated to the preservation of military history and to providing quality
military antiques and collectibles to museums, institutions and the general public.
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This Vietnam War US military collectible may be currently
reproduced.
It is becoming more difficult to be able to tell the fake ones from the real ones because
the quality of the reproductions is improving. The collector must become familiarized with
the construction style and materials employed in the manufacturing of this item.
Attention to the details is critical in order to be able to determine the authenticity of
the collectible.
If you have an interest is seeing other vietnam war Special Forces collectibles, you can do so by
going to our
Vietnam War Special Forces Collectibles Price Guide.
Where we cover items from the Army, Navy, Army Air Force and other organizations.
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