Physically, there was little difference between North and South Vietnamese. The average Vietnamese was 5ft 1in.–5ft 4in. (1.57–1.63m) tall and weighed 110–122 lb (50–55kg). South Vietnamese often claimed they could identify a North Vietnamese by physical appearance. Northerners were reputed to have more Chinese-like facial features, were taller, bigger-boned and had fairer complexions. While these features were slightly more prevalent among northerners, they were by no means widespread and could be found among southerners, albeit less frequently. Also, after the communist takeover, some 950,000 refugees fled the North to South Vietnam between 1954 and 1955. Most settled in the RVN’s northern provinces or around Saigon. Their children were liable to be drafted into the ARVN.
This .30-cal. M1 carbine-armed, tan-uniformed Viet Minh soldier, posing beside a French soldier during truce talks, differed little in appearance from an NVA soldier fighting the Americans some 10 years later. His sun helmet features a plastic rain cover.
It was sometimes reported that Chinese soldiers were found among NVA dead. This has never been confirmed. There was a large, long-established ethnic Chinese (Han) population in the North (fewer in the South). They were born and raised in Vietnam, had adopted the culture and spoke Vietnamese without an accent. They suffered little prejudice and were exempt from conscription. However, from about 1970, upon graduation from school, many were drafted into the NVA to fight in the South. The ethnic Chinese were typically taller and fairer skinned.
The one certain way to identify a North from a South Vietnamese was by language. There are three mutually comprehensible Vietnamese dialects: North, Central and South. Vietnamese is a tonal language and there is much variation in accents between the three dialects. The northern dialect is difficult for southerners to understand and many words and phrases are different. The equivalent to “you guys” in the northern dialect is chúng mày, in the central it is bon bây and in the south, tui mày. An American unschooled in Vietnamese hearing a North and a South Vietnamese converse would have no idea who was speaking which dialect or that they were even speaking different dialects. The Central dialect was found in both North and South Vietnam roughly stretching from Nghe An Province south to Quang Nam Province. Military and political terminology also differed between North and South Vietnam owing to Soviet and Chinese communist influence.
These girls, members of a village self-defense militia, work the fields armed with .30-cal. M1903 Springfield rifles in case they are called out to search for downed American flyers. These rifles may have been provided by China, as the Nationalist Chinese received them in World War II as part of the lend-lease program. Women from local populations in Laos, Cambodia and South Vietnam were pressed into serving as porters, mainly hauling locally produced rice “donated” to the cause.
Few Vietnamese needed to shave, or did so very infrequently, and even then only on the chin and upper lip. The typical “NVA haircut” was longish on top and short on the sides and the nape of the neck, and would give away NVA attempting to pose as southerners. It was sometimes difficult to tell VC Main Forces from NVA, but generally the latter were better armed, equipped and uniformed. They were often better fed than the VC and tended to look more rugged. While it might be difficult to differentiate between an NVA soldier and VC Main Force fighter, a group of NVA soldiers often appeared more professional and ordered than their VC counterparts, and their uniforms and equipment looked more standardized and better maintained.
Recruits arrived at the training depot wearing civilian clothes, which were then handed in. They were issued two sets of field uniforms of simple design not much different from those civilian workers wore. It was certainly not a case of the uniform making the man feel like a soldier – his combat equipment and a weapon accomplished that. While many uniforms were factory produced, they were also made in small shops and even at home by piecework using a standard design – loose fitting, one size fits all. They were also produced in China, the USSR and Bulgaria. The pleated breast pockets were closed by scalloped, buttoned flaps. The pocket pleats were not always present, especially in later shirt models. The collar was of the stand-and-fall type and the front was fastened by four plastic buttons, which may or may not have matched the uniform color. Cuffs might be straight or with a single button, especially officers’ uniforms. The latter were of noticeably better quality and workmanship. The trousers had two front pockets, one or two hip pockets and a buttoned fly. Trousers were provided with belt loops and and sometimes button straps at the cuff.
The standard uniform color up to 1966 was darkish tan, often described as khaki. Shades varied depending on fabric lots and sometimes the shirts and trousers did not match. From 1966 green uniforms began to be issued to provide better camouflage in a vividly green country. This was a darker green than the olive green worn by US and ARVN troops. Again, shades varied and included light green and brownish olive drab. Tan uniforms continued to be worn until they wore out, and it was not uncommon for green and tan and other color uniform components to be mixed. Uniform colors faded considerably with washing and exposure to sunlight. It was not uncommon, for example, for a new green shirt to be worn with heavily faded trousers. Unless a unit had recently been re-outfitted in Laos or Cambodia its dress would be far from uniform in color. Nor were different-colored uniforms reserved for specific units, as sometimes suggested.
Other colors of uniforms were encountered, including medium blue, light gray or brown. These were worn by militia in the north and found their way to the south on former militiamen or to fulfill uniform requirements. Large numbers of them began appearing in the south after the 1968 Tet Offensive when more units were sent from the north. Purple uniforms were reported, but these may have been faded black or simply wet light brown uniforms. Black, blue and white South Vietnamese peasant clothing was worn in base camps and sometimes when conducting reconnaissance or traveling in the open; these are the outfits known to Americans as “pajamas” or “P.J.s.” ARVN and US uniform components were sometimes worn, not for deception purposes but merely as replacements. The first live NVA soldier the author saw close up was a very co-operative prisoner dressed in an extremely worn out, oversized, US, four-color, woodlands camouflage shirt and faded olive green ARVN trousers.
