10/13/2026
During the Vietnam War, famously the North Vietnamese received supplies and reinforcements along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. What started as a literal walking path and grew to an 18 foot wide hidden highway by the end of the war.
It was used to move everything from food, mu*****ns, construction supplies, weapons, troops and more. Much of it was done by truck and at night to avoid USAF bombing.
Drivers would drive shifts throughout the night and ending with some time before daybreak to unload under the cover of darkness. That doesn't mean they weren't attacked, just likely to be accurately attacked.
Between the targeted USAF bombing campaign and the ambushes of MACV SOG, the North Vietnamese Army began to issue Chinese made protective vests to drivers, as they were sitting targets and didn't need the mobility offered by a lack of armor.
These vests were made of canvas and had a "scale" like patterning of steel plates with overlap inside the front, rear and collar. As they were rarely captured and never surplused, they're extremely rare to see in collections.
We have a small selection in stock now 🇻🇳
