new find: Vietnam War gear

Hey again everyone. I have assembled a lot of my dad's gear to display alongside some other items from his time in war. I already had his etool that didn't have its cover and his duffle bag when I started collecting. Just the other day while I was organizing my many pieces of militaria I picked up the bag only to feel something at the bottom. When I looked inside I couldn't see anything so I felt around and discovered that there was a homemade pouch that still had something inside. When I opened it there was a bundle of things wrapped in newspaper. Among them were some more surrender leaflets, some money, two field first aid kits, and the biggest score was the cover for my dad's etool. When I showed him everything I found he was surprised that stuff was still in there. He told me the last time he saw those things was when he packed up his duffle bag to leave for the states in 1968 and forgot to look in his bag when he got back. Now thanks to that discovery I have several pieces for a Vietnam War display and also thanks to my dad for keeping these items long enough for me to enjoy them for many years to come.

Great story. Let us see the display when complete.

I sure will. The hardest part to display will probably be the surrender leaflets, which are in pretty worn shape. They're just so brittle that I don't want to risk tearing them. Of course I will have to find a way to display the duffle bag as well as a sword and artwork my dad bought on leave in Bangkok in 1967.

My boss gave me his footlocker years ago since he knew I was a collector. He had his Class A's and some uniform parts and sets in it. He had 2 pairs of type 1 or 2 Jungle Utility Trousers in Very Good condition AND 2 sets of Vietnamese Tigers in Mint condition ! He asked me if I wanted them uh Yeah ! Unfortunately the Tigers are Asian Medium which means it will fit a 10 year old boy. I wish I had those sets of "Flower Power" ERDL uniforms we bought back in the 80s . They used to be all over the place but now went to Collector Heaven . They do make Repros though . Check out Moore's Militaria they have some neat stuff.

I wish my dad still had his greens. My grandmother had given them away to a thrift store sometime in the 80s. My dad also lost his dog tags from the war during one of his many moves across the country. Luckily for me he has so much other stuff I could live without those things. We just discovered a Vietcong flag he had taken on a raid stored in his old softball league bag which has been in every attic he ever lived in since 1984 (surprised the dang bag hasn't worn away to dust by now seeing as how he's stored it poorly).

You know, it's hard to picture this stuff as having entered the realm of "collectible."

I was lucky enough not to go to 'Nam but I'm a 'Nam era vet" and this stuff is/was just our every day gear.
When did I get this d--- old?! :(
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Here's to all your Dad's who went.
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My dad was WWII (The tall fellow on the right.)...
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I guess it happens to us all. Sorry for the ot. It just sort of hit me that way when I saw the topic title...

Jim, that looks like Camp "Bob".

Sure looks like Camp "Bob" to me also

Don't know about "Camp Bob". It's Ft. Jackson, S.C.

My dad when he came back was stationed at Beaufort where he not only was a lifeguard at the Marine Corps pool but was on riot control for the soldiers coming home to all of the protests. Luckily my dad never had to experience the mobs of angry people when he came back. "Just a few" he told me once.

I had one experience with the "mob" at an airport. There wasn't one to start out but before I knew it I was at the center of one.
We were warned not to travel in uniform but on one occasion for some reason I no longer recall I had to. Passing through an airport I also forget the location of some name calling at me started. That drew others to see what the fuss was about. Before much longer I found my way blocked and I was getting surrounded. Then somebody spit on me.
About then a couple of cops showed up and I thought "Whew! Now I can get outa here!" Wrronnggg!:mad: I was told to move on which I had been trying to do, namely, go to my next flight. I tried to explain the problem and the next thing I knew I was being told I was going to jail (For "inciting a riot" can you believe it.) if I didn't leave!:bitch: That actually emboldened the crowd when somebody tried to kick me. The cops did move to stop that and I was able to make my way to the rear, out of the airport. But, I missed my flight and wound up having to take a bus to my next destination... at which I was late for which I went through some headaches over too.

Not one of my more pleasant memories. No. :nono:

Jim, that is horrible! I'm sorry you and so many others had to endure that behavior.

Camp Bob is actually Camp Roberts on highway 101 by King City, California. Parts of Camp San Louis Obispo "Camp SLO" have a lot of this look also. I guess they probably all did. ;)

JIM in Texas
I will resist my inclination point out a direct correlation between that "mob" and well another mob and just say Thanks for your service to our country.

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Originally Posted by Bill Hollinger

Camp Bob is actually Camp Roberts

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What a desolate looking posting. You guys sure have some dandies...

Jim, did you pull it up on google earth? It hasn't been in use for years. Great wild boar hunting all around there though ;). Camp SLO, Bob, Hunter Ligget and Ord are all collecting dust.

