Frownland Archive

M65 Field Jacket: SP5 Green, 101st Airborne Div.

January 1st, 2023

A little bit of background, M65 field jacket was rarely worn in Vietnam wartime-period. If the jacket is worn, then it’s commonly used in DMZ-area, highland areas of I and II CTZ

“In Highland, high altitudes and strong winds create an abnormally high wind-chill factor. While field jackets are satisfactory for rear base camp areas, they are too bulky for use in the forward areas and impede troop agility.” -Shelby Staton.

M65 is more commonly worn post-war and state-side. So hunting for a Vietnam wartime-period jacket was not been easy for me.

M-1951 is more likely being used in Vietnam as a field jacket, here are some examples below:

Example of M65 worn wartime-period

PFC Gene McCrae of 3rd Platoon Company C 1/22 Infantry, 1971

Example of M65 worn state-side/post-war

This M-1965 field jacket is attributed to SP5 Green, 101st Airborne Div., Vietnam wartime period. The “screaming eagles” served in I Corps from 68-72.

Highlighted:
– Vietnamese machine-embroidered US Army and name tape.
– Typical wartime SSI configuration for 101st airborne div. Vietnamese-made tab and US-made SSI (Made by N.S. Meyer, Inc.).
– US made SP5 ranks, faded out due to wear and tear.

Nomenclature read DSA 100-3378 – April 1966 contract, manufactured by Alpha Industries.

It’s the jacket from that timeframe, heavily faded, missing hoods + trace of paint here and there, but it’s all I could ask for, a wartime-period field jacket.