Imnaha Stamps

Thu Duc Infantry School Cover to NJ

2012-01-08T14:13:00.000-05:00

You don't see a lot of SVN military correspondence sent outside the country. Here is a cover sent from the Thu Duc Infantry School to the Robert H Sittig Associates in Fort Lee, New Jersey in October 1969.

From what I can ascertain on the web, the company was an export agent specializing in US-manufactured products, particularly dental supplies. Unfortunately the enclosure is missing, but it's an interesting and attractive cover.

Imnaha Stamps website back at www.imnahastamps.net

2011-12-19T20:08:00.000-05:00

Long story short, I had problems renewing the domain name for my web site, so I registered www.imnahastamps.NET instead. I haven't made updates in a while, but it gets a decent amount of traffic, so I figured it was worthwhile keeping it up and running.

Some things to check out if you aren't familiar with it:

1. Definitive KBC number list
2. Examples of military insignia on covers
3. Unit-specific military cover articles (VNN, VNAF, Airborne)
4. ARVN military IDs and certificates
5. Comprehensive Viet-Minh overprints sub-site

Enjoy! (don't forget to update your bookmark)

Season's Greetings

2011-12-18T16:15:00.004-05:00

Best wishes for a Merry Christmas, and a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year!

Similar greetings were sent in 1962 from ARVN Brigadier General Van Thanh Cao and his wife to Major Giertsen of the Strategic Hamlets Division. The card was sent postage free via APO 143.

General Cao headed up 'Operation Sunrise' that oversaw the creation of three strategic hamlets in Binh Duong Province earlier that year. Ultimately, around 14,000 such hamlets were created throughout South Vietnam and populated with forcibly relocated peasants before the program was dismantled in early 1964.

Help Wanted

2011-12-17T18:04:00.001-05:00

I need help completing my collection of North Vietnamese military stamps on cover. I have some ideas for a series of articles and maybe an exhibit, but I'd like to have an example of each before I get started.

I don't think this the rarest of the NVN military issues on cover - I'd probably give that distinction to the very first military issue, one of the ocher-colored medal stamps, or perhaps this stamp's twin, the olive-colored waterwheel stamp with the medal completely shaded. However, I found examples of each of those on cover, so maybe I'm wrong. For some reason the brown 'invalids on waterwheel' stamp has eluded me.

I'm looking for a cover like this one:

It has to be tied with a genuine postmark that has a legible year date prior to 1975, although a contemporary date from 1959 or the early 1960s would be terrific. Other than that, I'm not too particular on condition or anything else.

Let me know if you have one you can sell or trade.

You can reach me at imnaha at optimumonline dot net or by posting a comment to this blog entry.

Thanks!

NVN Red Leaping Soldier Stamp on Cover - 1966

2011-09-23T18:42:00.001-04:00

I periodically upgrade the covers in my collection with ones that are in better condition, show a more interesting usage, have historical context or simply have more eye appeal. Case in point is the cover shown here. My previous example of this stamp on cover had a roughly opened edge and a 1978 usage, despite the stamp being issued in 1965 (after the war ended in 1975, the military used reserve stocks of stamps until they were exhausted).

In addition to the contemporary postmark from 1966 and the military return address, the cachet appealed to me as I had not seen in before.

I reached out to my friend, Vinh Nguyen, who quickly translated the cover's details. The cachet reads, Vừa sản xuất vừa chiến đấu, that translates as "Produce While Fighting". The central circular logo bears the phrase, chống mỹ cứu nước meaning, "Fight the US aggressors to safeguard our country."

The recipient is a traditional medicine doctor at the Thai Binh provincial medical department. This was not a hospital, but rather the medical department of the province.

The hand-written text at the bottom reads, "Medical department, please forward to Doctor Cúc, traditional medicine, to where here department is temporarily evacuated."

All in all an interesting cover that I am happy to add to my collection.

Vietnam Postal First Days

2011-08-01T21:01:00.008-04:00

Typical First Day Covers (FDCs) mark the initial distribution of a postage stamp. These covers mark the first days of other postal events.

This cover, created by a member of the Air Force Advisory Team 2 (AFAT-2) commemorates the free-franking privilege going into effect for American military personnel on September 1, 1965.

The Department of the Army provided this information to new arrivals in Vietnam:

Free mail service went into effect 1 September 1965 for all military personnel serving in Vietnam and adjacent waters. Personal letters, letter size tape recordings and post cards in their generally accepted form are entitled to free transit. Letters sent under this free mail policy will be handled as US air mail. Your full military address to include name, rank, and service number must appear on the envelope. The word FREE in the upper right hand corner must be in YOUR handwriting. It cannot be typed or mechanically marked.

Mail may be sent free to the Foreign countries. Letters so mailed cannot be registered. They may be sent special delivery if an additional special delivery charge is paid. The words "Postage Paid" or "Port Paye" must be stamped in the upper right hand corner. APO will perform this service. Handwritten or type written lettering is not acceptable.

Packages under 5 pounds sent regular mail will, whenever possible, be handled via Air Mail between Saigon and the San Francisco Post Office.

April 1, 1967 was the first day of use of a QUAN-BUU machine cancel by the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN).

At least I believe this to be a FDC of this machine cancel. Does anyone have any example of an earlier use?

Archer and Hut Handstamps on Vietnamese Military Covers

2011-06-26T11:12:00.003-04:00

I am hoping someone can shed some light on these hand stamps found on ARVN military covers postmarked 1970-1971.

The first marking depicts a hut, apparently on stilts over water. Behind it appears to be a tree or trees with vertical branches or handholds. Above the hut, perhaps attached to the tree, is a banner or flag. The hand stamp suggests a rural or small village setting.

The cover in my collection with this marking was mailed by a Vietnamese Ranger (Biet Dong Quan) from KBC 4579. I don't know where this KBC was located, but I have records of Ranger units using it as early as 1962, always with the designation "BDQ B".

The other hand stamp depicts an archer with his bow drawn. His head is uncovered by a hat or helmet and his hair is long. In the background is a building, perhaps another hut on stilts, flanked by a tree.

The archer is presumably an ethnic warrior, whom the French called "montagnards" meaning highlander or mountain people.

I have two examples of the other marking on covers sent from KBC 6279 that was operated by the Regional Forces in Pleiku.

Presumably these markings were purely decorative. Certainly they did not convey free-franking privileges since each of these covers bears a postage stamp cancelled with a military QUAN-BUU postmark.

Please contact me or post a comment if you have more information about these markings.

UPDATE: Jack Dykhouse emailed me a scan of another archer hand stamp, bringing the unofficial tally to three.

New Zealand Forces in Vietnam

2011-01-17T11:02:00.006-05:00

In May 1965, New Zealand announced its decision to deploy a combat force to Vietnam including a 105-mm howitzer battery, replacing an engineer platoon and surgical team deployed the previous year. The unit was attached to the US 173rd Airborne Brigade under MACV command, with the primary mission of supporting Australian forces in Phuoc Tuy Province.

In November, 1967, New Zealand and Australian forces entered a working arrangement to reimburse the United States military for services and support including base camp construction, transportation within Vietnam and military postal facilities that included a closed pouch system for all personal and official mail.

The illustrated cover, sent via the US APO postal service was sent to England, under-franked with 10-cents postage and assessed 3-pence postage due.
The sender was one of 18 members of the New Zealand Army Detachment headquartered in Saigon. Total in-country strength of New Zealand forces at this time was 534.

The small number of personnel in Vietnam makes mail sent by NZ units less plentiful than that of their Australian and Korean counterparts. It should also be somewhat less plentiful than mail from Thai allied forces. I have not found that to the the case, and it is reflected in the significantly higher market prices for Thai material related to the Vietnam War.

Strength of Military Assistance Forces in Vietnam in 1967 (US Department of the Army):

Australia: 6,818

Korea: 47,829
New Zealand: 534

Thailand: 6,005

Philippines: 2,020

Republic of China: 31

Spain: 13

Seasons Greetings

2010-12-19T07:31:00.001-05:00

Seasons Greetings from the Kingdom of Laos....Bob Burns was the Intelligence Officer attached to United States Information Service in Vientiane, Laos when this card was mailed in 1958.

Best regards to everyone for happy holidays this year!

Joe Cartafalsa R.I.P. 2010

2010-12-18T08:24:00.000-05:00

Joe Cartafalsa passed away on December 7th, 2010.

In August, 2000 I attended the APS Stampshow in Rhode Island. I had the good fortune of meeting Joe in front of his Vietnam Military Mail exhibit. I had started collecting this material a couple years earlier, but was finding it difficult to understand what I had. Joe spent a lot of time with me that day, walking me through his exhibit, identifying and commenting on the covers I had brought along, and introducing me to dealers at the show who carried Vietnam material.