I did. It looks like it may be a maintenance crew there, not much else happening. Some buildings are pretty bad, like the chapel. I remember being in North Ft Lewis years ago, just after RVN (1974) and the ghosts of a massive army was everywhere. Go back now and many of the North Ft is torn down. Lots of South Ft is changed to. I guess that's how it is with the size of your machine. Pendleton, MCRD, Ft Drum...on and on.

Some of these comments hit a little close to home. I was with 1/10th Cav in Vietnam from March 8th of 1968 to march 30th of 1969 as an Armor Crewman, MOS 11E20. I was then sent to Camp Kaiser in South Korea with 2/10th Cav (to me odd to go from 1/10th to 2/10th, just chance though)where I finished my tour in the Army. When I stepped off the plane at McChord Airbase ( now JBLM) I just had to sign some papers, turn in gear, listen to a lecture about not desecrating the uniform or the Army, and poof I was out. Still in uniform (having no civies) I went to the nearest cafe and then the nearest bar to await my sister coming to pick me up. No one and I mean no one, treated me with anything but respect while I was in uniform. A little over a year later I picked up my younger brother returning from his 'year in Vietnam' but he flew into Seatac on a civilian flight. The Hari Krishnas were there selling peace and books in their bright orange robes, but no one gave my uniformed brother a second look never mind spit on him or made rude comments. I think that it is telling that of the literally millions of hours of film done on and about the war in SEA there is no film evidence of soldiers being spit on (unless you count a stupid Sylvester Stallone movie) and that has also been my experience. With all the anecdotal evidence it must have happened, but it cannot be as common as most think. On the other hand, after I left the Army I went from warrior to hippie and there is beau coup evidence that peace lovers have been assaulted or worse; Kent State comes to mind. On another small observation, the entrenching tool I remember in Vietnam didn't have a wooden handle, it folded up. Regards. Tom

Thanks for your service oldpaul. I thought it was odd too that my dad was issued WW2 era stuff during Vietnam but being a marine he wasn't given the most top of the line equipment. He had a WW2 era canteen, kabar, e-tool, and 1911 for starters (he might have had more). He told me that the army got the better equipment ("they even got the bigger backpacks" he said once when I asked him) while the marines had to make due with older equipment. I also have pictures of this e-tool on my dad's backpack during patrols and have pictures of many marines in my dad's unit who also had these older e-tools.

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JIM in Texas
I will resist my inclination point out a direct correlation between that "mob" and well another mob and just say Thanks for your service to our country.

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Hooked. I really don't know what you're referring to. Some how, I'm not really sure I want to. If it is bad, please don't bother.

My episode happened in the 70s. Things had deteriorated more by then I think. It was also the only such incident I had (Once was MORE than enough) in quite a bit of traveling while in service (7 years). So yeah, I guess it was rare but, oh yeah- it happened.:mad:

I have always heard about the Marines getting older equipment too. Consider their stuff is paid for by the department of the Navy which would rather spend their money on other things. Another thing IIRC, was a Marine's tour was 13 months to a GI's 12 mo.

I have a friend at work who still has some difficulties from his time in SE Asia . It reminded me of a book I read years ago and is still available on Amazon. It's by the author Bob Greene called the "Homecoming". It made my blood boil back then and I never served. It's just like today a lack of respect. Was it Mc Arthur who said nobody prays for peace more than a Warrior ? Warriors like Morticians have dirty jobs nobody wants to do it but somebody has to. I have spoken to a couple guys at work they are soft spoken nice guys. When they told me of when they came back I can see them looking back in time. The anger and the hurt in their eyes come back. I have given one of my friends the above book . He later told me he did exactly what one of the guys did when he came back home. He threw his Uniform in the trash can at the Airport. I like many other here thank all of you guys that served.

Update: Hey everyone. After extensive digging in my attic and at my grandmother's house I believe I have found everything my dad had brought home from Vietnam:
- His 1945 e-tool with a 1944 cover
- his ka-bar knife
- his duffle bag
- two field medical kits
- some Vietnamese money
- around twelve different surrender leaflets in various amounts
- his cereal bowl
- a sword, two wooden wall hangings, and two paintings from Thailand
- an m14 mag pouch
- his belt ( ww2 vintage, just found this one along with his last piece of gear)
-his original backpack (ww2 vintage)
- his m14 with a bayonet (don't worry it was modified to fire as a semi auto only)
- tons of photos and military newspapers
-a Chinese SKS which he captured during a raid on a cache
-and finally a Vietcong flag that according to my dad he had found during Operation Arizona
I believe that's everything but if I find more I'll add them to the list

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Originally Posted by burb1989

his m14 with a bayonet (don't worry it was modified to fire as a semi auto only)

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That still makes it an M14...stand by for the rest of the story.

