Military Assistance Command, Vietnam Team 58 photograph collection

Access and use

Location of collection:
George Mason University
2400 Fenwick Library
Special Collections Research Center
Fenwick Library MS2FL
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA 22030
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Mieko Palazzo
Phone: (703) 993-2220
Fax: (703) 993-2669
Restrictions:

Collection is open to research.

Terms of access:

The copyright and related rights status of this collection have not been evaluated (See http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/)

Preferred citation:

Military Assistance Command, Vietnam Team 58 photograph collection, C0196, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries.

Summary

Extent:
0.25 Linear Feet 1 box
Creator:
United States. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam
Abstract:
The collection contains 198 black and white photographs measuring 3.75 x 2.5 inches, of MACV Team 58's experience in South Vietnam's Choung Thien province.
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Military Assistance Command, Vietnam Team 58 photograph collection, C0196, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection contains 198 black and white photographs (measuring 3.75 x 2.5 inches) of MACV Team 58 taken by the Administrative NCO and by 1st Lieutenant Al Short in 1964-1965. Photographs in the collection show the day-to-day life in the camp with some images of combat. Photographs of advisors include personnel working in offices, eating meals and enjoying down time, and preparing for a USO show. Several photographs document an assembly with Vietnamese speakers attended by both military advisors and local residents. Photographs also include scenes of the province capital of Vi Thanh, and several photographs taken from an airplane.

Series 1 contains photos taken by one of the Administrative Non-Comissioned Officers in MACV Team 58 in 1965. The series contains five subseries. Subseries 1 contains photographs taken from an assembly in Vi Thanh (probably the transition of the office of province chief from Lieutenant Colonel Diep to Major Nghia according to Al Short); subseries 2 contains photograms of the MACV Team 58 camp; subseries 3 includes Aerial views of Vietnam and images of the camp's runway and pilots; subseries 4 contains images of Vi Thanh,the capital of what was then called Chuong-Thien Province; subseries 5 contains portraits of MAAG Team 58.

Series 2 contains photos taken by Al Short, a 1st Lieutenant in MACV Team 58, in 1964 and 1965, as well as two news articles from 1965. Subseries 1 contains photos from a Vietnamese Army Cultural Drama Team show; subseries 2 contains photos of civic action program activities; subseries 3 contains photos of Vietnamese officials in Choung Thien Province; subseries 4 contains photos of military equipment and aircraft; subseries 5 contains photos of life in Vi Thanh city; subseries 6 contains photos of various Vietnamese military units on operations; subseries 7 contains photos of life in the MACV, Advisory Team 58 compound; subseries 8 contains photos of MACV Advisory Team 58 members; subseries 9 contains photos from an awards ceremony at the MACV Advisory Team 58 compound. Subseries descriptions and arrangement come from Al Short; subseries 10 contains two news articles from Boston from January and May 1965.

Biographical / historical:

MACV (Military Assistance Command, Vietnam) was an American organization of military personnel, sent to train and assist South Vietnamese armed forces. Originally, the advisors were sent to support the French military in the First Indochina War and were named MAAG (Military Assistance Advisory Group) Indochina. With the withdrawal of French troops from Vietnam, MAAG shifted its focus to the training of South Vietnamese forces in an effort to stem the rising influence of Communism. In 1962 MAAG was replaced by U.S. Military Assistance Command Vietnam (MACV) and had grown from a few hundred advisors to over 3,000. At the time the photographs in this collection were taken (1964-1965), Team 58 was stationed in Vi Thanh in the former Chuong Thien province.

Acquisition information:
104 photographs purchased from Between the Covers in August of 2011. An additional 94 photographs donated by Al Short in January 2017.
Processing information:

Processed by Kristen Korfitzen in November 2011. Al Short material processed by Liz Beckman in January 2017, including revisons to finding aid and Scope and Content note captions provided by Al Short. EAD created by Kristen Korfitzen in November 2011, edited by Liz Beckman in 2017 and 2018 and Amanda Menjivar in April 2023.

Arrangement:

The photographs in this collection are arranged by subject. Arrangement of series 2 was done by Al Short.

Series
  1. Series 1: Photos by Administrative NCO, 1965 (pages 1-26)
  2. Series 2: Photos by Al Short, news articles, 1964-1965 (pages 27-51)
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard