Republic of Vietnam

Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam)

The Republic of Vietnam (Việt Nam Cộng hòa) was a nation is Southeast Asia from 1955 until 1975, also known as South Vietnam. Once considered a part of French Indochina, the region was occupied by the Japanese during the Second World War. Once the war had ended, the Việt Minh (who had fought the Japanese during the war) strongly opposed French re-occupation of the country. This opposition ultimately brought about the First Indochina War (1946 to 1954), in which French Colonial forces battled to preserve what remained of the old French Colonial Empire in Asia. After ten years of warfare, the Geneva Accords of 1954 effectively ended the conflict by declaring Indochina's independence from France. Two nations were created out of the territory traditionally considered Vietnamese: the Democratic Republc of Vietnam in the north, and the State of Vietnam in the south. Within a year, the South Vietnam was established after Ngô Đình Diệm deposed Emperor Bảo Đại and proclaimed himself president following a controversial election. His refusal to enter negotiations with North Vietnam over holding elections covering all of Vietnam led to gradual disintegration of diplomatic relations between the two countries, and instigated the Second Indochina War (1959 to 1975).

The Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) was the name for all ground forces during the Second Indochina War (called the Vietnam War in the United States). Army units were organized into four Corps (I through IV), each covering a geographical region of South Vietnam. Primary combat units included eleven Infantry Divisions, one Airborne Division (Nhẩy Dù), the ARVN Rangers (Biệt Động Quân), and the ARVN Special Forces (Lực Lượng Đặc Biệt or LLDB). The Vietnam Air Force and Republic of Vietnam Navy (including the Republic of Vietnam Marine Corps or Thủy Quân Lục Chiến) made up the remainder of the South Vietnamese armed forces. Other combatant units during the Vietnam War included the National Police Field Force and the Civilian Irregular Defense Group (CIDG) units, the latter composed of minority tribal people, trained by the US Army Special Forces and funded primarily by the CIA (from 1961 until 1970).

Production of military uniforms in South Vietnam was primarily handled by the Quân-Nhu (Quartermaster) Military Clothing Production Center, activated in 1954 and responsible for the manufacture of textiles and complete uniforms for all of the armed forces of South Vietnam

South Vietnamese Camouflage Patterns

• During the First Indochina War, French troops wore a variety of uniforms donated from their former allies in the Second World War. Among these, the British M1942 windproof brushstroke pattern was quite popular due to its light weight. The government of South Vietnam produced a copy of this pattern in 1962 specifically for issue to their Airborne (Nhãy-Dù) units. Similar to the original British design, the ARVN version has broad pea green & purplish-brown brushstrokes on a pinkish-tan or mauve base. This pattern was occasionally worn by US military advisers to the ARVN Airborne Division during the very early years of the Vietnam War. Production of the initial or First pattern (Type A) ceased in 1964, with a Second variation (Type B) having more muted colors beginning production in the same year. By the end of the 1960s use of the brushstroke design had largely ceased. Vietnamese sources refer to this camouflage design as Huyết (blood), a reference to pork-based blood sausage (doi huyet) and other types of blood-based foods that are popular snacks in Vietnam and have distinctive mauve-pinkish tones. The term "pinks" was applied to this camouflage design by Americans due to the overall pinkish tone of the fabric. but numerous other nicknames were also applied to the pattern, including "blood cake," "bulletproofs," and "ARVN Airborne" camouflage. These terms can all be encountered in period references, veteran recollections, and within the collecting community. Although designed specifically for use by the Vietnamese Airborne Forces, this pattern also saw use with the ARVN Special Forces or LLDB.

• Another early camouflage design was the ARVN "starburst" pattern, aka "monster" pattern. Little is known about this design, except that it was produced between 1963 and 1965 and worn by some ARVN units. The design features brown and olive green "starburst" shapes on a khaki background.

