1917 German Pistol

Question
QUESTION: Mr. Gage

Before my uncle passed away, he gave me a pistol that he claimed he recovered from a rice marsh during the Vietnam War . The pistol bears the date 1917 and has several other markings such as (what I believe to be a serial number) as well as a monogram I think.I know that it is a German pistol but little else. I would like to track the history of this pistol and find out to whom it was issued and if it in fact saw any real service or perhaps is just an inflated story that has left me with story to pass on to the next generation. I wonder if you might point your knowledgeable finger in a promising direction to help me resolve this issue. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank You,
Matt

ANSWER: Hello Matt. Send me a Picture of the whole gun. Doesn't need to be a close-up. This will be the only way I can identify it.Charles Gage

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German Pistol   QUESTION: Mr. Gage,
Here is a picture of the pistol that you requested. I hope you find it helpful and thank you again.
Matt

Answer
Hello Matt. This is a German Luger in 9mm or 7.65mm caliber. As far as I know, there were no German regiments in Vietnam, but the North Vietnamese held a number of Cold War firearms supplied by the Russians which were taken from the German's after the surrender of WW11. I am sure it saw service, but by whom ? Mount it in a shadow box and display it proudly! If your uncle was in Vietnam, his story is true regardless of the validity of his claim. Never doubt a man who saw action there. I hope this answers your question and thank you very much for asking for me. Charles Gage