Dad's Knife

Dad's Knife:
This taken is from my website: www.fairbairnsykesfightingknives.com
Here’s a story about an unlikely knife that went to war. My father was a career officer in the US Army and made three tours to Vietnam. He was often in the very thick of it including hand-to-hand combat. During one assault by the VC he used his M-16 rifle on full auto until it burned out, then he used a picked-up VC rifle as a club until it broke and finally after night fell they got down to fighting H2H with a knife.

Back in 1967 before he went to Vietnam and ended up in that major assault he saw a Schrade “Sharp Finger” hunting knife that I had and asked me if he could have that knife to take with him. Ever since I was a young child he would bring me a knife home from his summer training at Fort Drum, NY so it was my pleasure to give the Schrade to him. After he had been over in Vietnam for a while he wrote to me and asked if I could send him another one. Luckily I had received one as a bonus for subscribing to “Guns and Ammo” so I sent that one along too. In 1993 my father passed away and his new son (my Vietnamese stepbrother) kept most of his belongings.

Fast forward another 18 years to today. Tragically my stepbrother died very unexpectedly and my Dad’s Vietnamese wife asked me if I would like to have the knife back that I had given dad. She returned the Schrade G&A “Sharp Finger” which was one of the knives that Dad actually carried. He also carried a Russell “Yukon Skinner” I sent him on one of his tours. Dad had a strange preference in fighting knives, but one thing I do know, he said “The only thing you ever need to know about knife fighting is to never get into one.” That’s good advice from a man who had been there and done it. Miss you dad.

He retired as a Lt. Colonel with (3) Bronze Stars, Air Medal, VN Cross of Gallantry, Purple Heart, and many other combat awards.