• Circa 1964, a unique variation of the commercial duck hunter patterns introduced by American military advisors in 1961 began production in Japan as part of the Counter-Insurgency Support Office (CISO) program to supply US Army Special Forces and indigenous Vietnamese personnel. The Vietnamese nickname for this pattern was beo gam (leopard) as the spots in the design had some similarity to those of a leopard. Although a number of variations existed, the Vietnamese issued beo gam patterns can be differentiated from those obtained through commercial sources in the USA or elsewhere in Asia by the concentration of spots (which is denser) as well as the notable purple or mauve tones of some of the spots. The typical beo gam pattern is a multi-colored design with dark blue-green, mauve, maroon, dark pink & olive green spots on a khaki background. This was not a standard issue uniform for any ARVN units, instead being sourced primarily for wear by the Montagnard CIDG (Civilian Irregular Defense Group) units. Compared to other theater-sources uniforms such as tiger stripe camouflage, beo gam uniforms were produced in relatively small numbers.

• South Vietnam began using modified versions of the American leaf (US m1948 ERDL) camouflage design late in 1964, following a period of testing and evaluation provided by the US Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) in late 1962 and early 1963. The earliest production runs of this design were locally manufactured of lighter weight cotton sateen fabric. Typically referred to within collecting circles as "ARVN leaf," "Airborne leaf," or BDQ Leaf (for Biệt Ðộng Quân, the Vietnamese Rangers) the design incorporates the same mid-brown & grass green organic shapes with black "branches" on brighter green background than US m1948 ERDL. The early ARVN versions were printed on medium or heavy weight cotton sateen fabric, but as this faded quickly after a few washings it was later produced in lighter weight cotton poplin (see below). This pattern replaced the earlier "pinks" within the Vietnamese Airborne Regiments, and was commonly issued to ARVN Ranger (BDQ) units as well.

• A lighter weight (cotton poplin) version of ARVN leaf pattern can be seen here, reputedly later production to prolong the life of the camouflage design itself, as earlier cotton uniforms tended to fade quickly. Note the color palette has changed a bit, incorporating brighter greens, and as with many fabrics utilized during the war, the quality of the printing also produces some variation between fabric batches.

• Introduced into service with some ARVN units around 1965, a variation of the US m1948 ERDL pattern seen here was exclusively printed on heavy cotton sateen fabric and probably originated in the United States. Tested by the US government in the early 1960s, the design was never adopted and surplus quantities of the fabric were later donated to the South Vietnamese government. The blend of colors, medium brown and olive green organic shapes with black "branches" on a yellowish-green base, had a tendency to blend together at a distance, lending to this pattern the collector's nickname "invisible ERDL." A majority of these uniforms were worn by the Vietnamese Rangers or Biệt Ðộng Quân.

• A more accurate copy of the US ERDL camouflage design was also produced by South Vietnam, and issued to the Airborne Regiments, Vietnamese Rangers, and Marine units. This "ARVN ERDL" is essentially a copy of the original US m1948 design, utilizing the same color scheme, and like the American versions produced in both standard cotton poplin and cotton ripstop fabrics.

• A Vietnamese-produced copy of the US-designed "Mitchell" (or "clouds") camouflage pattern was worn by the National Police Field Force (NPFF) from 1967 until the end of the war. Nicknamed Hoa Mâu Dât (earth-colored flower) pattern, this design is also sometimes referred to as "leopard" pattern, not to be confused with the Beo Gam design (see above) which was also known by this English term. The design incorporates overlapping dark brown, russet, beige, light brown & ochre "cloud" shapes on a tan background. Some versions are much lighter colored than others.

South Vietnamese Tiger Stripe Patterns

The tiger stripe family of camouflage patterns is a direct descendant of the original French tenue leopard lizard pattern of the 1950s. French camouflage uniforms were in fact worn by Vietnamese troops during the First Indochina War, and saw limited use thereafter, primarily by veterans of former French airborne units. The Vietnamese referred to these different designs as Sọc Răn (striped uniform). Many different styles of tiger pattern emerged between 1964 and 1975 and have been exhaustively documented by author Richard D. Johnson in his excellent book Tiger Patterns. Manufacture of the individual patterns and textiles extended to factories in various parts of Asia, including some locally made in South Vietnam, Japan, Thailand, the Republic of Korea, and Taiwan. Presented here are a handful of samples from original garments that were produced during this time period.

