Comes with a hand-signed C.O.A.

This original and museum-grade Vietnam War artifact is a very rare field manual titled “PATHFINDER OPERATIONS” with the handwritten soldier inscription of “RECON PLATOON”. In Vietnam Pathfinder Infantrymen were inserted into areas to establish landing zones for air assaults or other helicopter operations. Pathfinders determined the most practical landing zones, withdrawal routes, approach lanes, and landing sites for helicopter assaults, in hostile areas.

Dated October 1968 this manual was specially produced by the HEADQUARTER DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY - WASHINGTON D.C. 1968. This Pathfinder Operations manual extensively details: Pathfinder Planning, Preparations, Movement, Communications, Helicopter Landing Zones, Delivery of Pathfinders, Establishment of Airplane Landing Strips, etc.

Although not technically a special forces unit, the levels of discipline and skills required of Pathfinders are close to, if not entirely comparable to, Special Forces .

Vietnam Pathfinder Units:

 1st Aviation Brigade

10th Combat Aviation Bn, 12th Aviation Group and later 17th Avn Group Pathfinder Detachment Dong Ba Thin, Than Thiet

11th Combat Aviation Bn, 12th Aviation Group Pathfinder Detachment Phu Loi

13th Combat Aviation Bn, 164th Aviation Group Pathfinder Detachment I and II Soc Trang, Can Tho

17th Aviation Group Pathfinder Det (unconfirmed)

121st ASHC Pathfinder Det (fell under 13th CAB) Soc Trang

52nd Combat Aviation Bn Security Detachment Pathfinders Camp Holloway, Pleiku, Ban Me Thout

145th Combat Aviation Bn Pathfinder Detachment Bien Hoa

147th ASHC Assault Support Helicopter Company Pathfinder Det

178th ASHC Pathfinder Det (fell under 11th Combat Aviation Battalion)

214th Combat Aviation Bn Pathfinder Detachment Dong Tam, Bear Cat

222nd Combat Aviation Bn Pathfinder Detachment Bear Cat, Vung Tau

223rd Combat Aviation Bn Pathfinder Det

268th Combat Aviation Bn Pathfinder Detachment Phu Hiep, Tuy Hoa

269th Combat Aviation Bn Pathfinder Detachment Cu Chi, Dau Tieng

307th Combat Aviation Bn Pathfinder Detachment Soc Trang, Can Tho (consolidated with 13th CAB Pathfinders)

308th Combat Aviation Bn Pathfinder Detachment (consolidated with 160th Pathfinders 101st Airborne)

1st Infantry Division

HHD 1st Aviation Bn Pathfinder Detachment Phu Loi

4th Infantry Division

HHC 4th Aviation Bn Pathfinder Detachment Pleiku, Plei Djereng, Polei Kleng, Dak Pek, Duc Co, Dak Seang

1st Cavalry Division

11th Pathfinder Company (Provisional) An Khe, HHC 11th Aviation Group (4 Teams)

1. 227th Assault Helicopter Bn Pathfinder Detachment

2. 228th Assault Helicopter Bn Pathfinder Detachment

3. 229th Assault Helicopter Bn Pathfinder Detachment

4. General Support Detachment

9th Infantry Division

9th Aviation Bn Pathfinder Det Bear Cat 1968

25th Infantry Division

25th Combat Aviation Bn Pathfinder Detachment Cu Chi

23rd Infantry Division

14th Combat Aviation Bn Pathfinder Detachment Chu Lai, Quang Ngai, Quang Tri in 71

123rd Combat Aviation Bn Pathfinder Detachment

101st Airborne Division

HHC 101st Aviation Bn Pathfinder Detachment Bien Hoa, Camp Eagle, RIPCORD

HHC 160th Aviation Group Pathfinder Detachment Bien Hoa Camp Eagle, RIPCORD