Fall of Saigon - 40 years ago

[JimF4M1s (Deceased)]

And now back to our passion and forum topic, Carbines.

[imarangemaster]

I think most people do not equate M1/M2 Carbines with Vietnam. Members here have used them in Vietnam. We still had a couple in the SP arms room in 1979 (along with at least one Model 601 AR15 with green furniture and my GAU-5/P Franken Carbine that was on a 601/602 lower). I know several other vets that carried carbines in Vietnam. Stormin Norman Schwarzkopf carried an M2 as a green Lt. in Vietnam.

As for the fall of Saigon, I was on duty in the MP station at Oakland Army base the day Saigon fell. It was not a good day.

[WarPig1976]

My uncle told me a story about how him and some guys where shooting the breeze cleaning their weapons and a sound they never heard before forced them all to the deck. Turned out to be the USS New Jersey shelling targets inland. He said the sound was incredible and he didn't feel sorry one bit for those on the receiving end.

[JimF4M1s (Deceased)]

Our boats were about a half mile away and we watch BB-62 let go six guns at the same time. It looked like the ship slid sideways. But in reality the weight mass and four foot recoil slide took up all the energy. What we saw was the illusion the muzzle blasts had on the water. Pretty impressive, and loud.

[Seaspriter]

USS New Jersey shelling targets inland. He said the sound was incredible and he didn't feel sorry one bit for those on the receiving end.

I was on the firing line for Operation Linebacker in '72 as the battle cruisers and destroyers let loose at the DMZ. We were only about 1/2-3/4 mile from shore as I recall. Target: Ho Chi Min Trail. The sound was like a hundred thunderbolts. Our ship shuddered and shook, not just from our own guns, but from the others on the battle line. (Sorry, guess this isn't about M-1 carbines -- oops)

[DaveHH]

[QUOTE=Seaspriter;330969]As a Vietnam vet, it's still hard to come to grips with the bizarre way we fought the war. Most don't know that by 1969 we were well aware of Mao Tse Tung's genocide of over 50 million Chinese. He was a brutal psychopath.

What is unfathomable to me to this day:
Why was the information not made public by the US government about Mao's vicious slaughter of professors, doctors, lawyers, priests and professionals to show the folks at home and our boys dying in the jungles that this war really was worth fighting?



The Viets and Chinese have been fighting for hundreds of years. Chinese are packed into Cholon the largest ghetto in Saigon. Beyond selling the Viets a lot of arms and ammunition (including thousands of carbines and 105 mm guns) they have no connection. They fought two wars on the common border (The Viets won both easily) after we left and are about to have a really big one over oil off the coast of VN.

[JimF4M1s (Deceased)]

Digressing myself, we have gotten further and further away from our intended forum topic. For that reason I am closing this thread.

Jim