WWII/Vietnam Era

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

I spoke with a vendor at the local gun show today who recounted his purchace of an M1 from an ARVN soldier. Here is the story. He was issued an M-16 with no cleaning kit that he could not keep from jamming (sure most know this story) and saw an ARVn soldier carring two. Asked him if he would sell one to which he replied he could not. He mentioned $20 American . Sold. Said he had no problem obtaining ammo and magazines and did not have to worry about sharing ammo.

[DaveHH]

US currency was illegal for personnel to use and commanded a premium. In fact we spent $120 worth of play money one day in Nha Trang. It had seals balancing balls on their noses, said "Play Money" and "Not negotiable", but it looked like US bills. The chaplain gave it to us. There were some P.O.d hookers that day. We had to lay low for a few weeks because this type of stuff would get you killed in those days (don't mess with their money or kids).

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

A US $20 would be a big deal during the war.

Your story is better than my story. Thanks for sharing it.

[JimF4M1s (Deceased)]

We were not paid in, or allowed to carry, US currency. Found these in my sea bag. Been sitting there since 1971. I remember spending a lot of these.

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

JimF4M1s
You successfully read my mind. After my last post I wished I had asked if anyone had som pictures. Very interesting. Thanks!

[DaveHH]

But Viets took it anyway and paid change in Viet money. The Army would periodically change the MPC requiring you to exchange existing MPC for the new MPC. They never did this during my year 1966-67. I heard of this exchange from guys who had been in Korea when the change happened. They said bar owners and others who catered to GIs would be tossing wads of MPC worth thousands over the wire hoping to find some GI who would exchange it for them. There was lots of black market activity. Things like new sheets were in high demand for making shirts. We used to guard high value depots that had soft drinks, cigarettes etc. It was the most closely guarded place I saw. About a 1/4 acre with double wire guarded by four GIs with shotguns and OO buck shells. They told us before each shift "If you catch anyone inside, kill them". Viets would toss hundreds of dollars over the fence trying to get someone to toss a carton of smokes or cases of soft drinks over the wire. Worse, it was smack dab in the middle of a shanty town with hundreds of Viets in shacks just outside the wire. At night they would be hacking and coughing all night with TB which was rampant in their community. If you used a weapon, a lot of innocent people would have been killed by strays. And people wonder why Viet vets are a bit "Odd"?

[imarangemaster]

In 1974, I was an MP at OAkland Army base. We used to get "money runs" where we would pick up a flat bed trailer with a conex container at Travis AFB, allegedly full of millions of dollars coming from the exchanges in the far east. We would escort it (four vehicles full of MPs with M16s and shotguns, as well as an MP with a shotgun in the cab of the tractor. We escorted it to the secure sally port of the Federal Reserve bank in san Francisco. One trip we had an FBI agent because Patty Hearst's Symbionese Liberation Army was supposed to try to hit us. They took potential threats seriously and we were locked and loaded the whole trip. One trip had two conexes, and we had an M60 in the tail end charlie vehicle.

[frenchy]

Hi-Folks since I real new to this form, Just found it the other night while looking up a different sort of rifle..Now on Nevada Bob M1 carbine.And for all of us who were in Vietnam.The M1 carbine was there in great numbers.From new unfired to real scrap that came out of weapon caches all rusted together in piles of 10.Now I was a carbine collector long before in went to Vietnam,That place was a paradise for the collector of that little iron.Well yours truly(me) picked one up at a ambush site.And it was with a folding stock(M1A1)..I have pictures of that rifle over there(VN) And it is very easy to see that it is the same carbine.The VC who had it, had cut his name on the right side of the stock.It shows very well in one of the picture of a little Nung boy who was holding it.And I'm in the back ground.This carbine was a total rebuild,A real mix of parts-By who??Only Inland was suppose to have made them with the folding stock-This one is a Underwood,Well carried/used.I had a person offer me some serious $$s for it.But I promised it to my oldest grandson.Its was not the best M1A1 I ever owned,But it got the real war story and my pictures to give it a birth/fact.
So if N.Bob friend is willing to draw up a letter about that carbine.That just may give it some facts..As his friend did spend time in countryAnd I hope N.Bob is able to save this piece of Vietnam history--See ya --Frenchy

[JimF4M1s (Deceased)]

Frenchy,

Welcome to the carbine forum. We have a great group of people with a lot of experience with carbines. And many of us are also Vietnam vets as well.

We have some nice features here. Using the search feature can take you to threads and posts of items that might interest you.

Your M1A1 sounds interesting. Can you post a few pictures of it? Was it converted to an M2?

I hope you enjoy our forum.

Jim

[Nevada Bob]

Thank You
And you are spot on it's not about the carbine, it is about the lives involved. Thanks for bringing me back to the real world.
Bob