Over the subsequent years, Joe continued to build my enthusiasm and knowledge in the military mail of Vietnam, and expanded my interest into revenues. We kept in touch via email and an occasional phone call, meeting up at NAPEX when his health allowed. We collaborated on a CD-ROM and talked about items we had found and articles we were writing. I caught up with him in Philadelphia one year to borrow books for an article I was writing, and of course to browse his stock.

Joe was a long-time member of the Society of Indo-china Philatelists, and a prolific contributor to philatelic publications, including three articles in the Congress Book.

Rest in peace, Joe. You will be missed.

Vietnam Studies Monograph / Havre De Grace Bookstore

2010-06-07T13:18:00.001-04:00

Driving home from NAPEX, I stopped in Havre De Grace, Maryland for lunch and discovered a terrific bookstore, Washington Street Books & Music. They have one of the best selections of military history books I have found anywhere, not to mention games, role playing books, comics, music, dvds and an excellent selection of science fiction - all of which are right up my alley. I definitely recommend checking it out if you are in the area.

At the store I picked up a copy of a Vietnam Studies monograph I didn't have, The War in the Northern Provinces. Turning it over, I saw the book, which is around 1/2" thick, was sent through the mail as evidenced by the mailing label.

My Anthony Wawrukiewicz book on US postal rates isn't handy, so perhaps someone can explain why the monograph qualified for 3rd class mail, which is typically used for advertising or "junk" mail. Printed in the upper right corner of the label it clearly reads "Special Fourth Class Rate Books."

In addition to a useful book I got a nifty piece of postal history, not to mention a new destination to visit each year.

SP 4736 Cachet / NAPEX

2010-05-31T14:53:00.006-04:00

This cover has a neat oval 4-digit Secteur Postal 4736 handstamp and would have made a nice inclusion in the presentation I gave at NAPEX last year. This is an example of a transitional marking with French text but that includes a 4-digit Vietnamese Khu Buu Chinh zone number. Note the use of the KBC abbreviation in the address line. The recipient appears to have been at KBC 3011, the Vietnamese Air Force general headquarters in Tan Son Nhut.

Speaking of NAPEX, I am looking forward to seeing everyone at the Society of Indo-china Philatelists annual meeting in McLean, VA next Saturday.

Le Minh Dao Cover from KBC 4027

2010-05-31T14:30:00.006-04:00

In January 2009, I illustrated two covers sent by Le Minh Dao. I was fortunate to acquire another cover (two-thirds of one at any rate) sent by Le Minh Dao from KBC 4027, the National Military Academy in Dalat, to Le Hoang Minh via the Quan-Buu military post. The postmark year date is illegible, but I am going to guess it is November 1956. The blue KBC cachet is unusual in both its color and size.

The envelope contained several small portrait photos. Can anyone confirm if these depict Le Minh Dao as a young man?

Below, Le Minh Dao is shown in this photo together with Ho tan Phat at the opening ceremony of the Cho Gao Electricity company.

Vietnam RAN Helicopter Flight

2010-05-28T23:02:00.002-04:00

The formation of the Royal Australian Navy Helicopter Flight Vietnam was announced in July 1967 to be integrated with the United States Army 135th Assault Helicopter Company (AHC). Based in Vung Tau, the initial flight consisted of eight airmen flying Iroquois helicopters, and their requisite staff.

On January 12, 1968, just four days after the postmark date, the cover's recipient, Keith Wardle, was injured when his gunship was forced down in the jungle. The wreck caught fire, detonating ammunition and rockets. Wardle was seriously wounded and evacuated to Australia.

RAN pilots ceased flying June 8, 1971 as the United States was disengaging from Vietnam.

Details about the RAN Navy Helicopter flight may be found on this excellent site: http://www.navy.gov.au/RAN_Helicopter_Flight_Vietnam

North Vietnamese Cover to China, 1958

2010-05-28T22:43:00.004-04:00

I pick up interesting covers when I come across them, realizing I may not understand all of their aspects until later.

An example is the depicted cover that bears a nice "Hai Quan" hand stamp and is postmarked Hanoi, 1958. Thinking this might potentially be a North Vietnamese naval military cover, I put in a bid. If nothing else, the fact that it was sent to China was interesting.

As it turns out, there are no accent marks on the term Hai Quan in the hand stamp, so it translates as "customs organization" as opposed to Hải Quân, meaning "navy"

The sender (and recipient) however, held a surprise for me. Rewi Alley, a native of New Zealand, was a writer, educator and member of the Chinese Communist Party. It isn't clear what he was doing in Vietnam in 1958, but it could have been related to his works published in 1956, Spring in Vietnam, a Diary of a Journey and Buffalo Boys of Viet-Nam. Alley is credited with coining the term "gung ho".

So, it turned out to a be a worthwhile cover after all (the stamp isn't bad either...)

VNAF Insignia Cover

2010-05-23T16:56:00.006-04:00

I enjoy collecting insignia on Vietnam War military covers, so was pleased to recently find one from the Vietnamese Air Force (VNAF). The handstamp on the cover, shown at right, was obviously applied by hand from a rubber stamp - once on the front and three times on the reverse of the envelope. I'd love to find an example of a pre-printed, full-color insignia like the one on the left, but I'll take what I can get (this is the first example of a VNAF insignia I've seen after 12 years of collecting this material).

The cover was sent from KBC 3198 that served the Vietnamese 1st Air Division in Da Nang. From the return address, the sender was with the 41st Tactical Wing (Khong Doan Chien Thuat), 512th Flying Squadron. This is the first reference I've seen to this squadron.

The postmark is illegible, but the cover is probably from 1966 or 1967 based on the stamp.

Remember the Year of the Monkey

2009-06-07T16:20:00.013-04:00

The red hand stamp on this 1969 cover ominously warns, NHO TET MAU THAN / DE PHONG XUAN KY DAU - "Remember the Year of the Monkey / Take precautions for the spring holiday" (year of the Rooster) .

The Year of the Monkey, of course, was 1968, and Tet was when the Vietnamese Communist forces launched a full-scale offensive against the Republic of Vietnam.

A smaller version of this hand stamp exists with the same text and there is a third version that specifically recommends uniting against the Communist enemy. They are all illustrated in Richard Aspnes' excellent Commemorative Postal Markings catalog.

The rectangluar KBC 4416 cachet is also interesting. I haven't seen one quite like that and I didn't previously have a record of this KBC number.

Update June 8:

I received a response from knowledgeable collector/dealer, Anh-Tuan Tran, who specializes in cachets and markings on Vietnamese covers. He believes both cachets on this cover are fake. There is not a lot of fake KBC material on the market, so I admit I did not consider this possibility.

The back-stamp postmark in Vinh Long looks good - the March 2 1969 date is late for Tet, but it's logical this marking may have been used for a couple of months to keep people alert. The QUAN -BUU postmark is illegible. Like I said, I haven't seen this type of KBC cachet.

Anh-Tuan provided a scan of another "Remember the Year of the Monkey" cachet for comparison - this one an M3 First Day Cover. As you can see, the letters in the hand stamp are much more precise and clear.

Is the KBC 4416 cover a fake, or was the hand stamp regionally made and applied during the contemporary period?

Based on the available information, I think the underlying cover is genuine but I concur the two hand stamps appear to be a fake.

1958 USOM Laos Cover

2009-06-07T16:07:00.005-04:00

Here is another cover I picked up at the NAPEX show. I couldn't resist the lovely franking, despite the cover's awkward size - it took two passes through the scanner to capture it and I'm not sure how to store it (click the image to make it larger).

It looks like there may be a stamp missing near the bottom based on the partial postmark, so it's probably not possible to accurately identify the rate paid. It presumably contained documents or photos that were not to be folded.

The return address is the American Embassy in Laos. The cover was sent in May 1958 by a member of the US Observation Mission (USOM).

USOM Laos was established in January 1955 to provide foreign aid.

NAPEX, ROK Forces, APO Number List

2009-06-07T15:26:00.009-04:00

I just got back from NAPEX in Virginia for the Society of Indo-china Philatelists annual meeting. As always, I had a great time catching up with other SICP members. I gave a presentation titled, "South Vietnam at War 1952-1956," Peter Corson talked about the North/South Family Postcards and Howard Daniels showed some interesting financial instruments and other material from the region. I am sure Jack Dykhouse will do a full write up for the next issue of the ICP.

I picked up a couple of items from dealers, and a group of KBC material from a fellow collector that I will be scanning.

I bought the cover shown here because it is the first I've seen from Republic of Korea (ROK) forces in Vietnam that references a US APO number (96240). I'm not sure why it was added, since the Koreans ran their own military postal service. [I've talked about ROK forces a couple of times on this blog ].

