U.S. Army MAAG & MACV Advisors In Vietnam:
Major, MAAG~Vietnam, late 1950s:
Before the famous MAC-V (Military Assistance Command Vietnam), the senior military command in the Republic of Vietnam (RVN) was the Military Advisory Assistance Groups (MAAG-Vietnam), which was formed on November 1, 1955, to provide military assistance to South Vietnam. Elements of MAAG-Vietnam, and the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy, & Marine Corps specific personnel were gathered up and put together to provide American assistance to the area, helping with the Self-Vietnamese Ministry of Defence, Joint General Staff, the various Corps and, divisional commanders, as well as training centers for their soldiers, to province and district headquarters.
MAAG-Vietnam was disbanded in 1964 (Before our official involvement), and its personnel and responsibilities were absorbed by the new “MAC-V”. The Major was assigned to the 7th Infantry Division “The Hour-Glass” in his prior overseas tour; the patch is bordered with the dark green of the early Class-A uniform, Which would indicate, likely, Korean War service there. Colored-Scarfs were being used to ID a member from the platoon or squad out in the boonies.
He was commissioned an officer of the Infantry, and he has passed through Jump School on the way. His CIB Badge implies he has served in both WWII and the Korean War. He is now entering his third War, and may not completely realize it. His cap of choice is made of silk camouflage parachute material, lightly stuffed, and made to look like a bonnie-type cap, it keeps him cool and is a bit of a subliminal Airborne identification message. It makes a statement of its own, subliminal-” Airborne” message. Wearing the common, but old 1940s-1950s Tropical Fatigue Jacket, he would have likely worn matching trousers and brown boots. This would be during the early stages of the war, perhaps even acknowledging that US Soldiers were in the country, prior to the 1960s, observing the ARVN forces and gathering information for US intelligence. So he may have had an M1 Garrand Rifle or Carbine, or M14, and I’d put money on it, a .45 Pistol, a Medical Dressing, a Fighting Knife, and some kind-of acquired local custom web gear, or vintage Army kit, with pouches for Rifle Magazines, and a grenade or two.
Major, MAAG~LAOS, 1962-63:
It is probable we had people spying, and working for our Government in the area, keeping tabs on the goings-on therein Indo-China / South-East Asia, since before the 1940s, with concern on the Japanese expanse through China and Burma theater, the “Burma-Road of WWII fame, started in China-and went to Haiphong Harbor in Frech Indo China at the time, and then across from there, so before the OSS even, and then downsized becoming the “Strategic Services Unit”, to the CIA was derived in 1947, the Eisenhower administration figured, that Laos might be the first “potential domino” to fall, in what was not the Cold War, and thus cause Cambodia, Thailand, Burma and Vietnam (French Indo China) to fall to communism, officially the CIA activities in Laos started in the 1950s.
By 1959, U.S. Special Operations Forces (Military working with the CIA) began to train some Laotian soldiers in unconventional warfare techniques, hand-to-hand combat, close-quarters battle, setting up traps and ambushes, guerrilla warfare tactics, by the fall of 1959, called operation "Erawan". Under this code name, General Vang Pao, who was protecting the royal Lao family, recruited Hmong and Iu-Mien soldiers and had them trained by these operatives.
The Hmong and Iu-Mien people, the American representatives thought, could be taken in as allies, to fight the Communist threat, and the idea was presented to President John Kennedy, “who had refused to send more American soldiers to battle in Southeast Asia” when he took office.
It would have saved a lot of lives to have backed Ho Chi Minh when he was in control of the Viet-Minh in 1941, an umbrella group of all parties fighting for Vietnam's independence, asked for US support, the answer was no, so with his Lenin-Marxist beliefs, he went that route, becoming President of North Vietnam before he died in 1969.
President Kennedy had called for the CIA to use its tribal forces in Laos and "make every possible effort to launch guerrilla operations into North Vietnam with its Asian recruits." General Vang Pao picked out, recruited, and trained Hmong soldiers to work with the CIA operative and fight against the North Vietnamese.
Unfortunately, he was assassinated in 1963, and everything changed. LBJ was sworn in, and the fighting in Indochina continued to escalate with the Pathet-Lao, & the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, into the 1970s. It was quite an appalling mess and devastating to these countries. The CIA itself claims the CIA had air operations in Laos from 1955 to 1974 and was the "largest paramilitary operation ever undertaken by the CIA."