A light cotton, dark green, waist-length jacket saw limited use in the South. In the North it was intended as a service jacket. It had breast pockets with flaps, a waistband and was closed by six buttons. An olive green or dark blue V-neck wool and cotton-blended sweater for cool weather in North Vietnam and the northern mountains of the south was provided. Green and gray sweatshirts were also used in cold weather.
Trouser belts were similar to the equipment belt, but narrower and with simplified buckles, with or without a star. Some soldiers painted the star red; they were not issued this way. The web belts might be light green, olive green or tan. China provided a brown artificial leather belt with a light web backing, which deteriorated quickly in tropical areas. It was rumored among US troops that leather belts were worn only by officers, but this is not true. Web cargo and seatbelt straps recovered from downed helicopters were also used as belts. Many men wore white or green loincloths, but were issued two pairs of boxer-style undershorts of various colors. Socks might be white, tan, green or other colors, although many did not wear them at all.
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RECRUIT UNIFORM AND EQUIPMENT, NORTH VIETNAM |
| Even though the dark green uniform began to replace the tan one in the south in 1966, the tan and other colors remained in general use in the north. This infantry recruit (1 and 2) is outfitted with only an SKS 10-pocket ammunition belt and canteen. Both Chinese Type 56 (3) and Soviet SKS (4) carbines were used. The 10-pocket cartridge belt (5) held two 10-round charger clips (6) in each pocket. A cleaning kit was provided to each man in different types of pouches, here black artificial leather (7). The Ground Forces badge (8) was affixed to the front of the sun helmet (9), which had an adjustable plastic headband (10). Examples of two types of canteen carriers are shown here (11), as well as a semi-pointed entrenching tool (12). Rank insignia was worn only in the North. The following are enlisted insignia: private 2nd class – binh nhi (13a), private 1st class – binh nhat (13b), corporal – ha si (13c), sergeant – trung si (13d) and master sergeant – thuong si (13e). |
Government officials and their children often wore uniform in an effort to set an example.
The standard footwear was a North Vietnamese or Chinese “jungle shoe” similar to the old French Pataugas jungle boots. They were similar to tennis shoes with light green, tan or (rarely) black canvas uppers and a black rubber sole and toe cap; Chinese-made shoes only came in green. The soles had zigzag or V- and crescent-shaped lugs. These shoes dried quickly when wet, but offered limited ankle support; however, most Vietnamese had grown up barefoot or wearing sandals so this presented few problems. The jungle shoes were far less durable than American footwear so replacements were constantly sought. Bata boots, similar to the jungle shoes, that were issued to the Special Forces-advised Civilian Irregular Defense Group were removed from any dead encountered and used by the NVA, as were US-style jungle boots worn by the ARVN.
Ho Chi Minh sandals, known as “tire sandals” (dep vo xe), featured truck-tire treads as soles and strips of inner tube for straps. These were extremely durable, and broken straps were easily replaced. Common rubber shower shoes (“flip-flops”) – what the Vietnamese called “Japanese slippers” – and any other type of civilian sandals were worn, especially in camps.
A defining accessory of the NVA was the sun helmet made of compressed fiberboard covered with light green, olive green, tan or brown cloth. This led the NVA and VC Main Force to be called “hard hats” (non coi). There were two ventilation eyelets on either side and an adjustable headband and artificial leather chinstrap, often removed. When present the strap was secured over the front brim. While there was an eyelet in the front for attaching the NVA insignia (gold star on a red backing with a gold wreath border), this was very seldom worn in the south. Helmets were sometimes covered with the green plastic cut from rain capes. This helmet only served to protect from the sun and rain and offered no protection against ballistics. Soviet SSh-40 and SSh-60 steel helmets saw some use, mainly by antiaircraft crews.
Bush hats of the French design had a full brim and rounded crown. They were issued with a cloth-tape chinstrap, but this was often cut off and used for other purposes. As with uniforms these could be found in any color. A visored field cap was also issued, but saw little use in the South.
Long scarves were looped once around the neck as a sweat cloth. These could be of red, green, black and white checks, red and white stripes and other colors. Some units used a common color as a means of “friend or foe” recognition. Special Forces reconnaissance teams and long-range patrol teams were constantly on the prowl and, even when dressed differently from VC/NVA troops, were difficult to identify at a distance. Different-colored hats (mostly green and black) were worn on specific days for the same purpose. US, four-color camouflage, nylon parachute cloth scarves were also used. These were also used as a camouflage device cut square or rectangular with rounded corners. The upper corners were knotted on the chest and these worn over the shoulders, upper arms and the back to include the rucksack. Small camouflage nets were sometimes draped over the shoulders and back, and could be pulled over the head. As a unit moved each man would attach vegetation to the net on the man in front whenever the plant life changed. Netting was also attached to sun helmets.
Bayonet training, a common aspect of recruit drill in all armies, taught aggressiveness and improved co-ordination and stamina. This recruit wears a white uniform, often issued to recruits and militia. His weapon is a Nationalist Chinese-made 7.92mm Chiang Kai Shek rifle, a copy of the German Mauser.
Prior to 1958 no rank insignia was worn by the NVA. Duty positions were identified by their title (platoon commander, deputy company commander, etc.) along Chinese lines. Following the 1957 modernization of the NVA along the lines of the Soviet model, formal rank titles were adopted along with collar insignia for field and service uniforms and shoulder boards for dress uniforms. Insignia was almost never worn in the South in order to maintain the charade that only Southerners were fighting there and to deny intelligence information.
The NVA did have a prescribed dress uniform, but it was issued only to generals, senior officials and honor guards in the North. This was a Soviet-style, olive drab tunic and trousers with rank shoulder boards and branch insignia on the collars. A visored service cap was used, usually with a red cap band. Green, tan, white and other colored shirts were used along with black, green or brown neckties.