ORIGINAL VIETNAM WAR 'SALTY' US M-1C REAR SEAM, SWIVEL LOOP HELMET & PARA LINER

Description

ORIGINAL
VIETNAM WAR
"SALTY"
U.S. M-1C REAR SEAM,
SWIVEL BALE PARATROOPER
*
HELMET
*PLEASE NOTE: THIS HELMET HAS NOT BEEN REMOVED FROM THE MITCHELL HELMET COVER, NOR HAS THE LINER BEEN REMOVED FROM THE HELMET! THIS MEANS THAT ANY HELMET OR LINER DEFECTS WERE NOT VISIBLE TO US
,
NOR ARE ANY POTENTIAL DEFECTS (OTHER THAN THE OBVIOUS RUST ON THE FRONT OF THE HELMET) VISIBLE IN ANY OF THE PHOTOS
!
PLEASE REVIEW ALL IMAGES & WRITTEN INFORMATION AND EMAIL ANY QUESTIONS PRIOR TO PLACING A BID
!
THIS
ORIGINAL
(
UNRESTOR
ED)
M-1C PARATROOPER HELMET IS PAIRED
WITH THE
ORIGINAL
VIETNAM WAR PARA LINER
(*UNRESTOR
ED - LINER, SOLDIERS STEEL HELMET "COMBAT" TYPE II - DSA DATED 1969
)
AND AN
ORIGINAL
VIETNAM WAR MITCHELL HELMET COVER (COVER SHOWS EXCESSIVE COMBAT WAR & STAINING
[SEE PHOTOS]
AND HAS NOT BEEN REMOVED FOR DATE INFORMATION
!
). AN ORIGINAL VIETNAM WAR BAND, HELMET WAS ALSO PRESENT ON THE
ORIGINAL
HELMET
(PLEASE REVIEW ALL IMAGES
!
)
PLEASE NOTE:
NO RESTORATION EFFORTS HAVE BEEN UNDERTAKEN WITH EITHER THIS
ORIGINAL
VIETNAM WAR M-1C HELMET, THE
ORIGINAL
M-1C PARA LINER OR THE
ORIGINAL
MITCHELL HELMET COVER (NOTE: DUE TO CONDITION OF THE MITCHELL HELMET COVER, NO ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO REMOVE THE COVER TO DETERMINE THE PRODUCTION DATE); THE COVER HAS BEEN LEFT ON THE HELMET IN THE ORIGINAL (BROWN - DOMINANT) OR "BROWN CLOUD" PATTERN!
THE
INNER NECK BAND
(
NAPE STRAP) & PARA CHIN CUP IN
THIS M-1C HELMET LINER ARE
IN THEIR
ORIGINAL
ISSUED CONDITION,
BUT HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THE M-1C LINER TO COMPLETE THIS ORIGINAL VIETNAM WAR PARATROOPER HELMET!
*PLEASE NOTE: AS IS OFTEN THE  CASE, THIS
ORIGINAL
VIETNAM WAR
M-1C LINER IS MISSING THE RECTANGULAR FOAM PAD, WHICH WAS USED TO PREVENT POSSIBLE INJURY DURING A COMBAT JUMP!
*
PLEASE NOTE
:
THE LINER AND THE HELMET HAVE NOT BEEN SEPARATED, WHICH MEANS THAT THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THERE ARE DEFECTS IN EACH THAT ARE NOT VISIBLE IN ANY OF THE PHOTOS!
*
PLEAS NOTE: BY PLACING A BID YOU ACCEPT THIS ORIGINAL M-1C HELMET, LINER AND MITCHELL HELMET COVER IN "AS IS" CONDITION
!
WE HAVE ALSO INCLUDED (BUT DID NOT PLACE THESE ITEMS IN THE ELASTIC HELMET BAND)
A
(REPRODUCTION)
VIETNAM WAR U.S. 101st AIRBORNE "DEATH CARD" AND A CURRENT MANUFACTURED
P-38
OPENER,
CAN, HAND, FOLDING, TYPE 1
.
