ORIG. RESTORED VIETNAM WAR US M-1C SWIVEL BALE, REAR SEAM HELMET & PARA LINER

Description

ORIGINAL / RESTORED
VIETNAM WAR
U.S. M-1C REAR SEAM,
SWIVEL BALE PARATROOPER HELMET WITH AN
ORIGINAL
(*CLEANED & REPAINTED)
VIETNAM WAR PARA LINER AND AN
ORIGINAL
VIETNAM WAR DATED MITCHELL HELMET COVER (DSA 100-69-F-U992) - (SEE IMAGES
)
PLEASE NOTE:
WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE MINOR RESTORATION SURFACE RE-PAINTING OF BOTH THE M-1C HELMET (TO ITS
ORIGINAL WWII TYPE OLIVE DRAB #319 COLOR)
AND THE LINER TO AN OD #3 COLOR AND THE ADDITION OF THE
REPRODUCTION
101ST AIRBORNE
'ACE OF SPADES'
"DEATH CARD",
THE
ORIGINAL
VIETNAM WAR "SPECIAL FORCES" UNIT EMBLEM, AND THE
INNER NECK BAND (
NAPE STRAP) & SWEATBAND
THE HELMET AND LINER ARE
IN THEIR
ORIGINAL
ISSUED CONDITION!
THE LINER IS MISSING THE RECTANGULAR FOAM PAD USED TO PREVENT POSSIBLE INJURY DURING A JUMP.
*PLEASE NOTE: WE CAN ALSO PROVIDE IMAGES, UPON REQUEST, OF THE ORIGINAL VIETNAM WAR M-1C PARA LINER
PRIOR TO CLEANING & REPAINTING
!
THE ADDITION OF THE
(REPRODUCTION)
VIETNAM WAR U.S. 101st AIRBORNE "DEATH CARD", THE
(ORIGINAL)
BAND,
HELMET CAMOUFLAGE AND THE INNERT/'DUMMY' ROUNDS OF 5.56mm AMMO & THE MODERN ERA ROSERY 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 EFFECT TO THIS
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
PLEASE REVIEW ALL IMAGES & WRITTEN INFORMATION AND
EMAIL ANY QUESTIONS PRIOR TO PLACING A
BID
!
O
RIGINAL/REPAINTED VIETNAM WAR ERA U.S. M-1C PARATROOPER HELMET & PARA HELMET LINER
The helmet includes a Mitchell Camouflaged Cover Marked (DSA 100-69-F-U992  8415-261-6833 MPLS, SOC. F/T BLIND INC) 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, that was issued to U.S. Army troops has been added; although these were often replaced with rubber tire inner replace pieces, since the original issued elastic band degraded in the harsh jungle climate of Vietnam. The
Original
Mitchell Helmet Cover
is made of 100% cotton material, DSA marked (1969) on the inside and shows only
very minor helmet rim wear and surface color fading
. The
ORIGINAL
M-1C Helmet Liner was certainly originally dated, but the date is unreadable (even after gentle cleaning of the interior of the liner), however it does include the
ORIGINAL
Airborne Liner Chin Straps, an Original Vietnam War leather sweatband (probably a replacement sweatband) that is DSA dated (1972) and an
ORIGINAL
Vietnam War Neckband (Nape Strap) (DSA dated 1969).
(THE LINER IS MISSING THE RECTANGULAR FOAM PAD USED TO PREVENT POSSIBLE INJURY DURING A JUMP.)
NOTE: Although this is a Complete and Original Vietnam War Era M-1C Para Helmet, it is missing the ORIGINAL Helmet - Sweatband, which was common during the Vietnam War as web & leather materials often degraded in the heat and moisture of the tropical climate
).
IN ADDITION, this Original Vietnam War M-1C Paratrooper Helmet is also
ENHANCED
with the addition of an
REPRODUCTION
VIETNAM WAR
101
st
AIRBORNE "ACE OF SPADES" 'DEATH CARD' and
"
DUMMY"
(
NON-FIRING, INERT
)
5.56 ROUNDS (6) OF VIETNAM WAR ERA TYPE AMMO (Held in Place with Black Electrical Tape)
FOR DISPLAY PURPOSES ONLY
!
Helmet Cover also has an
ORIGINAL MODERN
Rosary placed for additional display effect.
Although still fully functional, the M-1 Helmet Chinstraps and (swivel bale) connectors show very minor Vietnam War theater service wear at the swivel attachment.
