Original Vietnam War USGI Captured Cambodia Flag featuring a Hand-Drawn Angkor Wat in the center.
Since 1875, the Cambodian flag has displayed Angkor Wat in the center and has undergone changes over time. After gaining independence in 1948, the current flag was adopted featuring a blue border and red central with 1:2:1 ratio stripes. This flag was used until 1970 when Lon Nol's Khmer Republic introduced a new flag, which was later replaced by the Khmer Rouge flag in 1975. The next flag, used from 1975 to 1979 under the state of Democratic Kampuchea, featured a red background with a yellow depiction of Angkor Wat. In 1979, the People's Republic of Kampuchea was established following the Vietnamese invasion.
During the Vietnam War, the communists of Vietnam and Cambodia formed an alliance to combat U.S.-backed governments in their respective countries. However, the Khmer Rouge leadership grew hesitant as they feared Vietnam's plans to establish an Indochinese federation under their domination. They also held ambitions for the Mekong Delta region, which fueled their preemptive purging of Vietnamese-trained personnel from their ranks as the Lon Nol government fell in 1975. This eventually led to an attack on the Vietnamese island of Phú Quốc by the newly formed Democratic Kampuchea in May 1975.
Measuring 28.5” by 23” with original tassels.
