Vietnam USAF guys, Help w/uniform question, please

[Ματθιας]

During my wanderings, I found a Vietnam Era OD green fatigue blouse. The name tapes, and pilot wings were in black embroidery.

The collar rank insignia, I've never seen before; It was like a black LT bar with thin white line all the way around.

USAF warrant officer insignia looks nothing like this, at least from what I've seen. Could it be a theatre variation?

If it's just a subdued black LT bar,, why the white line around it? Any ideas?

 

[vonn]

I would guess the white line is to denote silver indicating first lt. Gold for 2d lt.

 

[handejector]

The white line is probably just how the local VN merchant did it. All such embroidery that I saw was done by locals.
Black = Silver.
Dark Bronze/Brown = Gold.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I would guess the white line is to denote silver indicating first lt. Gold for 2d lt.

My first thought was Warrant Officer, but you dealt with that. This too was my second.

A separate question I have is: Are you sure the Name and Service is in Black? The US Army uses Black, The Air Force have always been Blue, on every pair I've seen. The older stuff was White on Blue Background.

As a kid in the late 60's and early 70's, these were the treasures I would get from second hand stores, so my friends and I could play "Army". Once and a while I would find WWII Fatigues. I was so ignorant! I didn't want that old stuff. (I guess I'm still ignorant, but now I really want the oldest I can find and it isn't out there anymore!)

Ivan

 

[two-bit cowboy]

I think Lee nailed it -- done "in country."

My 1972 name and service tapes are blue with white lettering, and my air traffic control badge the same, although that didn't come out till '75.

 

[Ματθιας]

My first thought was Warrant Officer, but you dealt with that. This too was my second.

A separate question I have is: Are you sure the Name and Service is in Black? The US Army uses Black, The Air Force have always been Blue, on every pair I've seen. The older stuff was White on Blue Background.

As a kid in the late 60's and early 70's, these were the treasures I would get from second hand stores, so my friends and I could play "Army". Once and a while I would find WWII Fatigues. I was so ignorant! I didn't want that old stuff. (I guess I'm still ignorant, but now I really want the oldest I can find and it isn't out there anymore!)

Ivan

Yes, the embroidery is in black thread and the letters are thicker and the edges are not that sharp, if that makes sense.

I'll try get some pictures when I go back later in the week -hopefully, it's still there.

Thanks for the insight, everybody!

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I think Lee nailed it -- done "in country."

My 1972 name and service tapes are blue with white lettering, and my air traffic control badge the same, although that didn't come out till '75.

This dose sound like the answer to your question! The all Black and green or subdued stuff was a few years after Vietnam. I've never seen anything from a US vender that wasn't "Crisp"!

Ivan

 

[H Richard]

Embroidered! Pretty fancy, I got out just as Nam was ramping up (63), and our USAF name and unit tapes were yellow corded tape with black stencil paint used. Just cheap.

 

[Ματθιας]

My cheapie camera isn't the best but here are a couple of picts.

 

[handejector]

Not sure about that. I was expecting jungle fatigues. That is not, but I do think I recall AF guys wearing some regular fatigues in VN in 69.

My cheapie camera isn't the best but here are a couple of picts.

 

[handejector]

This dose sound like the answer to your question! The all Black and green or subdued stuff was a few years after Vietnam.

Subdued insignia, rank, and patches were totally standardized when I entered the Army in 68. The whole time I was in, I saw exactly ONE man still wearing bright stripes on fatigues- a SSGT E-6 that was our Bn Mess SGT in Germany. He was a total dud. He had won the MOH in WW II, and stayed in to ride the medal. Even though he had been in all those years (this was 1968), he had never gotten past E-6. That mess hall had the worst chow I ate in the Army, including basic!

 

[two-bit cowboy]

I don't recall which year we transitioned from the white on blue name and service tapes to the blue on green. Might have been in the early '80s. I have both styles in my shadow box.

I wore both styles on plain old green fatigues; we didn't go camo till much later.

 

[Ματθιας]

Not sure about that. I was expecting jungle fatigues. That is not, but I do think I recall AF guys wearing some regular fatigues in VN in 69.

I do think you're right about the insignia being locally made, though!

The letters are thicker and the edges aren't as sharp.

 

[carpriver]

In 1968 at the large bases like Cam Rhan Bay the Air Force wore the stateside white on blue name and U.S. Air Force tapes. Many of the small air fields the USAF guys wore black on green tapes.
During Tet my unit lost all our uniforms and personal items, the home unit sent jungle fatigues but no rank insignias or name tape. We ended up using permeant black magic marker to mark our uniforms.

 

[Eagle 477]

Whenever we were in country 69/70 we wore Jungle Fatigues with the slanted pockets Green name tags with Black lettering and Black rank patches. Sometimes NOT very often Command and Squadron patches on the breast pockets.