At any rate, I've had a difficult time figuring out the locations or dates for these covers, so having an APO cross-reference helps. In this case, the APO was located at Nha Trang Air Base.

While APO 96240 was easy enough to Google, a lot of them are difficult to identify. This prompts me to inquire if any reader can point me to a list of 5-digit APO numbers used in Vietnam. I have the excellent Numbered Army & Air Force Post Office Locations produced by the Military Postal History Society, but it only covers through 1964 when the 3-digit numbers were still in use.

Even a partial list of 5-digit APOs would be helpful.

Update June 9

John Carroll pointed me to a 1994 MPHS publication, United States Numbered Military Post Offices Assignments and Locations 1941 to 1994, edited by George Cosentini and Norman Gruenzner. It is out of print, but I found a copy from Phil Banser.

NKP Airbase APO 96310

2009-02-07T08:58:00.006-05:00

Shown is a cover from APO 96310 located at the Nakhon Phanom (Royal Thai) Air Base in Thailand, on the border with Laos. The United States flew reconnaissance flights over the Ho Chi Minh Trail and covert ground support missions over Laos from this base during the Vietnam War.

NKP Air Base also corresponds with Operational Location 23-27 as shown in the address ("OL 23-27"). The postmark reads Jun 20 1969.

Thanks to a reader, "CMR" in the return address has been identified as "Consolidate Mail Room"

Map image source: http://aircommandoman.tripod.com/

Postcard from Vietnamese Marine Training at Quantico

2009-01-17T15:55:00.004-05:00

Given the Presidential Inauguration this week, it seems an appropriate time to share this postcard.

It was sent on January 10, 1965 by a Vietnamese Marine, Major Minh, training at Quantico, Virginia. The machine postmark reads, "Marine Corps Schools, VA."

The recipient was a Warrant Officer in the Vietnamese 1st Marine Battalion, headquartered in Saigon. A receiving cancel in Vietnam marks a transit time of eight days.

General Le Minh Dao

2009-01-17T15:21:00.007-05:00

The two covers illustrated with this post bookend the military career of Le Minh Dao, the South Vietnamese General who is perhaps best known for leading the ARVN 18th Division during the waning days of the Republic of Vietnam.

The first cover takes us back to February 1956, when Le Minh Dao was stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia for military training. It was sent home to his family and the enclosed letter mentions his recent visit to Washington DC during Tet. He writes that he is attending school regularly and expects to be home in June.

After a long and decorated military career, Le Minh Dao was captured after the at the Battle of Xuan Loc by PAVN forces and was sentenced to live the next 17 years in re-education camps where he became weak and nearly blind from malnutrition.

The second cover was sent from Le Minh Dao from a re-education camp in Ha Son Binh province in April 1982. When he was finally released, he received political asylum in the United States where he lives today.

South Vietnamese Naval Ship Listing

2009-01-17T14:37:00.005-05:00

I just added to my collection this cover, sent from the Vietnamese Naval Ship Tran Hung Dao, hull number HQ1 at KBC 3328.

I thought I'd share my checklist that summarizes information I've compiled about each VNN navel vessels, including the ship number, name, type, disposition, associated KBC number(s) and notes.

Click to view VNN Ship Listing

There are quite a few holes, especially regarding the ship names and dispositions, so any help making this listing more complete will be greatly appreciated.

Feedback Requested on Abbreviations

2008-10-25T20:49:00.010-04:00

This post includes several covers that include an abbreviation that I have struggled with, either due to the handwriting or because I am simply unfamiliar with the usage. I would appreciate feedback or suggestions on these items.

C.A.A.T.
The return address of this cover from M.A.A.G. (Military Assistance Advisory Group, Vietnam). includes the abbreviation "C.A.A.T." Searching Google I was able to come up with two candidates: "Combined Anti-Armor Team" or "Combined Arms Assault Team." The former, a Marines unit, seems more prevalent and thus more likely.

CORDS
This is an example of questionable handwriting. I assume the return address reads "CORDS /IV" standing for "Civil Operations and Revolutionary Development Support, IV Corps", but I cannot help thinking it looks more like "COBOS," which does not seem to mean anything. The rest of the address reads "Advisory Team 75, My Tho, Vietnam."

ARMA
This cover is from the US Embassy in Vientiane, Laos. The return address is written in pencil and partially obscured with something that looks almost like White-Out. The name appears to be "Captain W.R. Healy" and the next row is "(?)ARMA". If I assume the first character was intentially wiped out (and the sender got a bit sloppy with his name above), ARMA likely stands for the "Army Attache" which was involved in programs like Project 404 in Laos. I have tried searching with other letters in the abbreviation, e.g. SARMA, DARMA, OARMA but to no avail. Thoughts?

K.V.K.
Presumably a Vietnamese term, the abbreviation "K.V.K." has me stumped. Identification might provide some more information about the type of unit served by KBC 4076.

On Dec 1st and anonymous contributor identified the abbreviation as meaning "Kho Vu Khi" or ammunition dump

Click on the covers for larger images. Thanks for your help!
Andrew

Urgent Rifle Brigade Cover 1947

2008-07-18T21:46:00.010-04:00

Shown is a turned cover (disassembled, turned inside out and reassembled for use) sent via the French military postal service in Indo-china. Based on the My Tho back stamp, the year was 1947. A hand stamp in the upper left reads "KHAN (Urgent)". In the lower right is the unit cachet of a rifle brigade.

I am less familiar with French material than Vietnamese and I have a couple of questions that I am hoping readers can answer.

1) Is the notation in the upper left corner a shorthand return address (M919/4B)?

Philippe Drillien writes,

I do not think it's a return address. According to the French regulation, every French administration must own two books . In the first one, you must write, every day, all the mail you receive; each mail is given a number of arrival; often, the number is preceded or followed by one or more letters. Usually, the letter concerns the service or the name of the addressee. The second book is for the mail you send and works according to the same way. M919/4B could mean:

It is the 919th mail registered by the secretary M. It has been written by 4B

2) The last word in the top portion of the unit cachet is unclear (after Tirailleurs). Perhaps Algeriens?

QUAN-BUU 1 Postmark 1956

2008-07-15T21:43:00.010-04:00

In my article, Vietnam 1955: Military Postal History in a Year of Transition, in the March 2008 issue of the Indo-china Philatelist, I referenced numeric QUAN BUU markings 1,2,4,5 and 8, in addition to the number '7' marking that was the primary subject of the article.

Shown is a tan registered mailing receipt from a sender at KBC 4218 within I Corps.

The pink form appears to be a declaration of value for the contents of the letter. Of note is the QUAN BUU 1 postmark on the back of the form, dated 26 November 1956.

The abbreviation "CTTT" in the address on the pink form is spelled out in the address on the tan form as "Cong Thu va Tao Tac." This roughly translates as "Corps of Engineers". "Cong Thu" literally means "government buildings" and "Tao Tac" literally means "buildings and construction." (Thanks, Vinh for decoding these!)

Sea Eagles - Vietnamese 8th Marine Battalion

2008-06-20T08:36:00.007-04:00

This cover, adorned with a picture of children with rain coats and bunny rabbits, was sent from the Vietnamese 8th Marines Battalion in Thu Duc at KBC 6618. The sender was apparently out on an operation as indicated by the "H/Q" (hanh quan) in the return address.

The addressee was aboard a Naval "Landing Craft Utility" class ship, with hull number 543. Mail was directed to this ship via KBC 3328, the Naval Fleet Headquarters in Saigon.

Military Construction and Supply Correspondence

2008-06-18T21:50:00.005-04:00

KBC 3126 was assigned to a construction unit (Kien Tao). The preceding letter 'D' in the return address probably stands for "Doi" (small group) or "Doan" (large group). The recipient was a member of Supply Group 61 (Lien Doan 61 Tiep Lieu) associated with the 6th Air Division at KBC 3533. A 1.50d stamp pays the military letter rate, although mail between KBCs should have been sent postage free.

RVNAF Military Postal Service

2008-06-17T20:26:00.005-04:00

I just obtained a copy of the Indochina Monograph series The RVNAF by Lt. General Dong Van Khuyen. Buried in the center of this 400 page document are three pages on the Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces military postal service.

Some key items of interest:

By 1966 the Military Post Office Center (formerly the Directorate of Military Post Office) controlled 29 post annexes which served more than 1,500 KBC units and addresses. In 1973 there were 40 annexes servicing more than 3,000 KBC units.

The most frequent shortcoming in the military postal service was the time the mail took to reach the responsible person or beneficiary. An extensive investigation .... revealed that the delay did not take place between one KBC and another as many servicemen had thought, but primarily between the sending unit and the original KBC or annex, and between the destination KBC or annex and the receiving unit. The delay was also caused by the unit's internal distribution system.