Note: T
his Original Vietnam War era steel helmet shell with
swivel loops (bales)
was originally painted in an olive drab (sand added) paint color in OD #319 and that is the color that we used to repaint the helmet during the restoration process.
OVERALL CONDITION IS VERY GOOD TO EXCELLENT
!
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 NOTE: THIS ORIGINAL VIETNAM WAR II U.S. M-1C REAR SEAM, SWIVEL BALE HELMET WITH ORIGINAL VIETNAM WAR MITCHELL HELMET COVER HAS BEEN REPAINTED AND IS PAIRED WITH AN ORIGINAL VIETNAM WAR M-1C
PARATROOPER LINER. THIS
ORIGINAL
VIETNAM WAR LINER INCLUDES VIETNAM WAR TYPE NECKBAND (NAPE STRAP), AN
ORIGINAL
VIETNAM WAR SWEAT BAND (DATED 1972) AND AN
ORIGINAL
VIETNAM WAR M-1C LINER CHINSTRAP AND CHIN CUP. THE LINER IS MISSING THE RECTANGULAR FOAM PAD USED TO PREVENT POSSIBLE INJURY DURING A JUMP.
The Helmet & Liner are in
VERY GOOD - EXCELLENT ORIGINAL VIETNAM WAR ORIGINAL
CONDITION;
HOWEVER, THE ORIGINAL VIETNAM WAR 101ST AIRBORNE 'ACE OF SPADES' "DEATH CARD" AND THE 'DUMMY' NON-FIRING/INNERT 5.56mm ROUNDS, AND THE ORIGINAL U.S. SPECIAL FORCES UNIT EMBLEM HAVE BEEN ADDED TO ENHANCE THE OVERALL APPEARANCE & DISPLAY QUALITIES OF THE HELMET.
Original Vietnam War M-1C Rear Seam, Swivel Bale Helmet and Original Vietnam War Liner & Mitchell Helmet Cover with ENHANCED DISPLAY ITEMS INCLUDING A REPRODUCTION VIETNAM WAR U.S. ARMY 101st  AIRBORNE 'ACE OF SPADES' "DEATH CARD" AND AN ORIGINAL VIETNAM WAR SPECIAL FORCES UNIT EMBLEM (CLOTH); NOT PERMANENTLY ATTACHED.
*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:
THE M-1 HELMET (1941-1943)
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.
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' 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.
However the M-1C Paratrooper Helmet continued to be used in active military service
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.
If there is Ever a Question or Concern Regarding This Item, Please Contact Us BEFORE Bidding
.
By placing a bid, you have entered into a contract and agree to pay for any winning bid.
Payment is due within 5 days of the end of the auction
!
*Note: We ship
ALL International packages via eBay Global Shipping Program
; if you are an International buyer,
please refer to the Global Shipping instructions and directions before bidding
.
It is important to remember, that when using the eBay Global Shipping Program, it is your responsibility to be aware of import duties, taxes, and charges imposed by customs
;
These are the buyer's responsibility and are Not included in the item price or the shipping charges
.
Please check with your country's customs office prior to bidding to determine if any additional costs will be incurred upon package arrival
.
As an additional note:
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
.
We will do our best to answer your questions within 24 hours; however there may be times when it takes a little longer; please be patient, we will answer all questions.
Picacho Peak Collectibles
Will Make Every Effort to Gain Your Trust & Respect and Will Do Everything We Can to Keep It
!
You can Bid with confidence, knowing that we stand behind what we sell!
In addition,
We Would Appreciate Your Positive Feedback
after you receive your collectible item.
It lets us know the kind of job we are doing and also helps other customers to know what to expect from...
P
icacho
P
eak
C
ollectibles
.
Note: In addition to using a self-guided, GPS supported itinerary to visit All Five of the Landing Beaches along the Cotentin P
eninsula
and many of the historical locations, and museums in an around Normandy and the area near Brecourt Manor site of Lieutenant Richard 'Dick' Winters and elements of Easy Company 506th P.I.R. attack on the German field artillery, we have also used the same format to visit the Bastogne area, including the Baugnez '44 Museum, the site of the Malmedy Massacre, the still existing foxholes of the 502nd and 506th P.I.R. and the pastoral surrounding area in Belgium 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 damage suffered by 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 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
.
Remember, for the Finest Collectibles,
Packed & Shipped
USPS INSURED PRIORITY MAIL or USPS INSURED PARCEL SELECT
Within 24 hours after Receipt of Your Payment
, look no further than...
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!