Description: LT. COLONEL US ARMY ARVN PARA OFFICERS BERET ORIGINAL ITEM. WORN BY LT. COLONEL JOHN R WALKER JR. Hat size 59. WALKER WAS VERY ACTIVE IN THE VIETNAM WAR AND A SPECIALIST ADVISER TO THE ARVN. GREAT RARE ORIGINAL USED BERET WITH THE ORIGINAL ARVN PARA EMBROIDERED INSIGNIA STLL ATTACHED TO THE HAT. SOME OF THE GOLD MATLIC THREAD COILS OF THE INSIGNIA ARE DETACHED FROM THE PATCH. (see pictures). Excerpts: Sometimes you need to give it a second chance. That's what John Walker did. He left college. Then he left the Army after a brief stint. After going broke back in Shreveport, he gave both a second chance. He wound up as a highly decorated Army officer, And proud combat veteran of the Vietnam War. Among his medals hanging in a shadow box at home is The Bronze Star with clusters. John earned eight Bronze Stars, including one with a V for valor. What for? "Calling air strikes on positions of the NVA as we were advancing during Tet of 1972. They were coming across the border with tanks," John recalled. It was the first day of his second tour. John was a major, leading a small American unit that was advising a South Vietnamese battalion. Their formation of three choppers took enemy fire. Two went down. It was up to John's chopper to try to lift all the survivors out, as the North Vietnamese closed in. "We took fire in the helicopter. A round hit one of the hydraulic lines. We couldn't get up there," John said. "I was cut off for a little while and I didn't think I was going to make it back." John called a forward air controller for Air Force support. In came F-4 fighters to save the day. "They were able to hose the area down and we got out of there," John says. Then, managing a smile, he added. "That was just the first day. There 366 days in that year." He says that was probably the worst day, but there were others. Like the time his chopper had to make a hard landing.
Price: 495 USD
Location: Shirley, New York
End Time: 2025-01-14T17:59:31.000Z
Shipping Cost: 12 USD
Product Images
Item Specifics
All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
Conflict: Vietnam (1961-75)
Theme: Militaria
Original/Reproduction: Original
Country/Region of Manufacture: Vietnam