HOWEVER,
WE HAVE PLACED THE
(ORIGINAL)
2 OZ. CAN OF RIFLE BORE CLEANER, THE INNERT/'DUMMY' ROUNDS OF 5.56mm (.223) AMMO AND
THE MODERN ERA ROSARY. THESE ITEMS ARE THE ONLY PARTS THAT ARE
NOT ORIGINAL VIETNAM WAR ERA
THEY HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THIS
VIETNAM WAR
M-1C HELMET TO ENHANCE THE DISPLAY QUALITY OF THE
ORIGINAL VIETNAM WAR HELMET
ALL OTHER PARTS LISTED, INCLUDING THE
MITCHELL
HELMET COVER AND THE VIETNAM ERA PARA HELMET LINER
ARE
ORIGINAL TO THIS VIETNAM WAR PARATROOPER HELMET
!
IF YOU ARE A VIETNAM WAR VETERAN WHO WAS "IN COUNTRY"
THIS
ORIGINAL
M-1C AIRBORNE HELMET
WILL TRULY TAKE YOU BACK
...
TO THE MECONG DELTA
!
PLEASE REVIEW ALL IMAGES & WRITTEN INFORMATION AND
EMAIL ANY QUESTIONS PRIOR TO PLACING A
BID
!
O
RIGINAL VIETNAM WAR ERA U.S. M-1C PARATROOPER HELMET & PARA HELMET LINER
The helmet includes a Mitchell Camouflaged Cover Marked (Early War Pattern) and an
ORIGINAL
U.S. M-1C Airborne Helmet Liner. Although NOT issued to the U.S. Marines in Vietnam, the Original
Elastic Helmet band, which was issued to U.S. Army troops is
Original
to the Helmet! As a side note: these were often replaced with rubber tire inner tube pieces from vehicles such as the M151/A1 "MUTT" or any number of vehicles in service, since the original issued elastic band often degraded in the harsh jungle climate of Vietnam. The
Original
Mitchell Helmet Cover in the Brown-Dominant Pattern (or "Brown Cloud")
is made of 100% cotton material,
but date & manufacturer information  on the inside of the cover
could not be verified
!
This
Original
Mitchell Helmet Cover
shows evidence of extreme wear, combat usage, staining and
surface color fading
.
In addition,
the visible helmet rim (in the front of the helmet) also shows evidence of rust, resulting from extended combat wear and exposure to the Vietnam Jungle Climate
. The
ORIGINAL
M-1C Helmet Liner
(
Liner, Soldiers Steel Helmet "Combat" Type II
)
was certainly originally dated, but the only visible date is 1969, however it does include the
ORIGINAL
Airborne Liner Chin Straps, an Original Vietnam War leather sweatband that is DSA dated
(1969 - See Image). Please Note: We have added an
ORIGINAL
Vietnam War Neckband (Nape Strap) (DSA dated 1969) and an
ORIGINAL
Vietnam War Liner Chin Strap with Chin Cup
(Marked U.S.)
!
PLEASE NOTE: THE LINER IS MISSING THE RECTANGULAR FOAM PAD USED TO PREVENT POSSIBLE INJURY DURING A COMBAT JUMP
NOTE: Although this is a Complete and Original Vietnam War M-1C Para Helmet, it was missing the ORIGINAL Liner Neckband (Nape Strap) and the
ORIGINAL Airborne Chin Cup
which was common during the Vietnam War as web materials often degraded in the heat and moisture of the Vietnam tropical climate
).
IN ADDITION, this Original Vietnam War M-1C Paratrooper Helmet is also
ENHANCED
with the inclusion of a
REPRODUCTION
VIETNAM WAR
101
st
AIRBORNE "ACE OF SPADES" 'DEATH CARD',
Six
(6)
"
DUMMY"
(
NON-FIRING / INERT
)
5.56 (.223) ROUNDS OF VIETNAM WAR ERA TYPE AMMO (Held in Place with Black Electrical Tape)
and a P-38 Can Opener (modern production).
FOR DISPLAY PURPOSES ONLY
!
The Helmet Cover also has an
MODERN ERA
Black
Plastic Rosary placed for
ADDITIONAL DISPLAY EFFECT
.
Although we believe it to be still fully functional, the M-1C Helmet Chinstraps and (swivel loop [bale]) connectors show significant Vietnam War theater service wear at the swivel attachment.
(
PLEASE REVIEW ALL PHOTOS PRIOR TO PLACING A BID
!)
Note: T
his
Original
Vietnam War steel helmet shell with
swivel loops (bales)
APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN originally painted in an olive drab (sand added) paint color; possibly in OD #319 and that is the condition that we have left the helmet in prior to our listing.
OVERALL CONDITION OF THE HELMET, MITCHELL HELMET COVER AND LINER IS POOR - GOOD
!