There was also a lack of coordination between the unit and the area logistics command to have the KBC changed in case of [a] long-term operation outside the military region.

As for mail security, several measures were taken to prevent loss or interception. Mailmen, with proper security clearances, were chosen from good and reliable personnel. Each mailman was issued a register to record the receiving and delivery of mail, which was daily inspected by the chief of the mail and message section. Each mailman was also issued a leather case with lock for carrying mail in transit.

The book was reprinted by and is available from Dalley Book Service in Virginia. They have also reprinted a number of other military titles, including Bernard Fall's The Viet Minh Regime and Documents Relating to British Involvement in the Indo-china Conflict 1945-1965 originally published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office. Tell George I sent you!

3rd Infantry Division Cover

2008-06-16T06:38:00.004-04:00

This cover was sent from a member of the Vietnamese Armed Forces 3d Infantry Division (3 Bo Binh) at KBC 6534. Nhac Doan is a group in charge of the military band and other entertainment.

Mobilie Riverine Military Police

2008-06-15T07:15:00.004-04:00

This cover is addressed to a Mobile Riverine Military Police Officer in Phong Dinh province in the 4th military zone. It was sent on 26 November 1970 from Trinh Chi Hieu, Class 5 Radio Operator, Company 4 Specialist Battalion at the Naval Training Center in Nha Trang or aboard a ship that reported to Naval headquarters (KBC 3318).

A 3d stamp pays the military postage rate (half the civilian rate). Had the recipient been considered military, the letter could have travelled postage free. MPs were considered military in the sense that they had their own KBC numbers, but no KBC was used in this case.

Services Suspended to Cambodia

2008-06-14T22:19:00.007-04:00

Although the London postmark date is illegible, this cover was presumably sent after mid-April 1975 when Phnom Penh fell to the Khmer Rouges and the Cambodian infrastructure had ground to a halt. The cover is notable for its hand stamp marking "Services Suspended to Cambodia". What other countries applied this type of marking?

Phillippe Drillien writes that France used markings for mail bound to Cambodia. He believes this type of marking was used twice. First in 1970 when Sihanouk has been abdicated, and a second time, in 1975, after the fall of Phnom Penh.

Ferocious Tigers - Vietnamese 9th Marine Battalion

2008-06-14T20:47:00.004-04:00

This rather unassuming cover is interesting because the address includes an explicit reference to the Vietnamese 9th Marines mascot, the Ferocious Tigers (Manh Ho), at KBC 6626. The sender was at KBC 3198, the 1st Air Division in Danang.

MSA Mission to Saigon

2008-06-13T21:03:00.008-04:00

This cover has a return address from the Mutual Security Agency (MSA) mission to Saigon, which was formed in 1951 under Truman.

Averill Harriman was the Director of the MSA at this time and was focused on organizing covert operations and psychological warfare in Vietnam. In 1954 the MSA became the Foreign Operations Agency (FOA), then the International Cooperation Agency (ICA) and finally the Agency for International Development (USAID) in 1961.

The cover was sent from Saigon on 29 Jul 1952 to Portland, Oregon but was redirected to Parks Air Base in California, which had just re-opened in the previous year after sitting abandoned since 1946.

A Portland machine cancel on the front and hand stamp on reverse peg the cover's arrival as August 5th. Straight line date markings of August 14 and 15 probably mark its arrival at its destination. Somewhat ironic is the sender's notation on the reverse, "P.S. Rich this went as air mail - check delivery time."

Three copies of the first Vietnamese airmail stamp issued March 8, 1952 (Scott #C1) attractively grace the cover. At 9$90, the sender likely overpaid the rate, which was 8$50 to North America as of December 1953 (John Carroll).

KBC 4076 Cover "K.V.K."

2008-06-12T20:35:00.007-04:00

Can anyone help with the abbreviation "K.V.K." on this 1965 cover? It has a return address of KBC 4076 (actually sent via registered mail at KBC 3030) and was sent to a VA hospital in the United States. I am stumped...

Thanks! Andrew

Indo-China Revenue Catalog 2nd Edition

2008-06-11T12:13:00.004-04:00

The Society of Indo-china Philatelist's Indo-china Revenue Stamp Catalog Second Edition was awarded a vermeil medal at NAPEX in early June. The literature exhibit is the third largest in the United States with 40 entries.

The updated catalog, released at the show, provides comprehensive revenue stamp listings for Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Indo-china. Sections are included for Indo-china revenue stamped paper and pecule overprints. Most items are priced and shown in full color.

The price is $20 post-paid in the US, $25 mailed to other countries. Order it from SICP Executive Secretary, Ron Bentley.

Chieu Hoi Document and Safe Conduct Pass

2008-05-30T08:09:00.007-04:00

The Chieu Hoi safe conduct pass shown here is different from any I have previously seen. Safe conduct passes were distributed throughout South Vietnam to encourage Communist soldiers and National Liberation Front personnel to defect.

I contacted Herbert Friedman who has written a lot of about these passes (click here) and he confirmed that he has not seen this one before - and he has more than 1000.

Herbert went on to say, "It is from the 4th PSYOP Group, order number 20 in the year 1968. It would be a tactical leaflet, specifically requested by units in the 4th Combat Zone. Specific units would often request leaflets."

Here is another interesting item, shown front and back. It is a release document from a Chieu Hoi camp in Kien Hoa province. The recipient had been civilian support personnel with the Viet Cong. According the Vinh Nguyen, "These guys would do anything to support the fighting troops, from carrying weapons, building roads to farming and raising livestock."

He was released with 1000$ in his pocket and directed to report to the Dinh Tuong Chieu Hoi Center within 24 hours or he would forfeit the release document.

The individual's photo was removed from the document at some point, but this group photo was included with the document, conceivably depicting his buddies at the camp, together with American advisors.

White Star Mobile Training Team

2008-05-12T21:40:00.011-04:00

This roughly opened cover is quite a find, in my opinion. It is addressed from Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG) Laos that was formed April 24, 1961 pursuant to an agreement among United States, Cambodia, France, Laos, and Vietnam for mutual defense assistance in Indochina. MAAG Laos was abolished October 1962 in compliance with the Geneva Accords requirement for removal of all foreign military forces from Laos, with the exception of French forces (the MMFI). This cover is dated November 3, 1961.

Even better, the cover was sent by a White Star Mobile Training Team (WSMTT). White Star was the US Army Special Forces program to recruit native Hmong to fight against the Pathet Lao and later to support covert Air America operations. White Star Units were attached to or worked with a unit of regimental or smaller units of the Forces Armee du Royaume (FAR) or Royal Laotian Army.

The cover is addressed home to Fort Bragg where the White Star units were trained.

Military Free Frank in Vietnam

2008-02-23T09:14:00.004-05:00

I received a question about the Free Frank privilege for military personnel in Vietnam. Here is information from the Department of the Army provided to new arrivals in Vietnam:

Free mail service went into effect 1 September 1965 for all military personnel serving in Vietnam and adjacent waters. Personal letters, letter size tape recordings and post cards in their generally accepted form are entitled to free transit. Letters sent under this free mail policy will be handled as US air mail. Your full military address to include name, rank, and service number must appear on the envelope. The word FREE in the upper right hand corner must be in YOUR handwriting. It cannot be typed or mechanically marked.

Mail may be sent free to the Foreign countries. Letters so mailed cannot be registered. They may be sent special delivery if an additional special delivery charge is paid. The words "Postage Paid" or "Port Paye" must be stamped in the upper right hand corner. APO will perform this service. Handwritten or type written lettering is not acceptable.

Packages under 5 pounds sent regular mail will, whenever possible, be handled via Air Mail between Saigon and the San Francisco Post Office.

Laos MMFI cover

2007-11-14T20:53:00.001-05:00

This cover, sent from Laos to France in early 1966 has a return address of 'MMFI'. The Mission Militaire Francaise d'Instruction assisted American Special Forces training Hmong troops in Laos and later flew them to the Vietnam border for fighting. The MMFI reportedly left Laos in 1962, but I noted accounts of MMFI operating between between 1964 and 1975, so the hiatus was apparently a short one.

+++++++++++++++

Philippe Drillien responded to this post based on his personal experiences with the MMFI:

According to the Genova agreements in 1962, France was the only foreign country allowed to have soldiers in Laos. The aim of these soldiers (MMFI) was to help the Laotion Government in instructing the Laotian soldiers.

When I arrived in Laos, in 1969, the MMFI was still operating in Laos. If I remember well, only 6 French military instructors helped instruct the Laotians: one (or two) in Paksé, two or (three) in Luang Prabang; the remaining were teaching French and mathematics in the military Chinaimo school (near Vientiane).

Besides these six instructors, the MMFI included at least 30 or 40 other military personnel because the MMFI ruled a Bureau Postal Militaire (BPM), a hospital for the French living in Laos, a mini supermarket and even a place for movies. This mission was housed in Wat Tay (close to the airport).

