[Texas]. [Military Photography]

[Twenty Signed Photographs of Vietnamese Airmen in Training at James Connally Air Force Base]

[Waco, Tx. 1956]. Twenty individual photographs, measuring 3.5 x 5 inches or slightly smaller, each with accompanying inscribed notecards of roughly the same size. Each photo signed, and mostly inscribed. Otherwise minor wear. A bit of discoloration to cards. Very good. Item #6216

An intriguing group of twenty signed photographs that depicts a group of Vietnamese servicemen in a training program at the now-defunct James Connally Air Force Base and around Waco, Texas, during the mid-1950s. The images were previously assembled in a now-perished album and presented to a Master Sergeant Jack Reavis, presumably their instructor or guide, and his wife, "For souvenir [of] the times that we lived in James Connally AFB" on behalf of "All Vietnamese student[s]." Each photo is signed and dated 1956, and often bears a short, commemorative inscription, and is also accompanied by a notecard bearing the name of the pictured man in the Roman alphabet and Vietnamese script and usually identifying him as a member of the "1st group" or "2nd group" of engineering mechanics. That they were receiving training in the field of aviation mechanics might also be intuited from the appearance of several of the men with aircraft. Other images including standing portraits near barracks and other bae buildings, as well as more casual shots of men with cars, horseback riding, on the streets of downtown Waco, and enjoying a day out at nearby Lake Whitney. We uncovered no additional information concerning this training program, and 1956 seems quite early for stateside training of Vietnamese military personnel. The front board of the former album, bearing the gift inscription, and a notecard with a manuscript map of Vietnam are still with the photographs and other notecards. A very interesting group and quite worthy of further research.

Price: $2,000.00