Original U.S. Vietnam War Era 20th Special Forces Group Uniform & Airborne Green Beret Group with Certificates and Ephemera - Master Sergeant Edward Otto Doster

Original Items. One-of-a-Kind Group. This is the lovely uniform & green beret group of Master Sergeant Edward Otto Doster, Detachment ‘A-31’, Company C, 20th Special Forces Group. The group consists of Doster’s uniform jacket & pants, his well-named Green beret with a period-applied Special Forces Regimental Distinctive Insignia, several certificates and documents in plastic protectors, and two very interesting German horticulture-related books with handwritten entires in German. We found that Doster spent time in Germany from voyage documents on ancestry, so these are likely from his collegiate years.

The group includes:
- Doster’s OG-107 “Type III” Uniform set with shirt and trousers. The shirt has E.O. DOSTER and U.S. ARMY nametape, Paratrooper wings over the left breast, Master Sergeant chevrons on both sleeves, Airborne Special Forces patch on left shoulder, and a “Jungle Expert” patch on the right breast pocket. The trousers are inscribed E.O. DOSTER on the sweatband. Tags are gone. Entire set shows very heavy service wear.
- Doster’s Special Forces Group Airborne Green Beret With Period Applied Special Forces Regimental Distinctive Insignia. The interior is marked M/SGT. / E.O. DOSTER / DET. ‘A-31’, CO. C, 20TH SFG. Roughly a size 6 ¾.
- Hand-made coffee mug given to Doster with police badge for St. Petersburg Florida, showing he is a Sergeant with badge number 1272. Bottom has his initials. A lovely handmade piece.
- 8 Certificates in plastic sleeves including Honorable Discharges, National Guard discharges, retirement certificate, Special Warfare School certificate, St. Petersburg Police Academy Chemical Tests for Intoxication attendance, Jungle Operations certificate.
- Two documents from HQ, Co. C, 20th Special Forces Group commending Doster on his work in his training.
- Pair of books written in German, one named to Doster on the front and the other to an Otto Rieger. The first appears to be Doster’s notebook for a biology-related class. The other book appears horticultural in nature and has entires from July 1945 to 1948. Likely used by Doster in his studies. Both the front and back cover have come off of this one.

Doster served in the New York National Guard from 1949-1960 before transferring to the Special Forces and training in special warfare and the airborne. He never deployed overseas and served several decades as a police sergeant in St. Petersburg, Florida. There is more research to be done on Doster’s service.

A great 20th Special Forces grouping, ready for further research and display.

Approximate Measurements
Collar to shoulder: 10.5"
Shoulder to sleeve: 23”
Shoulder to shoulder: 18"
Chest width: 23”
Waist: 21"
Hip: 22"
Front length: 30"

Pants:
Waist: 14"
Inseam: 29.5"