{"product_id":"60s-vietnam-war-sfc-metcalf-special-forces-eod-utility-uniform-grouping","title":"60s Vietnam War SFC Metcalf Special Forces EOD Utility Uniform Grouping","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn incredibly rare, attributed uniform grouping consisting of two utility shirts, originally worn by Sergeant First Class Edward Walter Metcalf, an EOD specialist who worked alongside US Special Forces in Vietnam until his untimely death in 1971, at the age of 39. Metcalf was a highly decorated and highly qualified EOD specialist and veteran of both the Korean and Vietnam Wars.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAccording to a newspaper obituary, Metcalf was a 20-year Army veteran at the time of his death. This would place the beginning of his career in approximately 1951, when he was around 19 years of age. Within his first year of service, he was sent to Korea and served in five separate campaigns (listed below). During his service in Vietnam, he served in three seperate operations\/campaigns.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMetcalf's military service is extensively documented online. Something particularly notable is that a number of biographical text entries concerning SFC Metcalf were contributed by SGM Mike R. Vining, himself a highly experienced EOD specialist and later one of the founding members of Delta Force. Vining is perhaps best known publicly from a photograph of him in his dress uniform that has circulated widely online (shown below).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVining also served as an EOD specialist in Vietnam during the same period that Metcalf was in-country. Taken together with Vining's later contributions to Metcalf's online biographical record, this suggests that the two men may have known or served alongside one another, although I have not yet located documentation conclusively establishing this.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0586\/1539\/8563\/files\/SGMVining.jpg?v=1787240810\" alt=\"\" width=\"248\" height=\"305\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA truly unique, highly desirable uniform grouping for an advanced Vietnam War collector. Below are excerpts from websites describing Metcalf's service.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"MSG Edward Walter \"Eddie\" Metcalf and CPT James William Peterson were killed on 22 May 1971. They were assigned to the 44th Ordnance Detachment (Explosive Ordnance Disposal), United States Army, Vietnam Special Troops, Army Support Command Saigon, United States Army, Vietnam, Cam Ranh Bay, Khanh Hoa Province, Republic of Vietnam. MSG Metcalf and CPT Peterson were killed in a vehicle accident en route to their unit in Cam Ranh Bay. Their vehicle was struck by another vehicle, lost control, and overturned. MSG Metcalf was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal.\"\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e(https:\/\/eod-wf.org\/virtual-memorial\/army\/msg-edward-w-metcalf\/)\u003cbr\u003e(*This bio was researched and authored by SGM Mike R.Vining, USA (Retired).)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003e\"MSG Edward W. Metcalf was an Airborne-qualified Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Specialist serving with the U.S. Army's 44th Ordnance Detachment. Ordnance disposal personnel provided services in support of U.S. Army combat operations in the Republic of Vietnam. The EOD mission was to neutralize threats to operations, installations, personnel, or material. On May 22, 1971, just days before completing his one-year tour of duty in Vietnam, Metcalf was one of two passengers killed in a vehicle accident four kilometers (3.6 miles) east of Cam Ranh Army Airfield in Khanh Hoa Province, RVN. Reportedly, the jeep he was traveling in was hit by another vehicle causing the driver to lose control. The jeep overturned, fatally injuring Metcalf and a second passenger, the 44th Ordnance Headquarters commander, CPT James W. Peterson.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003e(https:\/\/army.togetherweserved.com\/army\/servlet\/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile\u0026amp;type=Person\u0026amp;ID=60590)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003e\"CPT James William Peterson and MSG Edward Walter Metcalf were killed on 22 May 1971. They were assigned to the 44\u003csup\u003eth\u003c\/sup\u003e Ordnance Detachment (Explosive Ordnance Disposal). CPT Peterson and MSG Metcalf were killed in a vehicle accident en route to their unit in Cam Ranh Bay, Khanh Hoa Province, Republic of Vietnam. CPT Peterson was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003e(https:\/\/army.togetherweserved.com\/army\/servlet\/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=LegacySBV\u0026amp;type=Person\u0026amp;ID=64068)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e(*This remembrance profile is maintained by Mike R. Vining, SGM USA (Retired).)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"colorgreen\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eCombat Operations\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e1951–1951, Korean War\/CCF Intervention (1950-51)\u003cbr\u003e1951–1951, Korean War\/First UN Counteroffensive (1951)\u003cbr\u003e1951–1951, Korean War\/CCF Spring Offensive (1951)\u003cbr\u003e1951–1951, Korean War\/UN Summer-Fall Offensive (1951)\u003cbr\u003e1951–1951, Second Korean Winter (1951-52)\u003cbr\u003e1970–1970, Operation Toan Thang 42 \/ Rock Crusher\u003cbr\u003e1970–1970, Vietnam War\/Sanctuary Counteroffensive Campaign (1970)\u003cbr\u003e1970–1971, Vietnam War\/Counteroffensive Phase VII Campaign (1970-71)\u003cbr\u003e(https:\/\/army.togetherweserved.com\/army\/servlet\/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile\u0026amp;type=Person\u0026amp;ID=60590)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMilitary and Personal Data:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003eService \u0026amp; Component: Army (Regular)\u003cbr\u003eService Number: 454442687\u003cbr\u003eMOS: 55D5P = Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Specialist (Airborne Qual)\u003cbr\u003eRank: MSG\u003cbr\u003eUnit of Assignement: 44TH ORD DET, USARV SPECIAL TROOPS, ARMY HQ AREA CMD, USARV\u003cbr\u003eStart Tour: 05\/27\/1970\u003cbr\u003eIncident Date: 05\/22\/1971\u003cbr\u003eBorn: 26 February 1932, Prairie City, Oregon\u003cbr\u003eHome State: North Carolina\u003cbr\u003eTour Started: 27 May 1970\u003cbr\u003eBuried: Alamance Memorial Park, Burlington, North Carolina, Plot: Veterans: 11A\u003cbr\u003eVietnam Memorial: Panel 03W\u003cbr\u003e(www.coffeltdatabase.org)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMedals and Awards:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003eExplosive Ordnance Disposal Badge (Master w\/ Combat Device)\u003cbr\u003eParachutist Badge (Basic)\u003cbr\u003eBronze Star (Valor)\u003cbr\u003eUS Army Commendation Medal\u003cbr\u003eUS Army Good Conduct Medal 2nd Award\u003cbr\u003eNational Defense Service Medal\u003cbr\u003eKorean War Service Medal\u003cbr\u003eVietnam War Service Medal\u003cbr\u003eUnited Nations Korean Service Medal\u003cbr\u003eUS Army Vietnam Campaign Medal\u003cbr\u003eRepublic of Korea War Service Medal\u003cbr\u003eUS Army Presidential Citation Medal\u003cbr\u003eKorean Presidential Unit Citation Medal\u003cbr\u003eVietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation Medal\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"product-single__description rte\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAll of our products are meticulously researched,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003einspected, precisely measured, carefully washed and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003epressed\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"product-single__description rte\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePlease note that for easier browsing, the size provided in the title\/description is based on the actual measurements of the garment and may not match the garment label. 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