Original Vietnam War Republic of Vietnam Marine Division 2nd Marine Battalion “Crazy Buffaloes” Pocket Hanger Patch attached to South Vietnam Flag Pennant.
Officially known as the Republic of Vietnam Marine Division (RVNMD), the TQLC, or Sư Đoàn Thủy Quân Lục Chiến, was a branch of the South Vietnamese armed forces. Ngo Dinh Diem established it in 1954 during his time as Prime Minister of the State of Vietnam, which later became the Republic of Vietnam in 1955. Lieutenant General Le Nguyen Khang served as the division's longest-standing commander. By 1969, the VNMC had 9,300 soldiers, with numbers growing to 15,000 in 1973 and 20,000 in 1975.
The origins of the 2nd Marine Division can be traced back to the Corps des Marines vietnamien, which was founded in 1955 as a French-trained commando unit. Initially placed under the command of the French Navy, it was officially incorporated into the South Vietnamese military in 1960. As the war progressed, the Marine Division and Airborne Division saw a significant increase in recruitment and popularity, surpassing the Vietnamese Rangers as the most sought-after elite units. Along with the Airborne, the Marine Division became part of the General Reserve, a strategically transformed force under Vietnamization meant to counter threats from the People's Army of Vietnam. According to U.S. Army General Creighton Abrams, who oversaw Vietnamization, the training and skills of the South Vietnamese Airborne and Marines were unmatched by any other units in the PAVN.
This division had earned a total of 9 U.S. presidential citations, with the 2nd Battalion "Crazy Buffaloes" earning two.
Very unique, war-time, in country made piece brought back by a USGI. Measuring 9.5” in length and 7.5” in width (not including tassels).
