A brass dedication plaque presented to Lieutenant Colonel Mel Swanson 'from the officers and men of Recon Company,' bearing the inscription 'You have never lived until you have almost died. Life has a special meaning that only a recon man will ever know.' The plaque's skull-and-fangs emblem is consistent with reconnaissance unit insignia used by Vietnam-era Special Forces recon teams, such as those operating under MACV-SOG's Command and Control North (CCN). Project: 219120