Vietnamese Navy Seahorse Insignia Cover

It is rare for me to come across a new insignia on a South Vietnamese military cover these days, but every now and then I am pleasantly surprised. 

This cover has several things going for it (in addition to the lovely mint paper color):

1. Crisp military insignia and name of the ship in the corner card
2. Triangular officer KBC cachet with the HQ number
3. It was sent between military KBC postal zones

HQ-14 was the hull number of the Van Kiep II, a Patrol Craft Escort of World War II vintage, formerly the USS Amherst and acquired by the Vietnamese Navy in 1970. At the end of the Vietnam War she regrouped with other naval vessels near Con Son Island, then made her way to Subic Bay on May 8, 1975. She later resurfaced under the Philippine Navy.

While the postmark is illegible, the enclosed letter dates the usage as June 1974. The letter was sent  from a naval officer to the Naval Medical Facility in Saigon at KBC 4595.

You can view more military covers with insignia on my website.

Archer and Hut Handstamps on Vietnamese Military Covers

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.

SP 4736 Cachet / NAPEX

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

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.

Remember the Year of the Monkey

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.

Postcard from Vietnamese Marine Training at Quantico

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.

South Vietnamese Naval Ship Listing

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.

Sea Eagles - Vietnamese 8th Marine Battalion

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

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.

3rd Infantry Division Cover

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

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.

Ferocious Tigers - Vietnamese 9th Marine Battalion

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.

KBC 4076 Cover "K.V.K."

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

South Vietnamese Naval Post Card

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

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.

Purple Flower Parachute (Airborne) Cover

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.

KBC 4304 Soc Trang Airbase Cover 1953

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.

Registry and Urgent Delivery Rates on Military Covers

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.

Very Early BDQ (Ranger) Cover

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

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.