Early Vietnam War Era c. 1960 Vietnamese Montagnard Crossbow, complete with quiver and arrows. Presented to an American Special Forces Colonel during a early training session with the Montagnards. Good condition, Crossbow measures 38"x27". Quiver with arrows measures 20" long. Weight 2 pds 2 oz. PROVENANCE: A Private Charleston SC Estate. The Montagnard / Degar, are the indigenous peoples of the Central Highlands of Vietnam. The term Montagnard means "people of the mountain" in French and is a carryover from the French colonial period in Vietnam. In Vietnamese, they are known by the term Nguoi Thuong (Highlanders). As the Vietnam War began to loom on the horizon, both South Vietnamese and American policy makers sought to begin training troops from minority groups in the Vietnamese populace. The U.S. Mission to Saigon sponsored the training of the Degar in unconventional warfare by American Special Forces. The U.S. military, particularly the Special Forces, developed base camps in the area and recruited the Degar. Because of their quiet resolve and skills in tracking, roughly 40,000 fought alongside American soldiers and became a major part of the U.S. military effort in the Highlands and I Corps, the northernmost region of South Vietnam.

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