2/47th Inf. "Panthers Did It All" Bastards Shirt
During the latter period of its deployment in-country the 2/47th Infantry (Mechanized), was moved from its original base-camp at Bearcat to the Mekong Delta base at Binh Phuoc in 1968, During the monsoon season the M113 ACAV's were easily bogged down and largely ineffective except as part of fixed defenses. Consequently, the Panthers often left their tracks behind and deployed as part of the Mobile Riverine Force, joining its sister 9th Infantry Division 3/47th, 4/47th, and 3/60th Infantry battalions aboard the boats of the "Brown Water Navy". Throughout its deployment, the Panthers would also engage in air-mobile operations, periodically. Many Panthers racked up enough helicopter insertions to earn Air Medals. The front of the shirt sports the vintage Panther pocket patch print with the Bastard tab the Panthers commissioned. The Panthers were part of the 3rd Brigade, 9th Infantry Division which had been been shuttled from one division to another since the rest of the "Old Reliables" had returned to the United States, eight months earlier. This inspired the Panthers to adopt the additional nickname "Bastards". They had a flash run up by a local tailor to wear above the unauthorized Panther Pocket Patch that dated back to 1967 and the division's arrival. The back of the shirt features silhouettes of the M113 track, ATC "Tango Boat", and UH-1H "Huey" cut from the Vietnam Service Ribbon on the back.
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