VIETNAM WAR CHESS: NVA/VC • PT 4 ~ Pawn5 to Pawn8

VIETNAM WAR CHESS: NVA/VC • PT 4 ~ Pawn5 to Pawn8

(Entire set's file size was too large for MakerWorld to accept so I had to break the set down into four different .3mf files.)

From the Artist

My name is Clyde — U.S. Army Combat Infantryman, Sergeant E-5.
I served in Vietnam from 1969 to 1970 with the 25th Infantry Division, 2/27th Wolfhounds out of Củ Chi. One year of hell. One year of brotherhood. One year you never forget.

By the grace of our Creator, I made it home “Back in the World.” I built a life, became a high-school art teacher, and eventually retired. For decades I thought about writing a book on Vietnam, but I could never sit long enough with the memories to finish one.

Then I found MakerWorld — and realized I could tell part of the story in another way:
a military-themed chess set honoring the men and women who lived the Vietnam War.

Creating this set has been bittersweet. It opened doors I’d closed and reminded me of brothers I still miss. But it also gave me purpose — a way to preserve our history piece by piece.

About This Set

After finishing the U.S. Army Chess Set, I knew I needed to create the opposing force:
the North Vietnamese Army, the Viet Cong, and the other communist fighters involved in the war.

I printed the entire set in black — echoing the NVA uniforms and the iconic black “pajamas” worn by the Viet Cong. In the heat, many fought in nothing more than shorts and Ho Chi Minh sandals cut from old tires.

Some figures in this set represent units or roles I never encountered personally. I mostly fought Viet Cong and NVA special forces… and “booby traps,” more than I care to remember.
Still, I wanted this side of the board to match the U.S. set in structure — each role having a clear counterpart and place in the story.

One surprise in the research:
North Vietnam had a female general — Nguyễn Thị Định.
She now stands as the Queen for this set, a choice I made with respect.

Chess Pieces & their Representation: Pawn 5 - Pawn 6 - Pawn 7 - Pawn 8

VC Tunnel Engineer — Pawn V
Built and maintained underground networks enabling movement, defense, and surprise attacks.

VC/NVA Field Medic — Pawn VI
Stabilized wounded fighters with minimal supplies under extreme battlefield conditions.

Squad Leader (Tiểu đội trưởng) — Pawn VII
Small-unit commander ensuring discipline, movement, and tactical coordination.

Platoon Political Officer — Pawn VIII
Junior officer maintaining morale, cohesion, and guidance within frontline units.

NOTE the following:

ANNEALING ~ Hardening your chess pieces.

Annealing your models gains 10 to 20% MORE strength.  I highly recommend this treatment IF you plan on playing chess with these PLA models.  If you are just a collector and plan on only displaying the Chess Set (Playing carefully 'once-in-awhile') there is no need to treat the PLA model.

More information here:

https://all3dp.com/2/annealing-pla-prints-for-strength-easy-ways/

Well, that's it for this part of the set.  Let me know how it goes.  Much thanks.

~Clyde