Chiến sĩ xuất sắc (Soldier Excellence Award) Patch

Recipients of the Chiến sĩ xuất sắc (Soldier Excellence Award)

posing with President Nguyen Van Thieu, Saigon, June 19, 1973.

     The military of the Republic　of　Vietnam　created　and　issued　a　plethora　of　insignia.　These　varied　by　material,　manufacturing methods, as well as design. A complete record of every insignia that came into being will likely never be known. New pieces and design variations previously not well documented continually appear. In this post, RVNHS would like to highlight one of these “lesser known” insignia.

Two recipients at the awards ceremony, Saigon, June 19, 1973.

        The Chiến sĩ xuất sắc (Soldier Excellence Award) patch was created as part of a ceremony on the Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces Day, June 19^th, in 1973. The ceremony was held in Saigon, and the award was issued to soldiers serving all regions of Vietnam from all branches of the armed forces. The soldiers were both officers and enlisted personnel who had been singled out in recognition of excellency by their respective commands. In total, oral history says roughly six hundred were given the award.

First Lieutenant Nguyen Van Cu (left) at the awards ceremony, Saigon, June 19, 1973

      Most of the recipients gathered in Saigon. Many of the soldiers came from field positions, and consequently had well-worn uniforms and non-regulation hair lengths. They were sent to a barber and then to a quartermaster to be fitted for new uniforms. Two new uniforms were to be given to each soldier. When they received the new uniforms prior to the ceremony, a special patch appeared on the right pocket.

President Nguyen Van Thieu issuing the award to a recipient, Saigon, June 19, 1973.

      The patch bore the phrase Chiến sĩ xuất sắc . “Xuất sắc ” can be translated as “excellent” with “chiến sĩ ” as “soldier.” It was circular and featured a soldier in full field gear with a raised M16. A red sash, worn over the right shoulder, was also given to each soldier. The ceremony was attended by Presidient Nguyen Van Thieu, most of the soldiers to be awarded, some of the soldiers` family members and acquiantances, various representatives of the armed forces branches, and media members to cover the event.

Marine Colonel Ngo Van Dinh wearing the award patch, 1973.

     Considering roughly six hundred soldiers received the award and each soldier (in theory) received two uniforms with the patch, a rough estimate can be made that somewhere in the range of 1200+ of these patches were produced. Unfortunately, no examples of this patch are known to exist today. Being issued in such a limited number towards the end of the republic`s history, it is likely to assume nearly all of these patches did not survive post-1975 to be preserved. Nevertheless, visual and oral documentary evidence exists to show the insignia`s design, and can thus be included in the lengthy history of insignia employed by the republic.

(RVNHS would like to thank Tony Le for his help with translating material for this posting)

Recipients in line to be awarded, Saigon, June 19, 1973.

A recipient receives the award, Saigon, June 19, 1973.

Binh chủng Nhảy Dù Band and Honor Guard Photo

             From the RVNHS Archive, a rare photo of the Airborne Division (Binh chủng Nhảy Dù) band and honor guard just prior to a ceremony. Note the division flag at right, and the Women`s Armed Forces Corps (WAFC) member at left.

Operation Lam Son 719 - 44th Anniversary

Rangers Landing in Laos, 1971.

                Forty-four years ago this month, the military of the Republic of Vietnam was involved in Operation Lam Son 719 (Chiến dịch Lam Sơn 719) in Laos, February 8th - March 25th, 1971. 
Communist forces had long established supply and transportation networks running through the territory of Laos in what is commonly referred to as the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The objective of the republic`s military campaign in Laos was to disrupt this network, and in turn diminish the Communists` abilities to launch offensive operations into the republic`s territory. It was the largest single deployment of the republic`s troops outside its borders, and was the largest helicopter operation of the Vietnam War.

Soldiers with captured Communist weaponry, Laos, 1971.

 

Republic of Vietnam 1st Armored Brigade

moving towards LZ Alpha, Laos, 1971.

 

Troops receiving supplies delivered by helicopter,

Fire Support Base Delta 1, Laos, 1971.

(note the 3rd Infantry Regiment patch on the soldier at right)

            Following this campaign, and other operations in Cambodia, the Republic of Vietnam instituted a new decoration. The Medal for Campaigns Outside the Frontier was created in 1973. It was the last new military medal to be established by the republic. It was awarded to soldiers who had served in Laos and Cambodia, with country devices signifying to which area the individual served. The "Ha-Lao" (Laos) device was only given to veterans of Lam Son 719, as it was the only officially recognized operation in Laos undertaken by the republic.

Medal for Campaigns Outside the Frontier with "Ha-Lao" device,

 RVNHS Collection.

New RVNHS Facebook Page

               We recently started a page on Facebook. This blog will continue to be updated regularly, but we will also be posting updates on the Facebook page. You can view our page by clicking on the link below. If you`re a Facebook user, please feel free to "like" our page, and post any comments or questions you might have. Thank you!

www.facebook.com/rvnhistory 

 

Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross: Anh Dũng Bội Tinh

         The Gallantry Cross was the primary medal for bravery awarded by the Armed Forces of the Republic of Vietnam. The award was issued to countless Vietnamese servicemen and women as well as non-Vietnamese soldiers who served in Vietnam in support of the republic. It was first instituted by the State of Vietnam in 1950, and was later adopted by the republic. It was issued extensively in the subsequent years through 1975.

Gallantry Crosses at an awards ceremony in 1963.

                 The Gallantry Cross came in four degrees, and as a unit citation. The degrees referenced citations for gallantry at different organizational levels. The break-down for these was as follows:

Gallantry Cross with Palm - Armed Forces Level
Gallantry Cross with Gold Star - Corps Level
Gallantry Cross with Silver Star - Divisional Level
Gallantry Cross with Bronze Star - Regimental or Brigade Level
Gallantry Cross with Palm and Frame - Unit Citation

            As the medal was also awarded to foreign military personnel, a large number of United States made examples exist, and continue to be manufactured for veterans today. Most of the United States made Gallantry Crosses that can currently be found are of post-1975 manufacture. Vietnamese made examples were (obviously) only made in Vietnam prior to the end of the republic. It is further likely to assume Vietnamese soldiers were virtually only awarded Vietnamese made medals.

Vietnamese made example

United States made example

                 An unsubstantiated rumor of a "widow`s" Gallantry Cross given to the spouses of those killed in action has long existed among collectors. Such crosses are said to be signified by having a "black" color to the medal. However, this has never been proven, and it is generally accepted the "darker" colored medals were simply the result of different composites being used to mold the medals, and also the effects of aging.

Three Vietnamese made Gallantry Crosses with Issue Box, note the variances in medal color.

Quân Cảnh Photo Album

             RVNHS currently houses over 10,000 original photographs pertaining to the armed forces of the Republic of Vietnam, circa 1950s-1975. These photos are all personal photographs taken and collected by regular servicemen and women. A goal of RVNHS is for these to one day be digitalized and collected into a database that can be easily accessed for research by the public.

             Most of these photographs take the form of "snapshots" of certain individuals or groups, on duty or at leisure. Many of these images have inscriptions on the reverse noting the identity(ies) of the subjects. Unfortunately, however, the bulk of these images do not. Giving names to these faces may be lost to history, but, nonetheless these visual records serve as a useful means for exploring the history of the Republic of Vietnam.

             It is a very unfortunate common practice that photo albums are often broken up. Individuals selling photographs often choose to take an album apart and sell images individually. This is true for many historical subjects, and the damage this causes is irrevocable. Breaking up an album or personal collection of photographs relating to one individual or group results in the photographs losing their historical context, and often case, their identities as well. The situation for albums associated with the military of the Republic of Vietnam is all the more difficult due to the experience of post-1975 reeducation and suppression of anything related to the former republic. Families fleeing the country typically did not have the luxury of taking mementos, such as photo albums. And, for those left behind, keeping a collection of photographs of a family member who served in the Republic of Vietnam military was dangerous as residences of former soldiers and government workers were subject to frequent searches by political police in the postwar years. For these reasons, photographs of Republic of Vietnam military personnel were often removed from albums or otherwise destroyed.

        RVNHS has been able to acquire a small number of albums over the years. Below is an example of photographs from one such album, in this case a  Quân cảnh  (Military Police) album. Sadly, these photos do not come with any descriptions or names. But, they appear to related to one individual during his time in training for the military police.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Early ARVN Field Cap

                      In the early to mid 1960s, a distinctive soft olive drab field cap with three neck flaps was in use by the military of the Republic of Vietnam. This cap was most common for army infantry units, but examples of these caps in use by members of various branches of the armed forces can be located in period photographs.

A stretcher bearer from the 9th Infantry Division in an early pattern ARVN field cap.

                   The "soft" texture of these caps allowed for easy wear beneath a helmet. However, the neck flaps proved less popular. Contemporary images often show soldiers wearing these caps with the flaps folded upwards inside the cap. In an interview conducted by RVNHS, a veteran who was issued such a cap recalled how he and members of his unit found the flaps to be uncomfortable, and typically removed them. It was perhaps for this reason by the late 1960s these caps were largely phased out, replaced with a stiffer crowned field cap, which many felt was "smarter" looking.