“MAAG Laos” (Military Assistance Advisory Group, Laos) came into existence in 1961; their job was to replace the “Programs Evaluation Office” that was supporting the Royal Lao Army in its fight against the Communist Pathet Lao.
As of July 23, 1962, the involved countries “agreed” in Geneva to guarantee the neutrality and the independence of Laos. So then the US shut down MAAG, really was more replacing it with a new title, their new cover was as the "Requirements Office", but really much the same mission. The US. Army’s Advisers then became known as (ARMA), the Air Force Attachés (AIRA) to the U.S. Embassy, in Vientiane, called "Project White Star", they were Mobile Training Teams that later became "Project 404".
Originally, there was a sleeve patch based on the CBI patch of WWII, with the Chinese star, with red and white strips below, and MAAG in the right top corner, and there was a red shield with two elephant heads back to back, with MAAG LAOS written on top. The one on the uniform is in form with the common MAAG Vietnam patch with 13 stars, but this one has a purple backing it. The uniform is the WWII cut, which carried over through the 1950s, through the Korean war, and on the American Advisors early on in the region of South East Asia, retaining full color on the insignia. pictures of these people are rare of these people. Depicting a very early advisor, we have the 1950 style flat top field had, or in the field the more practical Aussi style boone-hat that the locals found to be popular for a very long time, note the picture showing that on the sleeve’s are impressions still from where “First Sergeant Chevrons” still, so eith he grabbed an old use uniform, from someone that rotated home? or he got a hell of a raise to go over seas?
Staff Sergeant, MACV, Advisor, ARVN Infantry, 1965-66:
Captain, HAU-NGHIA / ADV-TMC 43, MACV 1966-67:
MACV, Advisory Team 43, Hua Nghia Province. The basic idea of Advisors was to get Soldiers out in the provinces, to have the local populations support the southern leadership and oppose the Communists; they tried to protect local hamlets and fight back. Just as the Communist Forces infiltrated the south, and got the local peasants to rebel against their government, and informed the North of local regional operations, and whichever side you helped, sadly, the other side was punished; this was a vicious side of the war the American News didn’t show to the public. The war was going to be a nightmare from the beginning, and the escalation just made the quagmire bigger. Often, just one or two advisors would work with a town, or groups of provincial forces, in the Delta, and across the plain full of rice paddies.
Protecting their villages, and people, and also watch and punch away at local VC Forces, and the Communist Tax Collectors. Other teams worked in the highland with groups from the tribal peoples living there. I idea developed before America’s complete commitment to the war in the very early 1960s. But after Kennedy was removed, and the America was still in shock, things began to spin out of control more and more, with out military getting sent in. but under many rules of inguagement, tieing their heads behind their backs before getting started, and the opposition getting more and more supplied from the other Communist Nations, and the propaganda entered out own country here in America. There are many lessons to be learned from Vietnam on how not to fight a war.
1st Lieutenant (MACV Advisor, and team leader) 1st ARVN. Inf. Div., 1968-69:
Sergeant First Class, U.S. Advisor to the ARVN 52nd Ranger Battalion, est 1966-67:
Staff Sergeant, ARVN-Ranger Advisor, early 1960s:
Master Sergeant, Advisor Team 51, 42nd-ARVN Rangers, Mid 1960s:
I know the camouflage was not proper, but I don’t know, maybe I had the jacket and it needed a home. I think at the time, though, all options were used; some outfits all looked the same, others all completely different. I heard it was Korean Camouflage, so with that, I’ll say his prior deployment was there. It is like an M56? heavy Field Jacket but in odd camouflage, may have been experimental or short-lived. I like it and have kept it.
