RARE Vietnam War US Army Green Berets Special Forces MACV-SOG CCC Recon Patch

Description: Remarkable patch and one that is very difficult to come by at least if you want an original and not a crappy repro. Military Assistance Command Vietnam - Special Operations Group - Command and Control Center Reconnaissance Unit. Cut-edge around four inches tall. Removed at some point from a standard photo album on a page of which it was mounted with what is probably rubber cement. You can see on the back side a few shards of paper still stuck to it. You might get these off if you are careful enough but there seems little point in it. My thought on likely place of manufacture would be Hong Kong, so this it not of the "in-country" nature. There cannot have been but so many made to begin with. Some slight further information is available in the fact that the recon units were named and the original owner belonged to the "illinois" one. All indications are that this patch was worn in service. A brief unit history was found online on the MACV-SOG veteran's site and is copied below. Today it is a cottage industry overseas creating fake and fantasy Vietnam pieces but this is solidly authentic from the estate of a veteran who attended at least two Presidential Inaugurations. I see a lot of trivial things such as tricked-out new trading cards going for more so I hope you share my opinion on the attribution and value of this significant Vietnam War item and if not thank you anyway for looking. SHIPPING includes tracking and insurance for full value. International shipping is not enabled advance but is not out of the question but please inquire first thank you................................. "CCC formerly named as FOB2 was formed by MACV-SOG in late 1967, located in Kontum and operated in the Tri-border junction of Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. The primary mission of CCC (like the other Command and Control Centers) was strategic reconnaissance gathering. Cross border (over the fence) operations were invariably code named in the interests of secrecy, with missions into Laos being known as "SHINING BRASS" and later after 1968 as "PRAIRIE FIRE". Missions into Cambodia were also given code names and were initially known as "DANIEL BOONE" and later in the war as "SALEM HOUSE". The combat elements associated with CCC were used to reinforce and assist in the recon mission. The first MACV-SOG recon teams were initially called "SPIKE TEAMS", each team (depending on what book you read!) consisting of 3 US SF personnel and 9 indigenous personnel. CCC fielded approximately 30 recon teams which were named after US States. Recon teams that got into difficulty could call for assistance from US led reaction forces known as "HATCHET FORCES", these were of platoon size and consisted of 5 US SF and about 30 indigenous personnel. "HATCHET FORCES" could also be used for ambushes as well as reinforcing recon teams when needed. Two or more "HATCHET FORCES" combined were termed as a "HAVOC" or "HORNET" force. Full SOG companies were called "SLAM" companies, Search, Location, Annihilation, Monitor (or Mission). Of these CCC had 4, A,B,C, and D, and used US paid indigenous personnel recruited and paid for by MACV-SOG. The recon teams focused their energies on specific areas of the trail in order to obtain current up to date information on construction, troop movements, supplies, etc. This information was often gained at great risk to the recon teams and transmitted to OP-34 ground studies branch at SOG HQ for inclusion into the daily SITREP reports. Relatively lightly armed the recon teams were not designed to slug it out in a pitched battle with the enemy. Instead they relied on moving without being detected, If in the event they were compromised (detected) then the ability to break contact quickly and evade the enemy was of paramount importance. CCC was deactivated in March 1971, but in reality was altered in name only to TFAE2. A year later in March 1972 the whole organization was supposedly terminated but covert missions involving SF troops continued, and actually increased."

Price: 300 USD

Location: Virginia Beach, Virginia

End Time: 2024-08-16T19:59:12.000Z

Shipping Cost: 8 USD