Vietnam Era CVC Helmet

[Geoff Ward]

Hello all, I finally was able to find a mic for my CVC Helmet! I have had the helmet for years and finally found the mic, so I thought I would share some photos for the NAM Guys! I believe the names on the inside of the helmet are from friends and well wishers when his tour was almost over in country or "SHORT" Perhaps someone could provide some more info on this term?

Regards, Geoff

[MAP]

Very cool helmet. Glad you finally found the parts to complete it

[Rakkasan187]

Geoff,

Very nice helmet and the graffiti is an added bonus. SHORT is just as you described it.. Some guys would have a coloring calendar on or in their helmets to remind them of the 365 days and a "wake up" meaning that a typical tour in country was 365 days.. The next day after that was the wake up day when the Soldier would be on the plane home.. The "Freedom Flight" or Freedom Bird. DEROS (Date Eligible for Return from Overseas) was also a term used... "Hey man when's your DEROS"? "120 days and a wake up" for example...

"Short Timers" was another term when the Soldier had less than 30 days left in country.. In some cases when possible these Soldiers may have been pulled from field duty or "humping the bush".. This did not always happen given the current enemy situation and if all Soldiers from the unit had to be in the field for an operation then Se la Vie.. Some were pulled out of the field a day or two before returning to the states...

Short Timer is still a term used today (or at least it was when I was in 84-05), There are short timer souvenirs such as the Jim Beam bottle with the steel helmet or now Kevlar sitting on a pair of boots that used to be given to Soldiers at their retirement parties and other ceremonies.. I got 2 since I was in when we had both the Steel helmet and the Kevlar helmet... Short timers would also tie their boots together and throw them over the power lines in front of their company area or battalion area just as a last act of defiance to Uncle Sam and the Mean Green machine... It is obviously not something that should be done due to the risks of hitting live lines and causing power outages but it does still happen (usually under the cover of darkness).

I still have my graffitied steel helmet cover. I was with the 187th Infantry Regiment (Rakkasans) and our symbol was the Japanese Tori which we put in black magic marker (the days before sharpies) on both sides of our helmets. As an homage to the days when the 101st/82nd Airborne Divisions put painted tactical markings on their helmets during WW2, the tradition carried over into current operations and the Rakkasan Tori symbol was sewn as a patch on the sides of Kevlar's, and ACH helmets for Soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan...

But I digress back to the original SHORT question..

Here is an image of a SHORT TIMERs calendar from Vietnam as well as a Jim Beam Short Timers decanter

Hope this helps you a little..

Best regards, stay safe

Smitty

[reneblacky]

Lovely helmet, "wish I had one" is all I can type.
Closest I have is this air crew one from the period --

APH-5 Helmet '68

[Geoff Ward]

Thanks for the Great info on "SHORT" Smitty! Great post! I had to drag out my other "Short" Which is a little more "Defiant" in regard to camouflage? !

[Geoff Ward]

I'm not sure of the black marker on the front above the star it looks like a name "G i L" ??? or F i C perhaps has some other meaning??

Any Ideas?

[Anderson]

Great looking helmet Geoff. The graffiti a bonus.