Probably not Infantry!Quote:
Originally Posted by oldpaul
Sarge
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Probably not Infantry!Quote:
Originally Posted by oldpaul
Sarge
We called our .50s ...fifties... Didn't have the M79s and as for the jeeps, we called them jeeps.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sarge 13
In Vietnam I was with 1/10th Cav, indeed not an Infantry unit. However, we were attached to and mostly provided road security for the 4th Infantry Division. Our M48 tanks were equipped with a .50 cal on the TC's cupola. I never once heard anyone refer to it as "ma deuce". Even though they were not a primary part of our mission, I was on a few OPs, LPs, and patrols and was familiar with and sometimes was issued an M79 while humping ammo for the M60. I never heard it referred to as anything but M79. I always thought those terms were for green zone types or John Wayne movies, but I am often wrong as my lovely wife will readily attest. Tom
Paul Dickson in his book "War Slang"
P. 292: thumper. (1) squad member who carries an M79 grenade launcher, also known as thumper man. (2) The M-79 grenade launcher. The term derives from the characteristic sound of the launcher.
My association with the M-79 was limited to basic training, and all further assignments where grenade launchers were authorized we had M-16/M-203s. Never heard the M-79 referred to as "thumper" or the grenadier referred to with any slang term. As to "MUTT" and "ma deuce" Dickson doesn't mention these terms. I never heard or called the M-151 anything but "jeep." As to "ma deuce" I'm sure this term originated in military service, but I never heard the term until I read the popular illustrated history publications, and overuse by people that want to be military chic who probably never set the headspace and timing on a M-2 HB .50. We had cupola mounted M-2s (previously mentioned) on the M-48A2 tanks we trained on, and the side mounded M-2 arrangement and cramped conditions of the cupola was a constant headache for the tank commander to keep operational.
BTW I couldn't hit anywhere near where I wanted M-79 rounds to go, but was far more accurate in placing rounds with an M-203.
Remember the M151 Mutt well, was in army 68-70. Drove one a fair number of times and yep one did not want to make a quick turn in it while going fast. I learned that quite quick about driving the Mutt.
Was in Vietnam in 1969 in a Mech Inf Bn in the 9th Divison. Worked in the Bn S2 section and frequently I had to drive our Mutt somewhere on intel business. Only road to our base camp was a dirt one and our APCs and heavy trucks kept it in pretty bad shape. One didn't drive down this road, better to describe you bounced down this road. About 300 yds away on one side of the road was a treeline. One could always expect a sniper somewhere along the road to put a few rounds in your direction. Sniper never hit anyone, but as I learned, every once in awhile one of his rounds would be close enough to hear the crack of the bullet fly past the jeep.
Our S2 Mutt had a continuous crack that began above one rear fender well, ran across the rear floor and down the other side of rear fender. By time I'd arrived the crack had been spot welded a number of times and I'd have it rewelded too. Darn mutt would always start and get us where we needed to go. Well, there was one day another S2 guy found himself in a rice field due to something breaking in the steering as he went to turn at the one decent curve on road from our base camp.
At one of the reunions held by my Vietnam Bn every two years at Ft. Benning, I found out what happened to our Mutt after I left Nam. LOL, it was buried at entrance into our base camp, to reduce hole dug by our APCs turning when leaving our base.