2 x CHALLENGE COINS - Special Ops Assc ABN - Vietnam War

Very Rare - Blank Un-Named Set - US Special Forces - ARVN Operative Named

Special Forces - Special Op's - Special Operations Association - Challenge Coin Set

Challenge Coin 1.

Mike Force, Special Forces Unit attached to US, 1st Special Forces Group. Headquartered at Nha Trang.

Un-Named Challenge coin.

US Special Forces - 3rd Special Forces Battalion of the 1st Special Forces Group, Airborne.

Challenge Coin 2.

Extremely Rare - Black Op's - Special Operations Association - Challenge Coin. Blank - Un-named.

Details:

US Special Forces Special Operations Association (Black Op's) issued Challenge Coins

Extremely rare Set Issued by, 3rd Special Force Battalion of the 1st Special Forces Group Airborne and the Special Op's Association Issued to;

• 3rd Special Forces Coin Measures - 1.6 inches in diameter ( 4 cms ) Weighs - 34 Grammes ( 1 ounce = 28 Grammes )
  
• Special Operations Coin Measures - 1.6 inches ( 3.8 cms ) Weighs - 27 Grammes ( 1 Ounce = 28 grammes)

The Montagnards and Nung operatives played crucial roles as indigenous personnel in the Mobile Strike (Mike Force) units during the Vietnam War. They provided invaluable local knowledge of the terrain, culture, and enemy movements, enhancing the operational capabilities of the units. Both groups were known for their combat skills, serving as trackers, scouts, and fighters, and they contributed to logistical support in difficult terrains where conventional vehicles couldn't operate. Their inclusion demonstrated U.S. commitment to local allies and proved vital in counterinsurgency operations against the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army.

Questions have arisen over the years in relation to the addition of Iran to the list of countries on the coin. Specifically, why does a 1960's US Special Operations Challenge coin have Iran on it when US operations in Iran are generally thought to have happened well after the 1960's. In actual fact;

1953 Iranian coup d'état - In August 2013 the U.S. government formally acknowledged the U.S. role in the coup by releasing a bulk of previously classified government documents that show it was in charge of both the planning and the execution of the coup, including the bribing of Iranian politicians, security and army high-ranking officials, as well as pro-coup propaganda. The CIA is quoted acknowledging the coup was carried out "under CIA direction" and "as an act of U.S. foreign policy, conceived and approved at the highest levels of government"

The CIA, US Special Forces and Special Operation Units operated in Iran from as early as 1950.