Staff Sergeant, ‘ARVN-LRRP Adviser’, ARVN ABN. Ranger Troop 5-38, in the “Trinh-Sat Special Zone”:
Captain, ARVN Ranger Advisor:
“Ranger” Captain, Advisor to 11th ARVN-Ranger Battalion 1969/70:
Staff Sergeant, MACV-Airborne Adviser to ARVN 1967:
1st Lieutenant, Team 162, ARVN. ABN. School:
Captain, Advisor Team 162 (Airborne) 1970:
Staff-Sargent, Advisor to ARVN-Airborne Pathfinders:
Staff Sergeant, MAC-V Indigenous Assault Force Advisor:
Sergeant, Armor Advisory Team 1, ARVN 4 SQDN. 17CAV. RGT. Hue, Quang Nam, Vietnam 1965-66 :
This Sergeant is a ground-level advisor to the South Vietnamese Army (ARVN) Armored Squadron of their 17th Cavalry. Often the only one of the standard 3 man teams due to injuries, reassignments, and DEROS obligations, or no replacements, having to sort of being a jack of all trades. He has to be able to lead the ARVN NCOs and their officers without losing face. He has to be able to take care of his subsistence and administration as he is often cut off from the main U.S. Forces and Command.
Often, his very limited ability to speak the language and their ways, mixed with pantomime, was used to communicate with soldiers and civilians alike. He has to be able to maintain, inspect, and be able to fix the weapons, know where he’s at on a map, and operate various radios, also call in airstrikes or artillery fire, to give his ARVN comrades the combat edge to keep their enemy in check, and defeat them, the VC and NVA were very serious and determined adversaries.
By 1965, the demand for advisors was overwhelming for MACV. Preparation for advisory duty became less and less complex in the combat units, and the Special Forces was wrapped up with the CIDG Forces, US. Army Soldiers were put to use in most postings.
Advisors processed through a six-week Military Assistance Training Advisory (MATA) course after they had already trained in a specific training specialty, ie, Infantry, Artillery, Armor, Medical Branch. The course consisted of instruction on counterintelligence surgency tactics, small arms training, psychological operations, civic actions, and general background on the country and its people.
The Sergeant wears the first-pattern jungle fatigues and stripped-down web gear. Armed with both an M1.30 Caliber Carbine and a 1911 .45 Auto Pistol. He has chosen to sew on (Officer Style) Armor Branch insignia above the right pocket flap, just to represent his position (The ARVN had their own Armor Badge). Advisors often wore the embroidered or metal branch insignias. Above his early-style sergeant’s stripes, he has the ARVN 4th Squadron shoulder patch (His Assignment). His Black ‘Armored’ Beret has a stamped metal ARVN version of the Armor Insignia, it was an ARVN item he adapted out of respect for his team. He is a graduate of Fort Benning’s Airborne School as well. This is not his first tour either, as he already has the ‘CIB’ above his ‘Wings’.On his feet are early nylon web jungle boots, designed for the constant wet of the tropical jungle, and the soles are heavy rubber to help prevent punctures from punji stakes.
The ARVN were equipped by the Americans, but it wasn’t our finest vehicle, They did have the M113 Armored Personel Carriers, but they were the early models- sent to be tested in-country, and lightly armored, and few received the ACAV kit and following upgrades of the U.S. Army’s models, nor were they as maintained as well. They did have the ability to cross streams, and carried a .50 caliber machine gun in a turret, and added .30 brownings, to 7.62mm M-60s on either side. The Lightweight armor the vehicle was made of did well against shrapnel and small arms, but an RPG would take the vehicle right out. The gas tank was also located right in the back compartment on the left rear side, and the enemy knew it. Most ARVNs were not willing to sit inside the vehicles, on top-exposed but not confined in the back. The only one inside was the driver; the TC sat outside his hatch, commo-in hand. They had seen what happened to those inside when an RPG hit or a mine went off underneath, and that could be said in part of the U.S. Army troops as well, only the crew was inside. In the way of Armor, from the Marine arsenal, they received old, lightweight M-41 Walker Bulldog 76mm Tanks, and early M-48s carrying the 90mm weapon were more on par, still, an RPG could take these out as well as mines. The vehicles were soon upgraded from gas to diesel fuel.
Many interesting and valuable lessons were learned during the Vietnam War, in the way of how to use Armor in a tropical place, where you did not want to stand out on a road, but you sunk in a rice paddy, in the jungle they often would bog down and get stuck, battling the trees and the VC, and in tight city fights, that said armor is good but has to be used logically, and with a lot of infantry support, they support each other, carrying the heavy weapons, and tactics were developed the worked fairly well.
First Sergeant, Advisor-ARVN 10th AMD. BG:
Captain, U.S. Mechanized Advisor, to ARVN Cavalry:
This can be tricky to figure out, fact-wise sometimes, but there is a story here, and I’ll dig it out of the storage and look in the pockets one day.