In 1975, the MMFI was asked to close by the Laotian Government. To the best of my memory, the communique that has been published stated, "The situation has changed; the MMFI does not correspond to the new situation. Laotian and French Governments agree to make an end to the mission. The end of the mission does not alter in any way the excellent relationships between the two countries."

The mission definitively closed in October 1975 (I shall try to find the exact date in my archives). The same day, Soviet people (civilian? militarians? KGB? I do not know) entered Wat Tay (ex-French campus) and replaced the MMFI. The merchandise of the mini-supermarket was sold within a few days to the members of the different Embassies. I remember that I met there, for the first time, the American "Charge de Mission" as there was no longer a US Ambassador.

Ban Me Thuot Bungalow 1964

2007-11-02T21:10:00.003-04:00

In 1964, the MACV Advisory team to the ARVN 23rd Division was stationed in Ban Me Thuot, operating out of a set of wooden structures known as the Bungalow. The buildings were said to be a hunting lodge of Bao Dai, modeled after Montangard long houses. Local legend said that Teddy Roosevelt stayed there while hunting tigers. It burned to the ground in December 1969.

The senior adviser of the 23rd Division at the time was Lieutenant Colonel Irving Wendt, whom I wrote about back in June in his role with the War Graves Registration.

This registered cover was sent 0n 11 November 1964 by von Jena from the German Office of the Military, Naval and Air Attache in Saigon.

"Dear Colonel," writes Jena. "Back in Saigon after a smooth flight I wish to thank you very much for your hospitality. I reallly enjoyed your comfortable bungalow. I also wish to thank all the officers of your staff as well as Lieutenant-Colonel Bringham, Chief Adviser to the Province Chief, and his men who looked after me so well. Banmethuot has been a real success for me, and I am particularly happy that right at my first visit I could establish good contacts everywhere.

Would you also remember me to General Lu Lan, Commander of the 23rd Infantry Division, and give my regards and best wishes to the Province Chief, Major Nguyen Dinh Vinh through Lieutenant-Colonel Bringham.

Last but not least, please convey my thanks to Captain Hickman under Lieutenant-Colonel Bringham for having accompanied me to the artillery positions and for his efficient explanations.

I do hope I'll be able to come back again and perhaps have a look at one of the Special Forces Camps."

South Vietnamese Naval Post Card

2007-10-27T20:51:00.001-04:00

Picture postcards like this one were given out for free on the ship HQ 04, the Tuy Dong in the early 1970s. They may have been available on other ships as well.

The postcard depicts the Tuy Dong and HQ 07, the Dong Da II. It was sent by a First Lieutenant on board HQ 09, the Ky Hoa, on 26 Feb 1972 operating from KBC 6678. It is stamped with a nice HQ 09 cachet.

Ministry of Defense Draft Notice

2007-10-27T20:45:00.001-04:00

This document was sent without an enclosure in September 1973 by the Ministry of Defense, Joint Chief of Staff, Administrative Department, Recruitment (KBC 4211).

The document informs the recipient of a change in his draft status. He was previously exempted from the draft for health reasons, but the review board has determined that he is fit for duty. He will soon receive a request to report to the draft center for review.

New SVN Military Insignia Added to Web Site

2007-10-12T20:40:00.001-04:00

I just made some updates to the military insignia section of my web site. Click on a thumbnail to go directly to the page for that insignia. I still need to fill in some detail about these covers.

Unified National Assembly Hand Stamp

2007-09-17T20:57:00.000-04:00

In 1976, a hand stamp was produced to announce the elections for a "Unified National Assembly" to take place on 25 April. The result of this first assembly was the creation of a single country in July under the banner of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

The hand stamp is typically found in red ink on commemorative covers franked with Mien Nam (MN) stamps as shown in the illustration above. The text reads, "Vietnam Independence, United Socialist Ideology, 25-4-1976, Ho Chi Minh City." A variation, from Hanoi, is found on commemorative covers franked with North Vietnamese stamps.

The second cover (below) shows a postally used military cover with the hand stamp applied in black ink, which is unusual. The marking was applied in transit, ostensibly on April 25th (the cover is backstamped a couple of days later).

The red, boxed marking says, "Every voter go vote." This is the first example I have seen with either marking on a commercial military cover.

Purple Flower Parachute (Airborne) Cover

2007-07-19T21:22:00.001-04:00

I plan on working up an article on the Vietnamese Airborne Division (Nhay Du) with a complete list of related KBC numbers when I have time. I cannot believe how busy I have been this summer.

This cover is a new acquisition. The sender is from the "Purple Flower Parachute" company (DD Hoa Dzu Tim) of the 2nd Airborne Battalion serviced by KBC 4247. I can only imagine what they must have looked like dropping from the sky if the company name was a reflection of reality!

The recipient was a member of the 1st Airborne Battalion (KBC 4563). Who could resist the linked dog tags outlining the addresses on this cover? The cover was sent in June 1974, postage free as was allowed for mail between military units.

++++++++++++

I will be at the APS StampShow in Portland, Oregon on Thursday August 9th.

US Army War Graves Registration, Saigon 1946

2007-06-22T21:26:00.000-04:00

In August, 1946 the US Army sent the War Graves Registration to Saigon. Lieutenant Irving Wendt and his team were on assignment in SE Asia looking for the bodies and graves of downed pilots and other victims of World War II.

The only military personnel killed in action during this period that I am aware of was Lt. Colonel Peter Dewey of the OSS. Dewey had been in Vietnam only three weeks as part of project Embankment. He was killed at a Vietnamese checkpoint in an unmarked vehicle while waiting for a his delayed flight to Ceylon.

The first cover was sent by Lt. Wendt in Saigon 20 August 1946. The second, a post card, was sent by him from the Netherlands Indies the following February. On the reverse he talks a bit about his work - and suffering a dog bite as an occupational hazard.

Hua Hin Airfield Construction Company 1956

2007-06-22T21:10:00.000-04:00

In 1956, a US Army Engineer Heavy Construction Company was tasked with constructing and expanding the Hua Hin Airfield in Thailand in anticipation of build up in Indo-china. The airfield was later used for covert flights into Laos. This cover was sent by Captain John T. Myers at APO 74, Box "B" (Bangkok) to Corvalis, Oregon.

Thanks to Bob Munshower for the background information on this cover.

Crab Insignia cover - update

2007-06-12T21:50:00.001-04:00

Back in December I posted a request for more information about a cover with a crab insignia. Here is a quick summary of what I have learned.

The cover is related to the Phoenix program. It was sent from the "Rung Chi Linh" training facility in Vung Tau built for the Binh Dinh Nong Program. Paramilitary police also trained here. "Rung Chi Linh" is printed on the inside of the letter sheet, so the crab is definitely the program's insignia.

As you can tell from some of my posts I am spending time focusing on US Forces, especially early involvement (1945-1964) and material related to covert operations - both US and Vietnamese. If you have interesting items to sell/trade, let me know.

Special Operations Augmentation

2007-06-12T21:07:00.002-04:00

Special Operations Augmentation (SOA) provided cover for the clandestine Studies and Operations Group (SOG). The recipient was a member of SOA Command and Control South, 5th Special Forces Group Airborne. This group formed the core of SOG ground missions. SOG ran highly classified sabotage and psychological and special operations in North and South Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and southern China.

The cover was sent Registered mail from Thailand in September 1970. The rubber stamp marking on the cover front simply reads "Air Mail" in English and Thai script.

ROK White Horse Registered Cover

2007-06-08T16:40:00.000-04:00

The Korea Philately journal apparently hasn't been published in a while, so my request for assistance identifying ROK covers is still with the editor. I will try some other avenues to get info. In the mean time, I picked up some new ROK forces covers at NAPEX. I will add them to my web site when I have a chance.

The illustrated cover has what I assume is a registry label affixed. I haven't seen this before.

Naval Officer Training Center in Rhode Island

2007-05-20T09:31:00.001-04:00

Selected officer candidates in the Vietnamese Navy attended the Naval Officer Training Center in Rhode Island. This cover was sent in 1973.

A typical training program went like this: Quang Trung Training Center for basic training. If you tested high for English aptitude, you were sent to the Boat School in Saigon where you were taught English by U.S. Navy and civilian contractors. Some Finns even taught English here. Students were housed in two large ships anchored in the Saigon River in front of the Vietnamese Naval Headquarters. Those who did well at Boat School went on to train as officers. During the "Vietnamization" period, the high number of candidates resulted in some being trained in Australia.

VNNOC = "Vietnam Navy Officer Candidate"
IOCS = "International Officer Candidate School"

Thanks to Vinh Nguyen for this information.

