US Army Vietnam HUEY HELICOPTER 80TH TRANS. DET. IN-COUNTRY BADGED SATEEN SHIRT

Description

Vietnam was a new kind of war, the first helicopter war in history, and it demanded a new kind of warrior. US "Huey" helicopters ranged the country, acting as gunships, aerial rocket artillery, troop carriers, air ambulances, and "sky cranes". In addition to Assault Helicopter and Medevac companies, the US Army also fielded several transportation detachments to service and maintain the choppers, ensuring they were operating at peak performance and ready to fly at a moment's notice. This US Army Vietnam HUEY HELICOPTER 80TH TRANS. DET. IN-COUNTRY BADGED SATEEN SHIRT is in good condition, with the sleeves having been crudely shortened in the field, and the ragged edges remaining just above the elbows, some stitch holes and shadows at the right chest where name tapes appear to have once been, some stitch holes and a diamond shaped shadow at the left shoulder where a 5th ID patch appears to have once been, period replacement third and second from bottom front buttons, some dark brownish soiling at the lower middle front, some fraying and stitch repairing at the lower left front placket, some whitish soiling at the upper sleeves, some fading around the inner collar, the size label having been removed from the inside neck, heavy fading to the illegible nomenclature tag at the interior lower left front, moderate brownish soiling at back, and with some overall fading and age wear evident (ALL pictured). Otherwise, the shirt is in fine shape, with no other damage to the tough OD 100% cotton sateen construction. Most interestingly, it bears a gorgeous in-country Vietnamese hand embroidered "SOC-TRANG / 80TH TRANS DET / VIET-NAM" patch at the right chest pocket, carries a full color woven "U.S. ARMY" tab at the left chest, and is adorned with full color embroidered on twill Spec 5 chevrons at the sleeves. The 80th Transportation Detachment was stationed at Soc Trang Army Airfield in South Vietnam during the late 1960s, providing hangar maintenance and support personnel to the 121st Assault Helicopter Company. The 80th was under the command of MACV, and also flew missions to retrieve vital parts for the choppers. It measures to about a Size 36 chest, features the traditional 1st pattern single exposed button flap closure chest pockets, and sports all of the period OD plastic buttons throughout. A fine example of a very rare, original US Army Vietnam HUEY HELICOPTER 80TH TRANS. DET. IN-COUNTRY BADGED SATEEN SHIRT. Now celebrating over 20 years on eBay. Bid with confidence and please view our other great military, aviation, and sporting classics, including a German WW2 MWC LUFTWAFFE PILOT B-UHR AUTOMATIC WRIST WATCH in MINT, unworn, new in the box condition, sporting a crisp 60 minute/12 hour (outer/inner) white numbers black dial, and featuring the classic big "onion" crown and sweeping seconds hand with hacking function.
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