• The very first tiger stripe design was a locally-made copy of the French lizard pattern produced for the Vietnamese Marine Corps (Thữy Quân Lục-Chiến), first produced in 1957. The pattern incorporates bold black stripes over lesser brownish-drab stripes & light green trace elements, with an olive green base color. Production of this design ended in 1967, although units continued to wear the pattern until 1970. Illustrated below are the original pattern (far left), followed by two variants designated "Vietnamese Marines sparse" (first produced in 1959 and often mistakenly referred to as VNMC First Pattern) and "Vietnamese Marines dense" (first produced in 1968), also referred to by collectors as "sea wave" or VNMC Second Pattern. Consensus suggests both textiles and uniforms were all produced in South Vietnam, but that 2nd pattern uniforms may also have been produced in the Republic of Korea.

• The tiger pattern example seen here emerged in 1962 or possibly 1963 and continued in production until 1975. Johnson has named this John Wayne Sparse (JWS) pattern, owing to its specific use in the film The Green Berets starring John Wayne himself . Some collectors have nicknamed this "early tiger," "classic tiger" or even "fat tiger" pattern. The pattern features bold black stripes over a background comprising dark green & dull brown with tan trace elements. This pattern and the uniforms produced with it appear to have been exclusively manufactured in Japan.

• Another variation in the John Wayne series of tiger patterns has been nicknamed John Wayne Compact, and has a shorter pattern length than its predecessor or successor, the "John Wayne Dense" pattern. This design was probably produced in limited quantity circa 1962-1963, most of which ended up being made into private purchase aviation suits. Leftover quantities of the fabric appear to have made it to South Vietnamese tailor shops where it was used to custom-tailor a variety of private purchase items such as shirts, trousers, caps, and garment bags.

• Closely related to the above are these designs, named John Wayne Dense (JWD) by Johnson, or sometimes "Okinawan" or "Classic" by collectors. Introduced around 1964, like the sparse variant these designs are believed to have been exclusively produced in Japan, possibly only in Okinawa.

• The tiger pattern illustrated below has been named Tadpole Sparse (TDS) pattern in Johnson's book, although it is often simply called "silver" by many collectors. It was introduced circa 1964 and saw production until the end of the war. The pattern features bold black (or dark blue) stripes over a background comprising dark green & brown with pea green trace elements. Evidence suggests the majority of these uniforms and the fabric itself was produced in Japan.

• A variation of the above is seen here, which Johnson calls Tadpole Dense (TDD) pattern, and appears to have been introduced around 1970. The pattern features bold black stripes over a background comprising bright green & light brown with dull pea green trace elements. Evidence suggests the majority of these uniforms and the fabric itself was produced in Japan.

• Another distinctive tiger pattern to emerge towards the middle of the war (circa 1968) has been named Advisor's Type Dense, (ADD) also called "Advisor's Classic," or "Purple" by collectors. This pattern saw service primarily with CIDG units, ARVN Rangers & Special Forces, and featured bold black stripes over a background comprising bold black stripes over a background comprising dark green & dull brown with dull tan trace elements. A key feature that can be found in this pattern (although also present in other tiger patterns) is the "bunny" shape, which has a vague resemblence to the silhouette of a rabbit (in black).

• The Advisor's Type Sparse (ADS) aka "Gold tiger" variant of the above pattern is seen below, also introduced circa 1968.

• The distinctive patterns seen below have been named Late War Lightweight Sparse (LLS) in Johnson's book, with "lightweight" referring to the ultralight quality of the fabric. As the nickname implies, the designs with this distinction appear to post date most of the other designs. Introduced in 1969, the design features bold black stripes over a background comprising bright green & light brown with dull pea green trace elements, although in fact there are a multitude of color variations once you factor in fading, the effects of laundering, and the variety of dyes employed.