KBC 4304 Soc Trang Airbase Cover 1953

2007-05-14T21:41:00.000-04:00

This cover was sent from the sergeant in charge of personnel at Soc Trang Air Base southeast of Can Tho on 24 November 1953. The fledgling Vietnamese Air Force was still under French command at this time.

The red unit cachet carries the abbreviation "S.P." or Sector Postal in French. A Sector Postal was the equivalent of the American A.P.O. address and had five digits. The number on this cachet has four digits (4304), reflecting the new Vietnamese KBC numbering system.

Note the sender used the abbreviation "KBC" in the return address. Four-digit Sector Postal hand stamps were in use for only a couple of years.

Vietnamese Merchant Marine School Cover

2007-05-09T21:27:00.000-04:00

The date on this cover appears to be 1953. It is definitely from the French period during the early 1950s. The printed return address on this cover reads:

State of Viet Nam

Education Ministry

Vietnamese Sea Transport/Merchant Marine School

According to Vinh Nguyen who served with the Vietnamese Navy:

"This school is where the French trained the Vietnamese to serve in various functions on their ships. This school was later turned over to the Vietnamese and in operation for many years. After the French left Indo-china the South Vietnamese Navy was founded and inherited a number of warships from the French. In order to build up the Navy the government began recruiting mariners from this school."

The recipient was a second mechanic aboard the French ship Pigneau De Bihaine. The address is appended, "Saigon."

The French abbreviation S.M.E.O. means (thanks Philippe):

S means "Service" (or Society)
M means "Maritime"
E.O means "Extrême Orient"

The red hand stamp reads:

Quoc Gia Viet Nam: "State of Viet Nam"

Hang Hai Hoc Hieu: "Merchant Marine School"

Hieu Truong: "School Principal" (office of).

NAPEX

2007-04-29T21:24:00.001-04:00

I have a backlog of material to research, post to this blog and write up for the Indochina Philatelist, but spring is here and I just can't seem to stay out of the yard. I'll post some more things soon.

In the meantime, I wanted to mention that I will be at NAPEX on Saturday, June 2nd in time for the SICP annual meeting. I look forward to seeing everyone who can make it.

Registry and Urgent Delivery Rates on Military Covers

2007-04-17T21:00:00.000-04:00

An "M3" style letter sheet with a Registry label is shown front and back. The cover was sent on 15 Nov 1972 franked with 24 dong in stamps - in addition to the military free-frank stamp printed on the letter sheet.

The registry rate was 15d through November 1972. How to account for the additional 9d in postage? In this case, the free-frank stamp apparently did not cover the basic letter rate. The military letter rate was 5d and the civilian rate was 10d. The domestic air mail rate was 18d. Any ideas how the 9d was calculated - or was the amount paid simply incorrect?

The second cover, sent express or for "urgent" delivery was sent from the Vietnamese 8th Marine Battalion at KBC 6618 on 9 August 1973. The cover is franked with 50 dong in postage, covering 10d for the civilian letter rate and 40d for express service.

Thanks to John Carroll for the updated rate tables.

2500 Planes Shot Down FDC

2007-04-03T20:27:00.000-04:00

There is nothing subtle about a lot of Communist Vietnamese propaganda produced during the American war. A series of "plane shot down" stamps commemorate, over the course of several sets, the mounting tally of American and allied planes brought down. According to the propagandists, by the time these two stamps were issued on 6 November, 1967 2,500 planes had met their fiery demise.

The hand-stamped cachet/cancel, shown in both red and black, depicts a B-52 bomber with the tail aflame.

I have not previously seen a First Day Cover of this issue.

Aviation Investors

2007-03-20T20:51:00.000-04:00

Aviation Investors was a civilian front for the CIA and its operational company, Vietnam Air Transport, was used to conduct Operation Haylift. More on this later, but here is a cover from 1962 from an R.F. McGrath "Aviation Investors, Inc."

Helgoland Cover with German Stamps

2007-03-20T20:16:00.001-04:00

I have an article in the current Indo-china Philatelist Journal (#177) on the German hospital ship Helgoland that served in Vietnam during the war. The covers illustrated in the article are franked with Vietnamese stamps. Here is one franked with German stamps - or more accurately, "has German stamps affixed and canceled" as it is completely philatelic in nature. The cachet also differs from the ones shown with the article.

Mien Nam Military Cover with Red Postmark

2007-03-07T21:36:00.004-05:00

The abbreviation "M.N." on this postmark stands for Mien Nam, as the Communist regime referred to the "southern region" or liberated areas of South Vietnam.

The use of red ink is unusual, but the main appeal to me is its use in conjunction with a military stamp. Mien Nam postmarks typically canceled Mien Nam stamps, such as the ones depicting Ho Chi Minh watering a tree. Military stamps and M.N. postmarks are not often found together.

Tuy Phuoc is near Quy Nhon, and near the site of Champa towers built centuries ago.

UPDATE: This cover is a fake. For whatever reason I was only paying attention to the postmark and the fact that it was applied to a military stamp, but I didn't recognize the obvious - that the stamp was issued in 1982. Thanks to Ta Phi Long and John Carroll for noticing and calling it to my attention.

1947 Cover to Colonel Gardet from Laos

2007-03-02T11:44:00.001-05:00

I am looking for some feedback on the return address of this cover. Postmarked April 1947, the cover was sent to Roger Gardet in France, who later served as a general in Indo-china.

From what I can decipher, the return address reads:

Adjunct Chef (Chief Warrant Officer) Maurgouet(?)
Transmission (signal)
Forces du Laos
S.P. 54.035
B.P.M. 411

Any corrections to my interpretation?

What units were operating in Laos at this time that could have been the source of this correspondence?

South Vietnam Military Postal Rates in 1972

2007-02-28T20:40:00.000-05:00

This cover has several aspects that set it apart from typical ARVN training covers of the period.

It was sent by a soldier training at the Thu Duc Infantry School (KBC 4100) in 1972 on a piece of United Nations stationery. He was in the 5th class of 1972 (Khoa 5/72). I am guessing that TBTX is an abbreviation for "Tham Bao Thien Xa" or Recon Unit Sharpshooter. Tell me if you think I am completely off the mark.

Despite the western (or at least American) style lines in the upper left corner for a return address, the sender created a triangle in the lower left corner typical of Vietnamese military correspondence.

The stamp, a coil version of the King Quang Trung stamp (Scott 411a) pays a 6d rate from a military personnel to a civilian address. A Quan Buu machine postmark cancels the stamp.

The sender wanted to make sure the return correspondence was properly addressed, so inside he drew up what the envelope should look like, including the addition of 10d postage.

Based on this cover, postage rates in August 1972 were 6d from military personnel and 10d sent to military personnel. The 10d rate is common, but I don't recall seeing a 6d rate. I need to dig through my covers to see if I have others I have forgotten about. Or of course the sender might have just gotten away with using a cheaper stamp.

Jim G. Lucas - Journalist

2007-02-24T07:05:00.000-05:00

A 25-year reporter for Scripps-Howard as a Washington and foreign correspondent, Jim Griffing Lucas won the Pulitzer prize for journalism in 1954. He was selected for Ernie Pyle awards during the Korean War in 1953, and the Vietnam War in 1964. No stranger to adventure, he was a member of Admiral Richard E. Byrd's 1947 Expedition to the South Pole. Mr. Lucas was buried in Oklahoma in 1970 and honored in his hometown of Checotah with the library named in his honor.

This cover was sent from Hanoi on 12 May 1954 by Jim Lucas as a member of the "Camp de Presse". Presumably Lucas was reporting on the Battle of Dien Bien Phu. The French had fallen to Vo Nguyen Giap's forces less than a week before this cover was posted.

The recipient, Clark H. Getts, was a public relations counsel and booking agent.

National Police Training Center

2007-02-14T20:30:00.000-05:00

Sent in 1960, this cover contains a love letter from a woman in Khanh Hoi to her boyfriend at the National Police Training Center in Vung Tau.

The Rach Dua training center, under Colonel Nguyen Van Be trained police (Canh Sat Quoc Gia), undercover police and youth member forces.

Garde Nationale Thai Binh

2007-02-11T19:20:00.002-05:00

This cover sent in 1952 by a sergeant, "Le Commandant" of the Thai Binh, National Guard ("Garde Nationale") Nord-Vietnam. Thai Binh is located about 20 miles from the Gulf of Tonkin and not far from the Red River, Southeast of Hanoi.

The cover is from a group of covers sent to a language institute in Paris that I picked up at the Washington 2006 show.

NVN Military Stamp Wanted on Cover

2007-02-03T09:15:00.000-05:00

I am looking for a copy of the brown "invalids on water wheel" North Vietnamese military stamp postally used on cover with a clear cancel. Ideally it will be used around the time the stamp was issued, but anything before April 30, 1975 would be okay. Please contact me if you have one to sell or trade.

