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Vietnam Task Force 116 PBR Group

Grouped tigerstripe camouflage uniform, Buck knife, Task Force 116 plaque, and Viet Cong flag associated with a PBR riverine veteran. Front view of tigerstripe camouflage jacket with Navy tape and name tape chain-stitched above the pocket. Tigerstripe camouflage trousers with issued web belt threaded through the loops. Detail of chain-stitched U.S. Navy tape added by a Vietnamese tailor. Huggins's surname written in blue-green ink inside the jacket collar. Huggins's name in faded ink lettering inside the trousers waistband. Weber's surname added in blue ballpoint pen inside the jacket. Interior ink markings inside the jacket, including Weber's name. Numbered print by Harry Weber showing Claude Huggins introducing his dog Stryker to Major Davies. Buck knife beside its sheath, fitted with a River Patrol Force patch. Buck knife blade stamped BUCK, given to Weber before he left for PBR training. Detail of the round River Patrol Force cloth patch on the knife's sheath. Task Force 116 riverine force plaque. Captured Viet Cong flag with sun-bleached dye faded to pale streaks. Photograph of Weber reading a map during his Vietnam tour. Group photograph of Navy officers in dress whites, including Weber, from his service. Wartime photograph of Weber aboard a PBR during his Vietnam tour. Photograph of a young Weber in Navy whites at sea. Vietnamese sampan on the water, similar to the boat aboard which Weber's patrol captured the Viet Cong flag.

Grouping Details

Tigerstripe Uniform

  • Vietnam War-era tigerstripe camouflage jacket and trousers
  • Originally worn by 1st Lt. Claude Huggins, U.S. Army Special Forces
  • Acquired by Lt. j.g. Harry Weber, U.S. Navy, in trade for a bottle of Jack Daniel's
  • Both veterans' surnames handwritten inside jacket and trousers
  • Weber's name tape, Navy tape, and lieutenant's bars chain-stitched by a Vietnamese tailor
  • Original tailor's ink registration marks visible beneath embroidery
  • Weber's issued web belt remains threaded through trouser loops

Viet Cong Flag

  • Captured during a riverine engagement near the mouth of the Bassac River, according to Weber
  • Recovered from a sampan carrying Viet Cong personnel preparing an ambush
  • Lightweight rayon construction with exposed seam allowances
  • Significant sun fading to original red and blue fabric

Buck Knife

  • Gift from Weber's mother before his PBR training
  • Carried throughout his Vietnam deployment
  • Used primarily as a utility knife
  • Task Force 116 patch added after the war for display

Artwork

  • Numbered print of an original wartime sketch by Harry Weber
  • Depicts Claude Huggins introducing Major Davies to his dog, Stryker
  • Titled "Claude Huggins Introduces Major Davies to His Dog, Stryker"

Task Force 116 Plaque

  • Commemorative plaque marking Weber's service with Task Force 116

Provenance

  • Group acquired directly from Lt. j.g. Harry Weber, PBR boat captain, River Section 522, Task Force 116
  • Weber served in Vietnam beginning August 1966
  • Original ownership and history of the group established through direct acquisition from Weber and his firsthand account

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