Original Items: Only One Available. The Việt Cộng, also known as the National Liberation Front, was a mass political organization in South Vietnam and Cambodia with its own army – the People's Liberation Armed Forces of South Vietnam (PLAF) – that fought against the United States and South Vietnamese governments during the Vietnam War, eventually emerging on the winning side. It had both guerrilla and regular army units, as well as a network of cadres who organized peasants in the territory it controlled. Many soldiers were recruited in South Vietnam, but others were attached to the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN), the regular North Vietnamese army.

This is a wartime issued North Vietnamese Army belt with a steel buckle, in a design very reminiscent of the U.S. WWII Pistol Belt, with a plated steel snap for an ammo pouch. The canvas belt measures 35" when fully extended, and has steel grommets, which show some minor staining and wear. The steel buckle is painted silver, which is still mostly present, with a few spots of paint loss and oxidation. The insert side of the buckle has the Communist five pointed star stamped to the center.

The standard handgun used by the North Vietnamese Army was the Chinese Type 54, a copy of the Soviet WWII era TT-33. The NVA and VC called them K-54. The holster used, like most NVA gear, was made in the PRC of russet colored leather with a corduroy lining inside. The blue lining was great in dry conditions and kept the finish on the pistol looking very good. On the other hand, in the wet and humid climate of Vietnam, it kept the pistol rusty unless it was coated in oil.

Most Vietnam captured Tokarev holsters that were worn by an NVA tend to be on the dark side and have very visible wear marks on the inside corduroy lining. Sometimes the lining is worn through from the vibration of the million steps taken to make it South from Hanoi. The leather of these holsters tend to stiffen up having been put through a repeated cycle of going from wet to dry. This one is still rather soft and flexible.

PRC made holsters were issued with an adjustable shoulder strap attached to the galvanized metal rings on the back of the holster. Most straps were removed as they tended to wear into the shoulder and became an uncomfortable nuisance over time. As you can see with this example, those straps were removed.

One magazine was carried in the pistol and the other was carried in the pouch on the holster under the flap.

A looped cleaning rod was on the front exterior of the holster and held in place by two leather loops and a leather thong that passed through the bottom of the cleaning rod. The cleaning rod, like the pistol, tended to rust over time in the jungle. This example shows little rust and is in lovely condition.

The other accessory issued with the K-54 was a lanyard. It was made of dark green braided cotton with a flimsy metal clip at the end. Some jungle-made lanyards, often made from parachute suspension line cord, are found just like in this example.

Overall condition is very good. An exceptionally rare North Vietnamese Army Viet Cong belt and holster that was brought home by an American after his rotation in ‘Nam. Comes ready to display!