Very Early BDQ (Ranger) Cover

2007-02-03T08:58:00.000-05:00

The South Vietnamese Ranger organization (Biet Dong Quan) was officially formed in July 1960. The depicted cover is the earliest Biet Dong Quan cover known to me. It was sent on Sept 21st, 1960 to a sergeant on the training staff of the Ranger Training Center (Huan Luyen) in Dong De, Nha Trang.

The Thu Duc registry label and clear postmark make this a nice cover from a philatelic standpoint as well.

Letter from Major in the VNAF

2007-01-30T21:17:00.000-05:00

This cover was sent in November, 1974 by Tran Thanh Tung, a Major in the Vietnamese Air Force (VNAF) 3rd Division stationed in Bien Hoa approx 15 miles north of Saigon. The air base was served by KBC 3004.

Bien Hoa was also known as Air Base 23. The number "2" indicated that it was the second air base to be established for military use. The first was in Nha Trang. Bien Hoa became the VNAF logistic support base on 1 Jun 1955. The number "3" indicated the military region.

Typically, the Vietnamese Air Force was referred to as "Khong Quan", but the return address uses the term "Khong Luc."

"V.N.C.H." is Viet Nam Cong Hoa.

"DT" or "dien thoi" is telephone number.

"Hoa Tieu" means pilot - perhaps "Lead Pilot"?

The enclosure is in regards to purchasing a used Fiat from an older gentleman on Pasteur Street in Saigon.

Viet Minh Commem Covers on eBay

2007-01-20T13:47:00.000-05:00

Covers from the First Meeting of the Vietnam General Assembly in 1946 are being offered on eBay by a French seller (click here). The interesting thing to me is that he has a stack of these things.

Also offered are unaddressed covers with the Viet Minh cathedral stamps affixed and canceled, as well covers with the 1953 Telecommunications Festival stamps with red cachet (Richard Aspnes lists the cachet in both red and blue on his Commemorative Markings CD). Again, small stacks of these covers are shown, but only a single set seems to be offered.

I'm not planning on bidding, but I contacted the seller out of curiosity to see whether he accepts PayPal and ships to the United States. His reply, "Hello, bonjour. I don't accept paypal, but you can pay me with dollars and shit off paper in envelope - merci. BRUNO."

If you've been looking to pick up examples of these covers, the opening bid price is right (9 euros) although dealing with the seller might be interesting. Let me know how it goes.

Fake Postmarks on NVN Millitary Covers

2007-01-19T20:49:00.000-05:00

Be alert to bogus postmarks on North Vietnamese military covers. This post illustrates two examples with different levels of sophistication.

I obtained these covers at different times from a trading partner in Hanoi, whom I don't think realized that these were bogus. We exchanged want lists and acquired items for each other. I am convinced that these and other covers were custom made for me from a faker in North Vietnam.

In other words, my trading partner asked a stamp dealer for a particular stamp on cover and was told to check back in a couple of weeks at which point, lo and behold, the seller had come up with the stamp on cover. These particular stamps are not at all easy to locate used on cover, however they are readily available in mint condition. The seller could remove the stamp from a genuine cover or create one from scratch.

The first cover is a simple fake featuring the orange military stamp depicting a soldier with outstretched rifle. It is meant to be an adversity envelope made from a piece of notebook paper due to the lack of paper during the war. In reality, the paper is clean and nice smelling(!) so definitely not genuine. More obvious is the cancel, which looks to be hand drawn with a pen. It is not quite round and you can see the individual pen strokes.
The second cover is "better" in that the faker went to the trouble of soaking the original stamp and postmark off the cover. Unfortunately, he got a bit zealous with the water, leaving water stains and smearing the ink in the address. But we've all seen Vietnamese military covers in much worse condition, so this is not an immediate tip off.

The benefit of this approach is the faker has genuine postmarks on the reverse to lend credence to the cover

The postmarks on the front of the cover were then applied, again apparently drawn with a pen. At least the forger knew enough to make these an earlier date from the receiving marks on the back. But how many NVN military covers apply an additional cancel to the decorative cachet?

I have a dozen or so examples of fake covers like these, so let me know if you are interested in seeing more (and yes, my trading partner provided enough genuine material to make it worthwhile maintaining the relationship).

Some of the fakes have hand-stamped postmarks making them more difficult to identify, and some appear to have been made by another person with a different "style", but all have the same pleasant smell (Vietnamese military covers don't smell nice!) and all have a random splash of something on them that glows brightly under black light that leads me to conclude that they all came from the same source.

Vietnamese Recon Unit Cover

2007-01-19T20:32:00.000-05:00

Here is a cover sent in April 1966 from a member of a Vietnamese Recon company (dai doi tham Bao) operating from KBC 3338. Based on the enclosed letter, the sender is writing to a girl in Saigon whose address he got from a buddy in his unit. This is his first attempt to befriend her.

"Tien tuyen" in the upper right corner is a term used to indicate the sender is in the front line, and "hau phuong"means in the rear or city, so "tien tuyen goi hau phuong" literally means "front line to the rear."

Thanks to Vinh Nguyen for the translation.

Korean Forces in Vietnam

2007-01-12T20:41:00.000-05:00

I am planning on writing an article on military mail from Republic of Korea (ROK) forces operating in Vietnam. My goal is to provide a basic reference for identifying this material, showing how to determine the military unit, approximate usage date and that a cover originated in Vietnam.

I have reached out to the members of the Korea Philately Society for assistance and have gleaned some information from several web sites and publications, including Allied Participation in Vietnam, published by the Department of the Army.

If you have information on this topic, please contact me.

Click here to view the ROK military covers on my web site.

River Assault Group to Phu Quoc Prison

2007-01-06T07:55:00.000-05:00

River Assault Group 23 (GD23XP in Vietnamese) was stationed in Vinh Long province in the delta. The cover was sent from patrol boat 1533, according to the letter's contents.

The cover received a nice Hai Quan Viet-Nam (Vietnamese Navy) military mail hand stamp on sending from KBC 3323.

The cover was also hand stamped with a military police insignia, depicting crossed pistols over a star. The recipient was a military policeman from Company D7 on Phu Quoc Island, served by KBC 4286.

The handwritten note at the bottom of the envelope, “thu 0 nguoi nhan xin hoan lai kbc 3323," means “unknown recipient, return to sender”. The MP insignia handstamp was probably applied as part of the return routing.

USARPACINTS

2007-01-05T22:07:00.000-05:00

USARPACINTS stands for United States Army Pacific Intelligence School, which was located in Okinawa and serviced by APO 331. Below are two covers, one sent to a Vietnamese Lieutenant training at the school, the other from a Vietnamese Lieutenant to Saigon.

Below are two citations that comprise the extent of the information I have been able to locate online about the school.

One unique feature of the Pacific theater was the existence of the U.S. Army Intelligence School, Pacific. Unlike other Army intelligence training facilities overseas, the Pacific intelligence school, set up on Okinawa in 1958, trained foreigners, not Americans. The students from seven different countries bordering the Pacific basin took courses in combat intelligence and counterintelligence techniques until the reversion of Okinawa to Japanese sovereignty brought operations to a halt in 1975.
http://www.army.mil/CMH/books/Lineage/mi/ch8.htm

More tantalizing are the following excerpts that school was linked to "Project X" and potentially the Phoenix program.

Until the early 1980s, the U.S. military ran an intelligence training program in Latin America and elsewhere using manuals that taught foreign officers to offer bounties for captured or killed insurgents, spy on nonviolent political opponents, kidnap rebels' family members and blackmail unwanted informants, according to recently declassified Army and Defense Department documents.

The manuals, known as Project X, were written by U.S. Army experts starting in 1965 for use by the U.S.-funded Joint Foreign Intelligence Assistance Program. Portrayed by the Army as instructional materials to help friendly governments fight Cuban- and Soviet-inspired rebels in Latin America, the manuals were "in fact a guide for the conduct of clandestine operations" against domestic political adversaries including peaceful ones, according to a panel of Army experts that later reviewed some of the material.

Army officials were unable to provide details about the intelligence assistance program, such as the date it ended or the countries where it operated. It's also impossible to tell how the use of the training manuals may have influenced the actions of foreign militaries.

The intelligence assistance program was first used in 1965 to train Vietnamese and other foreign nationals at the then-U.S. Army Pacific Intelligence School on Okinawa, Japan, and also operated in Iran in the late 1970s, according to the records.

"This school is in an excellent position to meet requests for intelligence training submitted by" military advisers and attaches in "the Pacific and Southeast Asia area," a 1965 informational brochure on the program states.

