Original Items: One-of-a-Kind Set. This is an exceptional identified Vietnam War-era U.S. Army Special Forces grouping belonging to Captain Walter Huczko Jr., a decorated Green Beret who served in Vietnam and later with the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) on Okinawa. The grouping consists of an extremely scarce lightweight black cotton “pajama” uniform set manufactured by the Counterinsurgency Support Office, or CISO, together with an incountry-made OD green boonie hat. These items were acquired directly from Huczko’s family.

We have offered a few sets of Vietnamese-made black pajamas before, but this set is very distinct. The Counterinsurgency Support Office (CISO) supplied copies of Viet Cong pajamas to SOG and Special Forces reconnaissance personnel in Vietnam. Made from lightweight black cotton, they were marked with just a small size label. The collarless pajama top had a front button closure and boasted three small patch pockets.

This set is entirely correct down to the small size tags that are now heavily frayed and unreadable. The shirt has four front buttons and three patch pockets. The pants retain the tag, but it is far more frayed than the tag on the shirt. The tie string is still intact on the pants. There is moderate service wear across the set.

The boonie hat is a good shade of OD green with two non-magnetic mesh grommets on both sides and stitched loops for attachment of foliage. The chinstrap is retained and there are a few loose strings across the boonie.

Army Captain Walter Huczko Jr. was 22 when he was killed in the helicopter crash. He was a member of the Special Forces and was stationed in Okinawa, Japan. He was born in Hartford, Connecticut, and moved to Asbury Park, New Jersey in 1960. He was a 1964 graduate of Toms River High School, where he was a member of the soccer and cross country teams. He attended Norwich University, in Norwich, Connecticut for two years before enlisted in the Army as a Private in 1966. He was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in 1967 and was promoted to Captain in 1969. He had served in Vietnam and was wounded in action in 1968. He was awarded the Purple Heart Medal and ARCOM Medal. By October 1969 he was a Captain and team leader of Operational Detachment A-323, the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) SCUBA detachment on Okinawa. A Special Operations Association history and the later obituary of surviving teammate Harold “Jake” Jacobson both describe the fatal accident: A-323 was covering a water jump, part of the team was aboard a Marine CH-46, and the helicopter crashed shortly after takeoff. Three men were killed, including Captain Walter Huczko.

An online discussion of material from his estate cites MACV-SOG roster information identifying him as a 1st Lieutenant assigned to Company C, Command and Control Central, records him as wounded on December 1, 1968, and notes an Army Commendation Medal with “V” device in 1969.

The combination of the family provenance, CISO-pattern lightweight black pajama uniform, original Special Forces-associated boonie hat, documented Vietnam service and wounding, MACV-SOG connection, subsequent promotion to Captain, and final command of 1st Special Forces Group Operational Detachment A-323 on Okinawa makes this a particularly significant identified Special Forces grouping.

Rather than representing anonymous Vietnam-era field clothing, the set is directly connected with a young Special Forces officer whose career encompassed combat service in Southeast Asia, MACV-SOG duty, and specialized maritime operations with the 1st Special Forces Group before his death in the October 18, 1969 Okinawa helicopter crash.

Approximate Measurements:
Collar to shoulder: 8.5
Shoulder to sleeve: 28
Shoulder to shoulder: 16.5
Chest width: 20
Waist: 20
Hip: 20
Front length: 30