US Soldiers in Battle with there M1 Carbines

[CINDERS]

Why would you advertise your rank nice shiny bars on the collars! If going in to a hot LZ why would you have no helmet and only tray to ward of bullets! The door gunner looks pretty relaxed and the ammo belt does not look too long either normally would they not have it in a rather large ammo can or was that a latter mod. As a note on advertising ones rank in the first WW officers took to carrying rifles as when they were seen leading their men waving the venerable Webley around the German snipers shot them first..........does not pay to advertise

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[Seaspriter]

Why would you advertise your rank nice shiny bars on the collars! If going in to a hot LZ why would you have no helmet and only tray to ward of bullets! The door gunner looks pretty relaxed ......does not pay to advertise

I get the sense that this is a staged photo, not one of real combat, for all the reasons cited by Cinders and others. Staged photos are quite common. Recall the staged photos of German soldiers carrying M-1 Carbines that were used for propaganda.

[DaveHH]

At this point in the war (assuming that it's early) the shining Captain's bars are no big deal. It wasn't a great strategy later either as the NVA simply shot the radios and everyone around them. That aerial might as well have been a target, it brought big trouble, plenty of pee, tactical air and artillery.