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Originally Posted by burb1989

Update: Hey everyone. After extensive digging in my attic and at my grandmother's house I believe I have found everything my dad had brought home from Vietnam:

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Lucky fellow.
Pictures to follow?

Burb, what BAR (Jim) is saying is that just because it was "modified" to shoot semi-auto only does not change the fact that it is an M14 and it was a select fire rifle and therefore illegal. This if we are getting the story correct anyway. The rule is once a machine gun, always a machine gun.

I just wanted to wait for a US citizen to pass that on. It's almost the same here in Canada, if it's still operating, we classified them as converted auto and the have to be papered. Doesn't matter even if you cut the loop off the right side so it can't take the selector. Just the Norinco types don't need paper at this time.

Unfortunately, Burb hasn't been back since posting that little gem...

Sorry for the delay. I just got back on. Anyway I talked to my dad and turns out the m14 doesn't fire anymore. My dad did something to it shooting it back in the early 80s with his friends and thus the systems that operate the gun aren't functioning anymore. My guess is when he was shooting it something inside of the gas system malfunctioned to the point that unless it was extensively repaired it wouldn't fire again. I guess that classifies it as a demilled rife. Not to worry though he bought an M1A1 from a company called Fulton Armory that uses GI parts to make newly semi auto versions of the M14. So now I have not only my dad's original rifle but a shootable one as well. Thank you all for the concerns and warnings:thup:.

I almost forgot. Hooked here is most of big stuff in pictures. Sadly my dad got rid of the SKS sometime in the late 90s in a trade for a 9mm springfield pistol and now I have the full scoop on the M14. Also I keep the paper items in special protective paper to help preserve them as most of them weren't in the best of shape to begin with.

Sad to say however that does not constitute a demilled weapon. On that M14 only torch cutting the receiver in three different place does.

Lots of cool stuff there. Thanks for sharing with us and welcome back.

Great time capsule there. I (as you obviously do) cherish the few small momentos I posess from my fathers WWII service, his fathers WWI service,hid brothers WWII service and my other grandfathers WWII service. They are my most prized possetions.

Bill does that still mean it is illegal for him to have it? He never gave me full ownership of that one rifle not only because it doesn't fire but he wasn't sure if I could get in trouble for owning it without a class 3 license (which he has but I don't).
Hooked that is so cool you have so much war history. I cherish every piece of my family's war history from one of my confederate ancestor's cavalry sabers to my great grandfather's trapdoor rifle and gras bayonet from his time in WW1 to my great uncle's 1903A4 that he used in the Aleutians during WW2 and on and on. I cherish every piece I get from the family and it's like I'm the family historian and treasurer of war antiques.

Is the M14 registered as a machine gun with the ATF? If I were you I would consult with an attorney specializing in firearms. There is a mound of paperwork that must be done to own a machine gun. The gun must be registered as such and transfer using an ATF Form 4. Also read this article. How to buy a machine gun

It depends on what you mean by " a class three licence " . The gun may or may not be registered with BATF. If not , it's illegal unless the reciever is cut up. If it is registered , then it becomes a question of " as what ? ".
Some guns are allowed only to licensed dealers " in the biz. " These are called " pre-may " and "post-may" dealer samples. Also , some are licensed to manufacture these toys , and they can build things that noone else can have . If your father is one of these , then those guns can't be yours unless you go into the business.
If you mean a form 4 license , then that can be transfered to you on another form 4 , but then it would be yours and your dads and he couldn't hold or use it if you were not there.
Chris

Well if I remember correctly he had talked to someone from the government back in the 90s about it when I was a little kid. He had to fill out some papers on it and he got some papers back in the mail a long time after that (not sure how long after mind you I was probably 8 or so when this happened). However despite all this paperwork on it he never sought out to get it fixed (I guess my growing up and his job kept him from pursuing that idea).

Wasen't there an NFA amnesty period for vets in the early 1990s ? There was a push for another in 2011. Rehberg-Sponsored Veterans' Firearms Heritage Act Gets 219th Cosponsor – Enough to Pass House

A good article on the subject.
http://www.smallarmsoftheworld.com/d...darticles=1099

Burb, find out exactly what it is you have, weapon, paperwork, everything and go from there. This is for sure not something you want to mess up. This could be a very expensive lesson learned. Before you post anymore on here regarding this weapon, talk to an attorney if any of your paperwork is even remotely in question. Sadly, the ATF knows very little on this kind of thing and tend to shoot first and ask questions later, figuratively speaking. The last thing any of us want is to see either you or your father in Dutch with the ATF. Good luck.

Thanks to Bill and everyone for helping me straighten this whole mess out. I'll look through everything my dad had to fill out (he made copies of what he signed for himself to review) and hopefully everything is in check with the government. Also since Memorial Day is coming up soon and I'm off from work my dad and I were going to shoot his M1A1 at the range along with several of my WW2 era rifles.