# What does this Vietnamese banner say? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 7, 2017, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-vietnamese-banner-say/800944 "2017-11-07T04:05:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![somepumpkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@somepumpkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/somepumpkin)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2017, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-vietnamese-banner-say/800944/1 "2017-11-07T04:05:35Z")
I found this in my (late) dad’s things. It was in a box along with a silk banner that said, “To Hell with Communism” (in English). I’m sure they came from his days in `Nam. Can anyone tell me what this Vietnamese writing says? [![Google Photos](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/56Wp_AWUEgY_djZgO8sOlas7qdvuF9U0XzW-WN8HGx6YnGgOHxqM-mAtGyiRafSE3FcH36vBfAGO_hytYfI3efgjr60ECVaunWperQklorObQEbdiWd3jr5HYrF0VooevAxyO66Ygg=w600-h315-p-k "New item by JV S") ](https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZdRbumdHQz8RDMd13) ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2017, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-vietnamese-banner-say/800944/2 "2017-11-07T04:49:03Z")
I typed the first line into Google Translate (using similar-looking English characters, not actual Vietnamese characters), and it suggested “Independent south should be neutral”. ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2017, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-vietnamese-banner-say/800944/3 "2017-11-07T05:16:23Z")
South Vietnam must be independent and neutral, and peacefully establish a united government, so that America will remove its army and instruments of war from Vietnam. I’m not grokking “neutral” here, but Communist propaganda is sometimes like that, i.e., supporting the Communists against the Americans and the South.Vietnamese government could be what they call a neutral position. ---
**Author:** ![somepumpkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@somepumpkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/somepumpkin)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2017, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-vietnamese-banner-say/800944/4 "2017-11-07T13:22:47Z")
Thanks, guys. As a token of appreciation I’ll share a quick photo of his “To hell with the commies” banner, too. Bonus question for combat helicopter/air buffs… what is the teal-colored, silk triangle in that photo? [![Google Photos](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/5D565iqNzyzn3JprsEswkk6lBNM9ZDL1ZBUPtO3CC60avuzl56NMkwAJ-NDpT-JivSQ93vHkR-hJA4AvU-kOdsCsHNh88erCKkRKDqG3vT0G7bVWBDI0JntZYTuCpEpFX3OKuWXJgQ=w600-h315-p-k "New item by JV S") ](https://photos.app.goo.gl/apk36SwX94IcMQZ32) ---
**Author:** ![MikeF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2017, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-vietnamese-banner-say/800944/5 "2017-11-07T13:53:23Z")
Cravat for the pilots of that unit? ---
**Author:** ![somepumpkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@somepumpkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/somepumpkin)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2017, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-vietnamese-banner-say/800944/6 "2017-11-07T14:13:10Z")
I had to look-up cravat, but I think you’re on to something there. He was a gunner though. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2017, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-vietnamese-banner-say/800944/7 "2017-11-07T15:58:15Z")
It’s a ceremonial / dress dickie. AKA cravat. Here’s a pic of the same idea: [https://media.defense.gov/2016/Sep/12/2001631102/670/394/0/160908-F-GA320-1001.JPG](https://media.defense.gov/2016/Sep/12/2001631102/670/394/0/160908-F-GA320-1001.JPG). Aircrew of whatever job often had these as a way to dress up the otherwise functional flight suit uniform. They’d be worn around the office or club, not in combat. In USAF of that era there was also something called a “party suit”. I don’t know whether or not the Army shared this habit. If they did it’d be limited to the folks who lived back at a base in a town, not to the folks living out in the mud in the countryside. A “party suit” was a one-piece coverall like a flight suit, but made locally of ordinary fabric in brighter colors and festooned with unit patches, decorations, local sayings, etc. Typically your name and/or nickname would be embroidered across the shoulders like a NFL/MLB player. Outside each base there’d be a few local seamstresses who made a good living making these things. Here’s a good example from the Viet Nam era: [http://www.spectre-association.org/images/acphotos/KEStockard/KE%20Stockard%20Unofficial%20Flight%20Suit.jpg](http://www.spectre-association.org/images/acphotos/KEStockard/KE%20Stockard%20Unofficial%20Flight%20Suit.jpg) A dickie/kravat decorated with the unit insignia was commonly part of the ensemble. What did you do with your party suit? After work you put it on then went and got roaring drunk at the club with your mates so you could all face another day of killing Commies for Mommy hopefully without getting killed yourself.