a nice gift for "Charlie"

Complete Viet Cong uniform, gift from former marine Glen Barton

At the veterans Standown last June  Charlie and crew were asked by  Marine Corps League

member and  Vietnam veteran Glen Barton

if we would be interested in accepting a full and complete Viet Cong uniform. 

How could we refuse?

(For those who may not know, the Viet Cong  {V.C.} were the communist insurgents in Viet Nam

intent on taking over the country and converting it to communism. The ENEMY!)

Above is an overall shot of the entire uniform laid out on a blanket.

This is the dreaded "black pajamas" that demarked the Viet Cong.

Unfortunately for us, it was also the every day uniform of most of the people in Viet Nam.

It was always really hard to tell the enemy from the bad guys!

The pajamas are two piece, very light cotton, loose-fitting, and very cheap to produce.

A typical Viet Cong khaki hat and checkered scarf.

The Viet Cong ammo pouch.  Too bad, we did not get any ammunition with it, nor did we get the enemy's weapon, the AK-47 Kalashnikov.  Anybody got one you would like to donate to the cause?

We'll take it!  Working or not.

canteen

Rice tube.

This is how the enemy carried his rations when he was on the move. It is nothing more than a cloth tube with tie strings on both ends.  The VC carried it around his neck full of rice, and that was his mainstay.  I don't know how long he could subsist on a tube of rice, but I'd bet he could last for

a week or more on one tube of plain rice only.

back pack

Tennis shoes type boots. 

All of these items are brand new, never used at all.  We can see why the boots were never used, they are the VC equivalent of size 18!  Huge.

Glen said he collected this stuff piecemeal on ebay and other Internet sites,

but did not volunteer a whole lot more information.

When Glen delivered the VC uniform a few days later, he also brought us a bonus.  Since we are adult men, we cannot call it a doll, so this is called an "action figure."  Someone produced this action figure of a Viet Cong, in full uniform. It very well matched our full uniform except the doll has "Ho Chi Mihn" sandals.  These were usually made out of old tires, just like the huaraches of Mexico.

Viet Cong action figure in full uniform.

Sinister looking guy!

How would you like to meet up with this guy on a dark night in some isolated jungle hillside landing pad?  Him and a few dozen of his comrades?

Life as a combat helicopter pilot in Vietnam had its exciting moments.

Close-up of Ho Chi Mihn sandals.

A huge thank you to Glen Barton for donating these items to Charlie.  For now they are in safe storage, but we may have the beginnings of a start of a military museum here....

Just before the standown, I was in San Diego for the Air America reunion.  There I met a fellow

who gave me even more exciting items to add to Charlie's growing inventory.  More soon on that.