NOTE:
PLEASE CONSIDER THE OVERALL CONDITION OF THIS ORIGINAL VIETNAM WAR U.S. ARMY
M-1C PARATROOPER HELMET & LINER CONFIGURATION PRIOR TO PLACING A BID
!
PLEASE REVIEW ALL IMAGES & WRITTEN INFORMATION AND
EMAIL ANY QUESTIONS PRIOR TO PLACING A
BID
!
HISTORICAL NOTE
:
THE M-1 HELMET DURING WWII (1941-1945
)
Under the direction of Major Harold G. Sydenham of the U.S. Army Infantry Board, the original prototype of the M-1 Helmet was configured by artisans from the Arms and Armor Department of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Sometime in 1940, the next phase of the helmet development; the liner was undertaken with assistance from Riddell, the manufacturer of sporting goods and football helmet developer.
By the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor on
December 7, 1941, t
he M-1 helmet was well under production. The first production batch started on June 26th and resulted in over 323,510 M-1 helmets being manufactured before the war had even began. The Ordinance Department selected McCord Radiator and Manufacturing Company of Detroit Michigan to produce the steel helmet bodies.
These metal bodies were made from a single piece of Hadfield Manganese steel that was produced by the Carnegie-Illinois & Sharon Steel Corporation. Each completed raw steel M-1 helmet shell weighed 2.25 lbs. each. By 1945 and the end of hostilities in World War II, over 22,000,000 M-1 helmets were produced.
HISTORICAL NOTE CONTINUED:
AIRBORNE (M-2 & M-1C) HELMET DISTINGUISHING FEATURES
The early M-1 helmet shell had a set of fixed (non-moveable) chinstrap loops (bales) and a stainless steel rim. This rim was both rust resistant and was thought to have some "non-magnetic qualities" that reduced the chance of false readings when placed around certain sensitive equipment, such as a compass.
In early 1942 the McCord Radiator Company also began to produce the steel parachutists M-2 (fixed 'D' loop [bale] - chinstrap loops) helmet. By the end of 1943, the QMC decided to modify the fixed chin strap loops (bales) to a hinged "swivel" bail variety. While this updated design (M-1C) was implemented well before the D-Day operations, most evidence suggests that this type of helmet design may not have reached paratroopers before the invasion of Normandy, but may have shown up as Replacement Paratroopers were assigned to units needing added strength... after the D-Day jumps.
*The M-1C Paratrooper Helmet was seen after the D-day Operation Overlord. Although some M-1C Helmets have been recovered in and around the Normandy battle sites, it is believed that these helmets were probably worn by replacement paratroopers who did not take part in the original parachute jumps. This type of helmet was used during the jump by both 82nd & 101st Airborne units into Holland during Operation Market Garden, during the Battle of the Bulge and during Operation Varsity (the airborne phase of Operation Plunder)... and through both the Korean War and the Vietnam War, and well into the 1980's before the M-1 helmet was replaced by the modern helmet (PASGT) which was then replaced by the (ACH) the Advanced Combat Helmet of todays U.S. Army and Marine Corps forces.
HISTORICAL NOTE CONTINUED
:
U.S. ARMY
101st
AIRBORNE DIVISION IN THE VIETNAM WAR
THE U.S. ARMY 101st AIRBORNE "SCREAMING EAGLES"
The first 4,000 paratroopers of the 101st Airborne Division arrived in Vietnam, landing at Cam Ranh Bay. They made a demonstration jump immediately after arriving, observed by Gen. William Westmoreland and outgoing Ambassador (formerly General) Maxwell Taylor. Taylor and Westmoreland were both former commanders of the Airborne division, which was known as the "Screaming Eagles". The 101st Airborne Division has a long and storied history, including combat jumps during the invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944, and the subsequent Market-Garden airborne operation in the Netherlands. Later, the division distinguished itself by its defense of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge.
The 1st Brigade fought as a separate brigade until 1967, when the remainder of the 101st Airborne division arrived in Vietnam. The combat elements of the division consisted of 10 battalions of airmobile infantry, six battalions of artillery, an aerial rocket artillery unit armed with rocket-firing helicopters, and an air reconnaissance unit. Another unique feature of the division was its aviation group, which consisted of three aviation battalions of assault helicopters and gunships.
The majority of the 101st Airborne Division's tactical operations were in the Central Highlands and in the A Shau Valley farther north. Among its major operations was the brutal fight for Ap Bia Mountain, known as the
battle for "
Hamburger Hill".
