Dedicated to those few of us who served with these units.

The South Vietnamese popular force insignia used the circle to serve up its array of messages. The outer rim of the circle was composed of intertwined chains of rice stalks, associating PFs with the peasantry that inhabited rural areas. Grains of rice stood for abundance and prosperity. A yellow background again signified the Asian race. The focal point was a three-pronged star, with each spur split equally, one half being blue, the other white, and the colors being non-contiguous from one spur to the next. Between the three prongs of the star were three red arrows trying to pierce the star’s core, with the tips of the arrows being blunted and absorbed by the core. These arrows signified the Vietcong’s three frontal attacks being thwarted. The color blue symbolized the three phases of triangular warfare—integrated intelligence, psychological, and guerrilla actions. The color white depicted purity, wholesomeness, simplicity, and a high spirit of service.