Ext Rare Vietnam War 1969 USMC 5th Recon BN Presentation Raft Paddle of Lt J O Walling

What we have here is an extremely rare Vietnam War USMC 5th Reconnaissance Battalion Presentation Raft Paddle. The Paddle was presented to USMC Lieutenant John O'Neal Walling at the end of his time with 5th Recon. The paddle has been painted black. From top, down the handle, it reads 5TH RECON BN. Next hard to see as it is black on black, is the word SCUBA with waves above and below. This is followed by the name of the presentee: LT. JOHNNY O. WALLING in an arc above the 5th Recon emblem: a Skull with a bleeding bullet hole, superimposed on a pair of crossed USMC Kabar Utility Knives, on top of the V and Spearhead logo of the 5th Marines. Below this emblem is USMC. At the bottom of the paddle are Lt. Walling's dates of service with 5th Recon: 12 MAY 69 TO 5 SEP 69.

This is a poignant and cherished reminder of one's service in USMC Recon, and most likely would not be available for purchase if the original recipient had not passed. It is also believed that Lt. Walling had no descendants, and this paddle came from a large USMC collection that was curated by a career Marine who has also passed.

Genuine Reconnaissance Marine Paddles rarely show up on the market, so this is a rare opportunity to own a piece of USMC culture.

JOHN O'NEAL WALLING Feb 29, 1948 - Mar 23, 2015

Buried at FORT SAM HOUSTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

1520 HARRY WURZBACH RD, SAN ANTONIO, TX 78209

SECTION C2, ROW W2, SITE B69 - 29.47544068, -98.41765035

DATE OF INTERMENT: April 10th, 2015