Rolling Thunder Living History personal appearance and uniform Rules and regulations
Latest update: 13 January 2018

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1st Air Cav Division uniforms

All of these uniform items would have been available to the Division from 1965 until the mid 1968. Take into account that the 1st Air Cavalry Division would have been high up on the supply chain in Vietnam.

1st and 2nd Pattern Cotton Sateen Fatigue shirts
( these were the standard shirt issued and worn State side and on arrival of the division in Vietnam in 1965)

Boots would have been the Standard Black leather High Leg Combat boots with Leather soles or because of the high amount of Airborne qualified soldiers assigned to the division the Black Leather High Leg Corcron jump boots would have been seen in use in country through 1965 and into early 1966.

From early 1966 the Division received the new Jungle issue Uniform and this would be seen throughout 1966 in both the 1st Pattern 'Exposed Button' jungle jacket in Cotton Poplin as well as the 2nd Pattern Cotton Poplin Jungle Jacket, both would have been seen with full colour SSI and the early type White printed Name tapes and the Black and Yellow US ARMY tapes. If you go with the Corcron Jump boots remember to wear the AIRBORNE arch over the SSI and full colour Basic paratroopers wings above the US ARMY tape also all enlisted rank at this time would be full colour and worn on each sleeve.

The "Old Timer" says Prior to April 1965, the white name tag and the black on gold US ARMY tapes were worn.  During the next two years, they were gradually replaced by the subdued version. Post 1967, subdued insignia only!

The 3rd Pattern Jungle Jacket became available in the Cotton Poplin material during 1966 and would become the standard Jungle jacket seen until it's self was replaced in mid 1968 by the 4th Pattern Jungle Jacket that was made in Rip Stop Cotton Poplin. Although the 4th Pattern Jungle became the standard uniform during 1968 until the end of the Division evolvement in the war in Vietnam the Earlier Cotton Poplin Patterns were still seen in small numbers throughout the war.

Genuine 1st AIR CAV jacket
Genuine 1st AIR CAV LRRP jacket

Each of the above uniform Shirts/Jacket were worn with the corresponding trousers either Cotton Sateen(1965),1st Pattern 'Exposed Button's cotton Poplin trousers,2nd & 3rd Pattern Cotton Poplin trousers or the 4th Pattern Ripstop trousers.

The "Old Timer" says Tapes position:   Prior to Feb 1968, tapes were worn either at an angle or parallel to the floor,  Feb 68 to Sep 69 parallel to the ground  and from Sept 69 at an angle for better visibility.

T-shirts were originally issued in White along with the corresponding Boxer shorts(1965) but these were quickly dyed Incountry by the individual units to olive green until stocks of Olive green T-shirts and Boxer shorts could be supplied through the Army's supply system which would be in 1966. The Olive green T-shirt and Boxer shorts would remain the standard under garments for use in the field until the end of the war. The White T-shirts remained standard for wear with the Class B and C uniforms throughout this period.

Jungle Boots became available in late 1965 and these would be the 1st or 2nd Model Jungle Boots without the ankle support and metal plates inside the soles to stop the 'Punji' threat and had the standard Vibram sole pattern tread, these began being replaced in late 1966 by the 3rd Model Jungle boot which had been improved with the addition of Ankle support and a steel plate inside the sole to counter the 'Punji' threat. The 3rd Model Jungle boot would remain as the standard boot seen throughout the war even though it was also replaced in late 1967 early 1968 with the 4th and final Model of Jungle boot issued in Vietnam. The 4th Model boot differed from the 3rd Model in that only the tread pattern was changed to the newly designed 'Panama Sole' pattern.

Helmets were the standard M1 steel helmet with 'Mitchell' camouflage helmet cover and elastic helmet foliage band but again because of the high amount of AIRBORNE qualified soldiers with in the Division the 'Paratroopers'M1C helmet is also seen throughout the war from 1965-1970.
I've also seen the earlier 50's era M1 helmets in use but mainly from senior NCO's that would have been in service in the 50's when it was standard issue.

Boonie Hats were not a standard issue item until late 1966 and was made in Cotton Poplin and it came with a separate insect vail that could be worn with it. This was the standard OG Boonie hat until Late 1968 when the Boonie hat was then changed to the Ripstop material and that version remains the standard until the end of the war, but cotton poplin versions would remain to pop up in the supply chain until they were all used up.

Hot weather Base ball caps were the standard form of headdress when not required to wear the the M1 helmet, locally made versions of the base ball cap are seen as well as the popular Boonie style hat in OG, ARVN camouflage and Tigerstripe were worn from 1966 onwards but these were tightly controlled in some units.

For more photos either click on the one enclosed or visit our uniforms and equipments pages

INSIGNIAS

 Here are a few Air Cav insignias out of Alex and my collection. 

Green cut edge 11th ACR AND  in Country made patch	Two in country made pocket patches
Two early brown  cut edge patches	Twill
Early brown cut edge patche	Later green cut edge patch
Subdued twill	In country made

 The full colour cut edge, the twill subdued and later in the war the merrow edge US made shoulder patches were used in the war as well as many locally produced tailor made patches. 
It is very important that you do wear the correct type of patch on your uniform for the type of uniform and the year your portray your impression.  

What often people refer as in "Country made" or Vietnam made insignia were not only made in Vietnam, but all over South East Asia  where ever US troops where, there construction can some time be identified as where they were made. 
They also came in many different qualities as you could go to you local "Mama San with a sewing machine" 
or to taylor shop like" Cheap Charlie in Saigon and get any patch made.  
To further complicated things, from the early 70's (during the war), Vietnamese tailors started producing patches for the US Military Patches Collectors, which were purchased by Merchant Navy personnel for resale in the US or for their own collection.  
From the late 80's and early 90's once genuine war time made patches started to dry up, the same Vietnamese Tailors that used to produce patches during the war started again producing patches for the growing collector marquet with the same machines that they had used during the war.  
To even had further to the difficulty in  identifying a genuine patch from a copy, the genuine patches have many different constructions as to when, where and by who they were made. Patches collectors can acquire a feel for spotting fakes or genuine one ones but there is not an infallible rule and many post Vietnam war patches made in South East Asia have inadvertently entered individual Genuine collections as well as genuine War time patches being now questioned as been authentic!

Pin on rank insignia was authorised in the summer of 1967 and a mixture of pin on and subdued sleeve rank insignia will be seen until the end of the war.  
The merrow edge type patches started to appeared in small quantity from around 1969 onwards and are not a good representation of the patches used during the Vietnam war. 

11th ACR DI is post Vietnam, Genuine Air Cav  "beer can"

 A lot of combat troops in the field tended not to wear insignia on their uniforms. 
However if you do want to wear some, they must be the proper U.S. Army issue twill or ‘local’ Vietnamese-made patches.
 

The information published is to our best knowledge and may be altered if new information is uncovered. 
All photos are from our collection and nothing should be re-use without our prior consent! please contact us first.
Uniform and Equipment Standards Team (Alex,  Jean-Luc, Jack, Paul and Kieran)

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