When I was in the Army in Germany in 1961 I ordered a Model 1 from Randall and received it in a surprisingly short time, considering that the wait at that time was 2 years. I carried the knife during my tour of duty in Germany and later when my girlfriend's brother was deployed to Vietnam, I loaned it to him to take with him. He was Sgt. Allen Firth, H Co, 2n BN, 1st Marine Div from Virginia. Unfortunately, he was KIA in Quang Tri and, of course, I did not get my knife back. The loss of the knife paled in comparison to the loss of Allen.

I thought I'd post this just in case anyone ever runs across it. It was a Model 1 with an 8" stainless blade, leather handle with finger grips and the aluminum butt cap was drilled for a thong. My Army serial number was etched on the right side of the blade: RA13694xxx. If you have seen this knife or run across it in the future, please let me know at my e-mail address: neil@dbelltech.com

Thanks and Best Regards--- Neil Tucson, AZ

Personal effects were supposed to be returned to the family of the KIA...all of them including personal field gear. Was the knife not returned? Perhaps you could contact members of his unit who were with him. They may have med-evaced him without his field gear, and it was never forwarded.

You could well find a unit contact on the web, and could leave a message. One of those men may know what happened to it.

Thanks, Jack. Maybe it will turn up some day-- I have not contacted the family-- too painful.

Regards, Neil

Neil, as a Vietnam veteran who has contacted several families of some of my lost teammates, I suggest that the family might welcome your remembering your friend and talking to them. If you couch your request about wanting to recover the knife to remember him, you might be surprised how they might welcome it, after all these years. It might mean more to you than to them.

Many, maybe most, families just received a letter with few if any details about their son, and few of his mates ever contacted those families because of the way we dribbled back.

A few years ago, decades after the event, I posted my rememberences of what happened to SSGT Michael McCain, SF A-244 Ben Het, May 9, 1968, on the virtual wall. To my amazement I had 4 different family members communicate in the most postive way.

My father was KIA in Normandy 12 days after we were born. His effects were returned except for a few things I always wondered about. I wonder if you just knew where the knife was, even if you didn't get it back, whether you might find it enough to somehow complete the circle.

Good luck with it. Regards.

Thanks for the reply, Jack. I have been reluctant to contact the family but, from what you've said, I may try it. If the knife was not returned with his effects, I hope another Marine got it, not some NVA.

Regards, Neil