A circa 1943 Russian-made carbine captured in January 1968 from a Communist Viet Cong guerrilla fighter has found a new home in Phoenix. It was donated to the Friends of Freedom, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting active duty military members and veterans.
The donation is timed to be on display by Veterans Day, November 11.
The carbine was donated by Norman M. Covert, a recent transplant to Sun City West, from Frederick, Md.
Mr. Covert was retired from Fort Detrick, Md., in May 1999. He was chief of public affairs and command historian for U. S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command.
The carbine was the remaining historical artifact from Mr. Covert’s extensive military library, writings and collection of memorabilia dating from the Revolutionary War.
Mr. Covert previously donated his library collection and individual soldier and battlefield memorabilia to Francis Scott Key Post 11, The American Legion, in Frederick.
David Haddad, president of Fumar Cigars of Phoenix and CEO of Friends of Freedom, gratefully accepted the donation, saying it would be displayed in a shadow box alongside a full-sized Russian Mosin-Nagant rifle in the impressive artifact room. The weapon was noted for its durability and accuracy.
“The carbine is a rare example of the types of weapons used by the insurgent Viet Cong in South Vietnam,” Haddad said. “We are honored to be able to display it for the men and women of Friends of Freedom who have dedicated their time and resources to support our active military members, heroic veterans and first responders.”
Haddad and his late wife Judy initiated what became Friends of Freedom, intending to support troops in the post 9/11 fighting in Iraq and later Afghanistan.
The caliber 7.62(54) Mosin-Nagant carbine was modified by the Viet Cong, stripped of much of its stock, reducing its weight, and affixed a unique flash suppressor to the muzzle.
The carbine was recovered in January 1968 by the late U. S. Army Col. Robert M. Shaw, Jr., (MS), near Long Binh, Republic of South Vietnam when the bloody Communist Tet Offensive was thwarted.
Colonel Shaw was permitted to keep the carbine as a souvenir of the battle. It was later registered at Rock Island (Ill.) U.S. Army Arsenal. After his retirement as commander of Fort Detrick in 1980, he transferred custody to Mr. Covert, who used it for display during his lectures and speeches on military history.
The Mosin-Nagant rifle was manufactured in several models dating to the turn of the 20th century. The carbine probably has an extensive history. It may have been used during World War II in Indo-China and the post-war insurgency against French colonial forces.
Its recovery was evidence of service in the Vietnam independence war, which dated from 1954, and guerrilla fighting in South Vietnam by forces of Ho Chi Minh.
Mr. Covert, who served in the U. S. Army from 1967-1973, authored several historical volumes on U. S. military history and development and use of Biological Warfare weapons, his writings include Cutting Edge, a history of Fort Detrick, MD. He is a life member of Chapter 304, Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA), Francis Scott Key Post 11, The American Legion, and the veterans’ honor society La Sociẻté des 40 Hommes et 8 Chevaux, for which he is a national directeur emeritus (Americanism).
He was an award winning news reporter and editor. He edited the U. S. Army Recruiting Journal during the Army’s transition to an All-Volunteer Army. He also served as chief of command Information for U. S. Army Training and Doctrine Command at Fort Monroe, Va.
The Friends of Freedom was established in 2009, headquartered in Phoenix and is certified as a 501(c)(3) entity. The Department of Defense approved the initially privately funded effort by Mr. Haddad in 2003. He was provided space for his products aboard transport aircraft to the war zone.
Friends of Freedom is affiliated with American Airlines, the Gary Sinise Foundation, United Service Organization (USO), Chef Irvine Foundation, the Tribute to Valor Foundation and many individual donors.
Its program has been extended to first responders, family members, those recovering from wounds at military medical centers and veterans suffering posttraumatic stress (PTS).
Recent efforts by Friends of Freedom include transporting patients from military medical centers to Las Vegas for recreational visits, and sponsoring military dependent high school STEM students to NASA Space Center, Houston, Tex., two weeks ago.
“We want to be able to fill in the support gaps which the Veterans Administration and other charitable groups cannot fulfill,” Haddad said. “Our board of directors has been diligent with its vision to increase our outreach.”