1442A SUPERB VIETNAM ERA SPECIAL FORCES GROUP, INCLUDING

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[?]Live Online Auction Starts In 2024 Oct 31 @ 10:00 (UTC-4 : AST/EDT)
Category Firearms & Military
Auction Currency USD
Start Price 2,500.00 USD
Estimated at 5,000.00 - 7,500.00 USD
A PERSONALIZED OFFICER’S RANDALL COMBAT KNIFE. This lot belonged to Captain Kendall A. Wilson, who was a well-known and intensely respected member of the American Special Forces in Vietnam. Captain Wilson refused an appointment to West Point and enlisted as a Private in the Army in order to learn "The heft of the rifle, and the weight of the pack". He rose to the rank of Seargent (E5) and attended many military schools, including Airborne, Infantry, Medical Field Service Corps, and Special Forces Officer Qualification. After finishing Officer’s Candidate School, he volunteered for Vietnam and attended several other schools, including Vietnamese Language School, CBR School, Ranger School, and Pathfinder School. He was initially attached to the 3rd Special Forces Group and subsequently to the 5th Special Forces Group headquartered in Nha Trang, Vietnam. Upon his arrival in Vietnam, he was briefly "loaned" to the 101st Airborne to command a problem recon unit. Wilson was seriously wounded by Vietnamese machine gun fire but recovered from his injuries, rejoining the fight as Executive Officer of Detachment A-109 30 miles outside of Danang. At about this time, Captain Wilson ordered his Randall fighting knife from Mr. Randall and received it approx. two months later. It became a trusted companion throughout the rest of his tour in Vietnam and beyond. The knife measures 12" overall with a 7 1/2" blade, featuring a 2 1/4" false edge and a sawtooth spine. One face of the blade is engraved "CPT. KENDALL A. WILSON". The other side of the blade reads "RANDALL MADE SOLINGEN S" and is stamped "STAINLESS" on the ricasso. The lozenge-shaped brass guard is quite heavy, and the one-piece composite grip has four finger loops on one side. There is a hole through the pommel, likely for a lanyard. The brown leather sheath has its original wet stone and is marked "RANDALL MADE KNIVES ORLANDO, FLA." The rear of the sheath is marked in white paint "WILSON 8729". Accompanying the knife is Captain Wilson’s Special Forces beret in dark green with a South Vietnamese flash on the front along with Captain's bars. The interior is lined with camouflaged parachute silk. Also accompanying this lot is a humorous ID card with a photograph of one of Captain Wilson’s indigenous troops along with an Airborne patch that shows a skull with the words "CCN" and "RT WASP". UNATTACHED ACCESSORIES: a looseleaf binder with three photographs of Captain Wilson, a copy of original orders to Vietnam, and a 3-page letter from him attesting to his personal history, military service, and the use of this rare, pedigreed Randall knife. CONDITION: knife shows light overall wear and has been well cared for. The sheath remains quite strong but has verdigris around the brass rivets. Beret also shows light wear. ID card shows moderate wear, and the patch appears unissued. (02-23307/BF). $5,000-7,500.