Original U.S. Vietnam War Marine Corps KIA Officer's Mameluke Sword with Knot - Alfred Bayard Russ, KIA January 13, 1968
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Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. This is an exceptional identified Vietnam War U.S. Marine Corps Mameluke officer’s sword belonging to First Lieutenant Alfred Bayard Russ, an infantry officer with Company I, 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines, 3rd Marine Division, who was killed in action in Quang Tri Province on January 13th, 1968. His name, Alfred B. Russ, is etched directly into the blade. The sword retains its ivoroid grip scales, officer’s sword knot, stainless steel etched blade, and complete scabbard, and remains in excellent overall condition.
Russ served in Vietnam with Company I, 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines, 3rd Marine Division. On January 13th, 1968, Company I personnel were providing security for an engineer convoy on Highway 9 near Ca Lu Airfield in Quang Tri Province when the force came under a major enemy ambush involving mortar and small-arms fire. During the action, vehicles carrying ammunition were hit and explosions followed. Russ was killed by fragmentation wounds caused by a hostile explosive device.
The sword has developed a gorgeous patina over the years. The Mameluke sword is a very iconic edged weapon with roots in the Marine Corps going back 219 years to the First Barbary War. This example is etched on the blade with Alfred B. Russ, for Lieutenant Alfred Bayard Russ, who was KIA on January 13th, 1968.
The blade is stainless steel and has been etched on both sides with UNITED STATES MARINES along with the name Alfred B. Russ and various other military motifs, including the "Eagle, Globe, and Anchor" emblem of the U.S. Marine corps. The spine is etched with USMC SERIAL NO. 323, something we have never seen before. The front spine is etched GERMANY, so this is a German-made blade. The ricasso is marked with:
STAINLESS
HH
TRADEMARK
HILBORN
HAMBURGER
INC.
NEW YORK
MADE IN
SOLINGEN
GERMANY
These markings identify the sword as a Solingen-manufactured blade retailed in the United States by Hilborn-Hamburger Inc. of New York, a firm well known for military uniform accessories and ceremonial swords during the mid-20th century.
Overall condition is great, without any serious wear. Scabbard is in very good condition, with both of the original hanger rings, as well as the brass throat. The knot loops through the hole on the pommel and is in overall great shape with some minor wear, though it should be handled carefully as it is fragile leather.
Alfred Bayard Russ was a native of Ridgewood, New Jersey. He went to schools in Andover, Massachusetts, and Middlebury, Vermont. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1966 and had been in Vietnam for a year. He was enrolled in the USMC Platoon Leader program at his college and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant upon graduation. He had been at the front for only two weeks as executive officer of Company I, 3rd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment. Lt. Russ requested combat duty after having served several months with a Military Police unit outside of Da Nang.
His online memorial can be found here.
The Marine Corps Mameluke sword carries one of the longest ceremonial traditions in the American armed forces. Its association with the Corps traces to First Lieutenant Presley O’Bannon and the Battle of Derna in 1805, after which the Mameluke form became closely identified with Marine officers. The pattern was formally adopted for Marine officers during the 19th century and, with a period of interruption, has remained a defining symbol of commissioned Marine service. Official Marine Corps historical material continues to identify the Mameluke as the traditional sword carried by Marine officers.
Official casualty records identify Russ as a First Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps, born November 3rd, 1943, with a home of record in Peterborough, New Hampshire, and killed on January 13th, 1968. His name appears on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial at Panel 34E, Line 45.
With its “Alfred B. Russ” blade inscription, Hilborn-Hamburger maker markings, ivoroid grip, surviving officer’s knot, complete scabbard, and direct connection to a Marine infantry officer killed in action in Vietnam, this is a deeply significant identified Marine Corps artifact. It would form an important centerpiece in a collection devoted to the Marine Corps, the Vietnam War, or identified Mameluke officer swords.
Specifications:
Blade Length: 32 5/8"
Blade Style: Single Edged Sword with Fuller
Overall length: 38 3/8“
Crossguard: 5 3/8”
Scabbard Length: 35 1/8"
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