Documentated Vietnam bringback rifle with lots of history
This 1960 dated Chicom T-53 rifle is documented as presented to 1st Lt Carl White, USMC, by the 2nd Rifle Battalion, Vietnamese Marines for his part in assistance on the night of 27, May 1968 at Cholon.
Lt. White was shot between the eyes/head in through the helmet near the end of the action by the third rd of a three rd AK47 burst fired by a North Vietnamese sgt who had been with the VC as a sniper and advisor. The bullet pentrated the front of his helmet and was partly stopped by his helmet liner welding a dime size piece of fiber glass to his skull the bullet deflected by his skull and passing out the side. He suffered a concussion, broken nose and two black eyes, but later lost most of the vison in his left eye.
The Helmet now resides in the Marine Museum in Va.
He retired as a Major and is currently a author.
The documentation includes a 5 pg Battle action report draft written by him as requested by the former commander of the Vietnamise Battalion and which will be included in a future book on the operations of the Battlion and which is not to be distrubuted w/o his permission so I have covered that portion of the first page of the report but left his history/documentation summery that the Major wrote to the original buyer of the rifle, I am the 2nd buyer.
Also included is a statement written as I watched, by the person I bought it from that he had gotten the Rifle from Major White. This statement was witnessed and documented by another person that was present also.
Also a photo copy of the Vietnamese issued bring back document on the rifle that is signed/documented as received from the Major by the seller.
Also a Photo page from the Major with a picture of him afer being wounded and a picture of the rifle that is the same as the one I purchased.
The metal on the rifle has what appears to be blood staining/etching pattern pitting on the action and the bayonet mounting ring. Or else it's just heavy moisture damage.
The seller will forward the Major's current address to me as he didn't have it with him and I will ask the Major more info about the rifle and if those are in fact, blood stains. Ray
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