• The Late War Lightweight Dense (LLD) version of this pattern can be recognized by the shorter print, leaving out a section of shapes featured in the longer "sparse" version.

• Variations of the "late war" pattern were produced in three fabric weights: Lightweight, Mediumweight, and Heavyweight. As with its sparse cousin, the dense versions of this tiger stripe design appear to have been introduced around 1969. Extant samples of these patterns can be found in a multitude of color blends, once again attributable to varied dye combinations, repeated laundering, and exposure to sunlight and other extreme weather elements. As unissued examples of these patterns can be difficult to obtain, we offer a number of variations below, organized by fabric weight (light, medium, and heavy)

• Often nicknamed "zig-zag" pattern, the tiger design seen here may have developed out of the original drawings of the JWD tiger stripe. The earliest documentation of its use is 1964, seeing service almost exclusively with CIDG & other regional militia forces, as well as upon custom garments for US and ARVN military personnel. Although not always visible in every example of the pattern, the clear black outline of an erect phallus can be observed in some extant samples. This has prompted some within the collecting community to nickname it the "penis pattern." It has been suggested that this imagery was incorporated into the pattern as a kind of impudent slight to the indigenous tribes that were part of the CIDG program, but as yet this information is only anecdotal and has not been officially substantiated except as rumor. Fabric is heavyweight cotton twill, printed in a four-color scheme incorporating bold, black stripes with light tan and brown highlights on a foliage green background.

• Introduced mid-war (1969), the "splotched" tiger pattern seen here, featuring blotchy black stripes over a background comprising two shades of olive green upon a greyish-tan background, is only known to have seen service with CIDG units. It is often just called "CIDG" (historically pronounced "sid-jee") pattern.

• Most sources suggest the pattern seen here was introduced very late in the war, probably in 1974. Nicknamed "Thai Late War Large" or simply "Thai Large," the pattern reflects an enlargement of the typical "tadpole" design, making all the features significantly larger than previous incarnations. This design appears to have been used only by the Vietnamese Marine Corps (VNMC). Colors are originally black, dark moss green and olive green on a pale olive green background, but even with light use (as is typical with many of the dyes used during the war) the black generally faded to more of a purple color. A version printed on ripstop fabric is also known to exist, although it is unlikely to have seen actual service with Vietnamese units.

Other Camouflage Patterns Worn by South Vietnam

• French Colonial forces operating against the Viet Minh during the First Indochina War included Vietnamese airborne and commando units as well as conventional forces. Some early units were outfitted in British 1942 windproof brushstroke pattern camouflage uniforms which had been donated to the French government by the United Kingdom following the Second World War.

• Likewise, large stocks of surplus American jungle camouflage uniforms, printed in the reversible M1942 spot pattern, were donated to the French fighting in Indochina, and many of these saw service with Vietnamese airborne units as well.

• By 1952 most of the Vietnamese airborne and commando units were outfitted as were their French counterparts, in tenue de leópard or lizard pattern camouflage uniforms.

• Early US Army Special Forces advisors deployed to Southeast Asia were outfitted rather inadequately for serving in the extremely warm and wet tropical climate there. Their search for more appropriate clothing, particularly to be used in conducting reconnaissance and ambush operations, led to the procurement of commercially-produced items, as no US military equivalent was available at the time. Initially based on the original US M1942 jungle spot camouflage pattern, lighter weight hunting uniforms made by American and Asian (Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, et al) retail companies - frequently nicknamed "duck hunter" camouflage - were obtained privately by unit commanders and also supplied to indigenous units as part of the CIA-sponsored CIDG (Civilian Irregular Defense Group) program. Commercial duck hunter spot pattern is generally a four or five-color dappled design of multi-sized brown, green & tan spots on khaki, tan, or pale green background. Between 1961 and 1966-7, significant numbers of these commercially available uniforms were worn by US military personnel, some versions with far greater distribution than others.

Notes

We wish to gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Mr. Moroboshi Ataru and Mr. Alex Valli (Omega Militaria) for their generous photographic contributions to this page.