One counterintelligence official told Army officials in 1991 that she believed the program might be linked to the Phoenix program, a U.S. military and CIA undertaking that resulted in the assassinations of thousands of South Vietnamese suspected of disloyalty. Some of the Project X materials appeared to be the same as the Phoenix lessons, and the Army intelligence school was teaching a course on the Phoenix program at the same time that the Project X manuals were being written, she noted.

During the mid-1970s, after the intelligence school moved to Fort Huachuca, Ariz., the school "began exporting, on request, Project X material to MAAGs, MILGROUPS, defense attaches, and other U.S. military agencies participating in the U.S. advisory-training effort in friendly foreign countries," according to a short history of the program prepared in 1991.

The program's history is difficult to trace in part because Defense Department intelligence oversight officials, after seeing what the manuals contained in 1991, ordered that the original documentation be destroyed. The ostensible reason was so the materials could never be used again.
http://www.soaw.org/new/newswire_detail.php?id=996

SMA Baby Formula Flyer with Quan Buu Postmark

2006-12-24T09:29:00.000-05:00

Here is an unusual item - a promotional flyer for baby formula from the "SMA" company. It was sent to Doctor Mai Le Hiep at the Cong Hoa hospital in 1965. This was the largest military hospital in Saigon, the other military hospital in the city was the operated by the Navy along the Saigon River.

The military hospital had its own KBC number (I'll try and find it), but the sender apparently didn't know the number so it was addressed directly to the hospital and placed in the civilian mail on April 3rd. A meter paid 0.80d postage. The cover was transfered to the military post office for delivery and received the military "Quan Buu" postmark on April 5th.

ARVN Photo Postcard

2006-12-12T20:47:00.001-05:00

The Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) issued a number of different postcards for use by troops. Many had civilian scenes, such as women buying fruit at a market on the picture side. The reverse typically had a military insignia or printed KBC number.

This postcard has a distinctly military theme with text reading, "Practice well, study well to build strong armed forces." It was sent from KBC 4918, the military boot camp in Nha Trang. According to the contents, the sender was drafted on 22 May 1965, at age 30. He received a stipend for the difference in pay between his regular job as his duty as a Private in the Army.

Fake LKV Cover on eBay

2006-12-11T20:20:00.000-05:00

Spanish eBay seller "annflo" listed a Lien Khu V cover with what are surely bogus Ho Chi Minh and Family Left Behind stamps, surcharged with new values. The cover is meant to be an artifact of the Viet Minh in central Vietnam during the early 1950s. Starting bid price is a steep $180. View the auction here.

Update: The cover did not sell when it was initially listed. On Dec 22nd this cover was re-listed with a starting price of $150.

Another similar cover was posted on Dec 15. It has what appear to be five bogus Family Left Behind stamps a cachet depicting Ho Chi Minh and a a North Vietnamese flag. View auction here. Update: the cover was relisted Dec. 25 at $99 after not selling. After not selling again, the cover was listed for $90 on January 5th.

Where did the name Imnaha come from?

2006-12-10T19:55:00.000-05:00

I was asked today why I use "Imnaha" as my online name. I get asked that quite a bit, and no, it doesn't have anything to do with Vietnam.

Imnaha is a small town of around 30 people in the canyon lands of far northeastern Oregon, not far from Hell's Canyon and the Snake River. The Nez Perce tribe wintered in these canyons and spent time their summers in the beautiful Wallowa mountains. I grew up near Joseph, Oregon on the banks of Wallowa Lake.

When I first ventured online in the early 1990s with my newly minted 14,400 baud modem, I needed a username for the bulletin board systems I wanted to dial into. This was before Mosaic and Netscape were available to surf the nascent web.

Imnaha seemed like a good choice because to me, it epitomized a frontier and a small community like these bulletin boards. It was also a unique name that was unlikely to be used by others as I signed up for other sites. I also liked that there was a philatelic tie-in of a mail boat, called the Imnaha that traveled up and down the Snake River delivering mail to small outposts until it ran aground.

I try to make the 30 mile drive from Joseph down to Imnaha when I'm in that neck of the country visiting friends and family. I joked about buying the post office that was recently for sale on the banks of the Imnaha River, but I don't think my family is ready to live 2 hours from the nearest traffic light.

Crab Insignia Cover

2006-12-10T15:46:00.000-05:00

Does anyone have any information about the crab insignia on this cover? Was it used by a paramilitary unit? The return address is Lien Doan 84, Tong Doan 8, Box 20, Vung Tao. The postmark is from Vung Tao in 1968.

1958 Official Naval Cover to Mayor of Saigon

2006-12-10T12:53:00.000-05:00

This cover contains a letter to the Mayor of Saigon from the Commanding Officer of the Navy Shipyard. "Hai Quan Cong Xuong" was the main shipyard by the Saigon River not far from the South Vietnamese Naval Headquarters.

The shipyard was a large complex with several departments responsible for maintenance and repair.

"Cong Van" handstamped at the top of the cover means "Official Document". Written beneath the handstamp is, "001/HQCX/HC/QT" where "001" is presumably a document number, "HQCX" is the abbreviation for Hai Quan Cong Xuong - the Naval Shipyard, 'HC" is not known - perhaps a department abbreviation, and finally, "QT" for Quan Thu, or military mail.

As the cover is unaddressed, it most likely was included in a larger envelope (think interoffice mail) or hand delivered.

In the enclosed memo, Naval Commander Tran Van Chon requests the official price of firewood (coal?) for February 1958 from the Mayoral office. This information was needed for his accounting department in their compilation of the monthly budget.

The request was signed by Navy Lieutentant Tran Van Bieu, Executive Officer of the Naval Accounting Department.

Tran Van Chon went on to become the Secretary of the Navy, a position he held up to the last days of the war. He refused to be evacuated and was imprisoned a number of years until Admiral Emo Zumwalt and other senior retired officers petitioned for this release and immigration to the U.S. Apparently, Chon and Zumwalt had formed a strong relationship during the war. They were reunited for a few years before Admiral Zumwalt passed away. Admiral Chon is nearing 80 years old.

Thanks for Vinh Nguyen for his assistance with this cover.

Bao Dam Registered Lettersheet

2006-12-06T21:32:00.000-05:00

This cover is a familiar lettersheet with an "M3 type" pre-printed stamp that allowed it to be sent via the Vietnamese military postal system without additional postage. In this case, the cover was dispatched from KBC 4820 from a soldier to his wife. There is nothing special about the contents.

The interesting aspect is the Bao Dam (registered) marking. The military free-frank privilege did not cover additional services like express mail or registration. What is going on here? My guess is that the sender worked at the military post office (or had a friend who did) and took advantage of access to the Bao Dam handstamp to upgrade his mail. It looks like it worked, as no postage due was visibly assessed on arrival.

More Bogus NVN Material on eBay

2006-12-05T21:48:00.000-05:00

EBay seller 'archiguy' continues to list bogus North Vietnamese "local" stamps. Here's one from a current auction listed as a "Vietnam ANNAM Local stamp 1954 LKV 5 Ho Chi Minh".

Previous contacts to this seller to acknowledge these items as fake only resulted in him making his bidders' IDs private - presumably to prevent anyone from warning them to use caution. The seller has positive feedback so winners are either unaware of the item status or they are happy paying decent sums for bogus items.

Caveat emptor.

Registered Vietnamese Ranger Cover with "Repaired" Label

2006-12-05T21:42:00.000-05:00

This cover was sent by a Vietnamese Ranger (Biet Dong Quan) via registered mail from KBC 4926. This was the Duc My Ranger Training Center in Nha Trang. The other number is the soldier's military number or So Quan. The stamps are cancelled with a military Quan Buu postmark 1 October 1968.

The most interesting aspect of this cover is the label affixed at the bottom. It was applied in transit by the (non-military) post office. The text reads, "the parcel was damaged when received," and "the cover has been repaired."

The label is unusual in that it contains both Vietnamese and French text at a date when French was no longer an official language. By 1968 French was taught in school as foreign language but most school kids chose English for practicality. Perhaps there was a stockpile of these labels from the 1950s.

Welcome to Imnaha Stamps

2006-12-05T21:40:00.001-05:00

Thanks for visiting. I am a student of the conflicts in Vietnam chronicled through postal history, stamps and historical documents. My primary focus spans the Japanese occupation in 1945 through the fall of Saigon in 1975, following all participants.

The topics covered in this blog are mainly military in nature, however anything philatelic or related to Vietnam is fair game.

This blog supplements my website www.imnahastamps.com with short pieces of research, quick notes and other items I find interesting. Some items may make their way into the Indo-china Philatelist or other philatelic journals.

Thanks to Vinh Nguyen, formerly of the South Vietnamese Navy (Hai Quan), for help with translations.

Please post comments to share information, offer corrections, or to ask questions. Or contact me directly at