Comes with hand-signed C.O.A.

This museum-grade Vietnam War Vietnamese Rangers theater flag is an extremely rare ARVN Rangers flag from the 42nd Ranger Battalion. Originally the Rangers were assigned to province chiefs for local operations, but later were placed directly under corps commanders to operate over wider areas. As a primary reaction force, better trained and equipped and more mobile than the regular ARVN battalions, the Rangers have been involved in almost every major battle of the war. The 42nd Ranger Battalion, for instance, received unit citations for bravery from two U.S. Presidents.

Vietnamese Ranger units and individual soldiers received a wide range of awards for valor and heroism from both the Republic of Vietnam and the United States. The 42nd and 44th Battalions were awarded their country’s National Order Fourragere, the 43rd Battalion the Military Order Fourragere, and the 21st, 37th, 41st and 52nd Battalions the Gallantry Cross Fourragere. Twenty-three Ranger units were awarded the Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm unit award, with the 42nd Battalion receiving the award seven times, the 44th Battalion six times, and the 1st Group and 43rd Battalion each four times. Eleven U.S. Presidential Unit Citations (PUC) were awarded to Vietnamese Ranger units. The 37th Battalion three times, the 39th and 42d twice, and the 1st Ranger Task Force, 21st, 44th and 52nd Battalions each received the PUC once. The U.S. Valorous Unit Award was awarded to the 21st, 32d, 41st, 43d, 77th and 91st Ranger Battalions. Large numbers of individual Vietnamese Rangers have presented U.S. awards such as the Silver Star, Bronze Star, and Army Commendation Medals for acts of valor in the face of enemy forces.

Unit training continued to pose serious problems. In 1963 and 1964 the increased level of enemy activity made it almost impossible to regroup entire combat units for training despite the increased force levels. Only the Ranger battalions were able to complete their initial training and thereafter maintain a continuous retraining program using a six-week cycle.

Timed in conjunction with the Vietnamese New Year -- or "Tet" -- the NVA and Viet Cong launched a massive offensive with the hope of capitalizing on growing popular discontent in South Viet Nam. The United States Marine Corps' combat base at Khe Sanh became a focal point for northern forces during the Tet Offensive of 1968 -- the 6,000-plus Marines and Vietnamese Rangers faced nearly 20,000 NVA from two divisions, with a third division capable of reinforcing from only 25 kilometers away. Despite those odds, however, there was no repeat of Dien Bien Phu. The ultimate outcome of Khe Sanh could be labeled a draw.

From 2–21 June 1966 in Operation Hawthorne the 21st Ranger Battalion participated with the US 101st Airborne Division in relieving the ARVN 42nd Regiment, 22nd Division which was fighting the PAVN 24th Regiment near the village of Toumorong, Kon Tum Province.

BY VIRTUE of the authority vested in me as President of the United States and as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States I have today awarded

THE PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION (ARMY) (FIRST OAK LEAF CLUSTER)

FOR EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM

TO: THE 42D RANGER BATTALION 21ST INFANTRY DIVISION ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM

The 42d Ranger Battalion, 21st Infantry Division, Army of the Republic of Vietnam, distinguished itself by extraordinary heroism in action while engaged in military operations against a hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam. On 17 May 1966, the 42d Ranger Battalion was committed in battle against the Viet Cong elite Soc Trang Provincial Battalion in the vicinity of Vinh Chau, Vietnam. After being helilifted into the objective area the Battalion moved tactically to establish contact with the insurgents. As advance elements cleared a heavy mangrove thicket, the Viet Cong opened fire from well-prepared defensive fortifications. The Battalion immediately countered the enemy fire, deployed its forces, and assaulted the positions, with the main effort to the north. The left flank of the Battalion received intense machine gun and small arms fire from enemy positions to the west, impeding their advance. Determining this to be the main core of enemy resistance, the Battalion maneuvered to engage the insurgents and advanced to the west against increasing resistance. 1st and 3d Companies assaulted the enemy's flank, but were able to make only small gains even in heavy hand-to-hand combat. To preserve the momentum of the attack, the Battalion Commander moved 2d Company into position with 4th Company at the center, and in a coordinated effort the Battalion assaulted, vigorously, the Viet Cong stronghold. The Viet Cong positions were staggered, with three separate lines of entrenchments concealed in thickly vegetated canal lines. In the face of murderous fire from these positions, the determined Rangers closed with the enemy and engaged him in fierce hand-to-hand combat until the objective had been cleared and the Viet Cong resistance silenced. Throughout this action, the Rangers demonstrated outstanding courage and professionalism. The conspicuous gallantry of the 42d Ranger Battalion is in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit upon the Armed Forces of the Republic of Vietnam.