The last Army division to leave Vietnam, the remaining elements of the 101st Airborne Division returned to Fort Campbell, Kentucky where today it is the Army's only airmobile division. During the Vietnam War, troopers from the 101st won 17 Medals of Honor for bravery in combat. The division suffered almost 20,000 soldiers killed or wounded in action in Vietnam, over twice as many as the 9,328 casualties it suffered in World War II.
HISTORICAL REFLECTION
:
THE VIETNAM WAR
(EXERPT FROM KEN BURNS "THE VIETNAM WAR"
)
America's involvement in Vietnam began in secrecy. It ended, 30 years later in failure, witnessed by the entire world. It was begun in good faith by decent people out of fateful misunderstandings, American overconfidence, and Cold War miscalculation. And it was prolonged because it seemed easier to muddle through than admit that it had been caused by tragic decisions, made by five American presidents, belonging to both political parties. Before the war was over, more than 58,000 Americans would be dead. At least 250,000 South Vietnamese troops died in the conflict, as well. So did over one million North Vietnamese soldiers and Vietcong guerrillas. Two million civilians, north and south, are thought to have perished, as well as tens of thousands more in the neighboring states of Laos and Cambodia. For many Vietnamese, it was a brutal civil war, for others, the bloody climatic chapter in a century-old struggle for independence. For those Americans who fought in it, and for those who fought against it back home, as well as those who merely glimpsed it on the nightly news, the Vietnam War was a decade of agony, the most divisive period since the American Civil War. Vietnam seemed to call everything into question, the value of honor and gallantry, the qualities of cruelty and mercy, the candor of the American government, and what it means to be a patriot. And those who lived through it have never been able to erase its memory, have never stopped arguing about what really happened, why everything went so badly wrong, who was to blame, and whether it was all worth it.
PLEASE REVIEW ALL IMAGES & WRITTEN INFORMATION AND
EMAIL ANY QUESTIONS PRIOR TO PLACING A
BID
!
PLEASE NOTE:  NO INTERNATIONAL SALES FOR THIS ITEM!
Please note: the pictures that have been uploaded for this auction serve as part of the description.
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.
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!
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.
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We Do Not Offer Partial Refunds
. If there is an issue with your purchase we will accept a return and assist you with a complete refund;
minus the cost of the return shipping
.
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icacho
P
eak
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ollectibles
.
Note: Although we have never been to either South or North Vietnam, nor any of the cities or battle sites of the Vietnam War, we have visited the stunning U.S.M.C. National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, VA which is near the Marine Corps base in Quantico, VA and of course the stunning Vietnam Wall in Washington D.C. In addition, we have also toured All Five of the Landing Beaches along the Cotentin P
eninsula
and many of the historical locations, and museums in an around Normandy. As recently as October 2019, we also visited the Bastogne area, including the Baugnez '44 Museum, the site of the Malmedy Massacre, The 101st Airborne Museum in Bastogne, The Bastogne War Museum, the still existing foxholes of the 502nd and 506th P.I.R. and the pastoral surrounding area in Belgium... these areas we have also toured on several occasions. We have found both the French and the Belgian people, especially in the towns in Normandy and area near Bastogne, to be very friendly and still grateful to the Allies, especially the American forces, for their liberation, despite the huge loss of life and property to the French and Belgian civilians. In addition, should you want to visit the area in and around Normandy or Bastogne, we would be willing to share our experiences or trip itinerary with you, which may help to make your travel through the area easier and perhaps make the historical experience more valuable.
Please contact us for information concerning other Retired and New King & Country sets. We have been a successful retailer with King & Country since 1999, marketing their line of connoisseur quality military miniatures. We are listed on their website as an authorized dealer and
We Welcome YOUR DIRECT CONTACT for any of these miniatures NOT currently listed in our eBay Store
.
In addition, we have a unique inventory of WWII Militaria items; Original and Reproduction WWII U.S. and German Helmets, Uniforms and Equipment/Gear and
Museum Quality Restored Original WWII U.S. M-1 Helmets and Converted WWII U.S. M-2 & M-1C Paratrooper Helmets
.
We Welcome your contact for any of these Militaria items NOT currently listed in our eBay Store
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P
icacho
P
eak
C
ollectibles
.
"W
e
P
ut
H
istory
in
the
P
alm
of
Y
our
H
and
"
Thank you for looking and good luck bidding!