Team 162 & FANK...broken group but a favourite.

[Patrick Dempsey]

Hello again everyone.

Here is another thread detailing a grouping i own.

Again sadly a broken grouping ( the bane of Vietnam era collectors), but i have been lucky enough to add a few things back to the grouping over the last 8 months with the kind help of a considerate friend.

A portion of the whole grouping resides in Australia to include a shirt i once had in my collection but was traded back to the collector who originally had the shirt....a story for another day.


The Veterans service comprises time in SF, Team 162 and a spell training FANK units at the end of his wartime tours.

The veteran completed two tours with the ARVN Airborne Division Advisory Detatchment 1970-72 as assistant battalion advisor to the 9th ARVN airborne battalion, and a year with FANK/UITG 1972-73. The veteran served with the detachment as an S-1 in the Phuoc Tuy Training Centre holding the rank of 1LT initially although promotion to Captain came later, and as an instructor with Mobile Training Team 4.

Some of these images will be familiar to you as they have been used in individual postings in the recent past. This is the first time that the part of the grouping i own has been shown together.

To start, an overview of the bulk of the items.

[Patrick Dempsey]

The grouping contains some remarkable images in colour and black and white of both the US advisors and their ARVN charges.

Many of them have notations on the reverse.

US and Vietnamese officers. Note the board they are passing.

[Patrick Dempsey]

A medal ceremony for Lam Son 719.

A Vietnamese Gallantry Cross can be seen on the award pillow.

[Patrick Dempsey]

US and Vietnamese troops of the 11th Battalion assemble for review.

[Patrick Dempsey]

Classic image of ARVN airborne circa 1972.

[Patrick Dempsey]

Some of the veterans metal wings.

He also earned Korean and Cambodian wings.

[Patrick Dempsey]

Whilst these wings may be damaged...they are named.

[Patrick Dempsey]

The awards and decoration Mr.Pelletier won were as follows:


Silver Star.
Bronze Star medal with "V" device and 2 Oak Leaf Clusters.
Air Medal.
Army Commendation Medal.
Purple Heart with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster.

National Defense Service Medal
Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Silver Star.
Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Bronze Star.
Vietnam Service Medal with 3 Bronze Service Stars.
Republic of Vietnam Service Medal.
Vietnamese Armed Forces Honour Medal 1st Class.

Here is the citation for the Silver Star. Remarkable reading.

[Patrick Dempsey]

The citation for the Bronze Star 1st OLC.

[Patrick Dempsey]

Moving onto his time with FANK.

As mentioned he earned Cambodian wings. Shown here is the award certificate ( the type found in the award tube in my thread on the Delavan grouping) and his locally made beret flash.

[Patrick Dempsey]

Detail.

Note the MAT 49 SMGs still to be found on the certificate.

[Patrick Dempsey]

Some of the paper items the veteran kept along with his military IDs etc.

The business cards are typical, but note the Australian themed order he joined!

[Patrick Dempsey]

FANK ration card and misc paper.

[Patrick Dempsey]

Earlier this year i was delighted to be able to reunite a few more items back into the group.

2 photo albums and his graduation book.

Also with the items came a copy of a book detailing the invasion of Laos with notations written by the veteran strongly disagreeing with the authors assessment of ARVN Airborne units, and correcting other errors in the text.

Many of the photos have names and ranks. It is perfect research material.

[Patrick Dempsey]

To close the grouping, here is his presentaion plaque given to him at the end of his South East Asian service.


As to other items from the estate, there is at least 1 ERDL shirt fully badged, a named Gerber fighting knife, his medals and some other presentation items from his time with Team 162.

If any other members have groups to share, then please post them!


Hope you enjoyed the posts,




Patrick.