Minifigure – North Vietnamese Army (NVA) infantryman from the Vietnam War (LEGO Compatible)

This image displays a toy minifigure set representing a North Vietnamese Army (NVA) infantryman from the Vietnam War era (circa 1960s-1970s).

The figure is depicted in the standard-issue olive-green uniform of the NVA. His most iconic piece of equipment is the olive-green pith helmet (mũ cối), which was ideal for the tropical climate and is shown here with a small red star emblem with a gold border. He wears a blue and white checkered scarf (khăn rằn), which was a common personal item.

He is equipped with a canvas “Chicom” chest rig, which was designed to carry multiple ammunition magazines for the AK-47, and was the standard load-bearing equipment for NVA and Viet Cong forces.

The set includes two weapon accessories:

• A toy replica of the Type 56 assault rifle. This was the Chinese-made version of the Soviet AK-47 and was the primary weapon of the NVA. This version is shown with its distinctive folding spike bayonet in the fixed position.
• A toy replica of a B-40 rocket-propelled grenade. The B-40 (the Vietnamese designation for the Soviet RPG-2) was a simple, rugged, and highly effective anti-personnel and anti-armor weapon used extensively by the NVA and Viet Cong.

Historical Background: This figure represents a typical frontline soldier of the North Vietnamese Army (NVA), also known as the People’s Army of Vietnam (PAVN). These soldiers, known for their discipline and resilience, fought a protracted war against the United States and South Vietnam. Their iconic equipment, consisting of the pith helmet, chest rig, and AK-47/Type 56 rifle, became a defining image of the conflict.