Patch - Phong Dinh PRU - Can Tho Mercenaries, Vietnam War - Mobile Strike Force

Phong Dinh Province PRU

Provincial Recon Unit, Mercenaries

Extremely rare Vietnam War Patch

Phong Dinh PRU

The Phong Dinh Province, Provincial Reconnaissance Unit were located / headquartered at Can Tho in Phong Dinh Province on the Mekong Delta.

Set up at the end of the 1950's by the CIA the Phong Dinh Province Provincial Recon Unit was manned by members of the Cao Dai Religious Group. Displaced from North Vietnam the Tribal Group was one of the largest in the Mekong delta and numbered some 2,000,000 people in total.

By 1962 the Phong Dinh Province PRU was effectively a Private Army and through contributions and training became loyal to the CIA and US Special Forces by 1964 although remained disenchanted with the government of South Vietnam.

Condiered 'Effective' in their fighting capabilities the growth of the Mike Force Unit from the Cao Dai remained restricted due to their distrust of the government and their stated requirement that their main combatants remain close to their families. By early 1967 the sect was largley spread and displaced throughout the Mekong delta and as many were fighting with the Viet cong, in this largely VC controlled area as were fighting with the Allies.

By the end of 1967 and before the Pre Tet Offensive attacks the Cao Dai had spread and separated with many now located in Cambodia (loyal to the Viet Cong), in Tay Ninh Province north of Saigon (fighting with both the Allies and the Viet Cong) with less than a third of the group now located in the Mekong Delta. With the wind down of US Involvement in the Vietnam War and the passing of the command from the US Special Forces to the Tiger Force Rangers, the Phong Dinh PRU, without payment from the South Vietnam Government ceased operatiosn against the Viet cong throughout the Mekong Delta and in Tay Ninh Province.

As an allied fighting force the Unit had ceased to exist by late 1969 and many of the Special Forces, Airborne, Recon, CIA and US Special Forces trained combatants were now fighting with the communists. The sects combatants were integrated into various VC Units. At the end of the war, members of the Cao Dai sect in Cambodia migrated to Thailand and back into Vietnam.

The Cao Dai sect, as it was, with some 2,000,000 members, ceased to offically exist in post war communist Vietnam.

Measures - 2.6 inches in diameter ( 6.5 cms )One of the rarest of Vietnam War PRU Patches.Vietnam War Original

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·         FREE POST is supplied for orders of 5 or more patches, Maps, Badges, Medals, Coin paid and posted in same weekly order ( all items must be paid within 7 days of first purchase )

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