Captured Weapons

[browningautorifle]

I went over in Aug 69 I had intended to pickup both a Garand & Carbine

What had changed? I'm guessing that any US issue was returned to store and either reconstituted or scrapped? Could be issued to ARVN if serviceable, that would be where they came from anyway...

[imntxs554]

I would bet back in earlier Wars there were more Small Arms like Pistols and Grenades got home more rather than Assault Rifles. I read in Iraq and Afghanistan you and your duffle or Seabag were exrayed at least 3 times and once more coming into the States. When I read the descriptions on GB and other Auction sites I can't believe how many people says a "Bring Back" when selling there M1 Carbine. Maybe some people do believe it and that's okay its just me that I don't think it's true maybe it might be a fraction of the ones I do see.

[Sarge]

Early in the VN War Garands & Carbines - M1 Not M2 - were legal war trophies. I have seen the paperwork on both at Ft Bragg before I went over.
Don't remember ever hearing why the change in policy around 1968/69.
Sarge

[Bob Womack]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...bie_DE-343.jpg

Read Little Ship, Big War, the Saga of De-343, by Ed Stafford. At war's end the Abercrombie (De-343) was assigned to the initial invasion and occupation of Japan. Just before their destroyer division sailed East on Operation Magic Carpet orders repatriating them to the U.S., Stafford heard that the Army was sitting on piles and piles of Arisaka rifles and bayonets. He led a fatigue party to the depot in question and was able to hondle and appropriate through a friend in the 1st Cav. a rifle for every crew member in his division as well as a matching bayonet for half of the crews. Officers got the rifle, bayonet, and an officer's sword for each officer. In the end he signed a receipt for 2,300 rifles, 1,200 bayonets, and 20 swords, though a couple of men in his fatigue party had bulked up that number considerably by the expedient of throwing extras out the back window of the warehouse while the rest of the party carried goods out the front door. Getting the weapons back to the ships was greased with liberal grants of rifles to whomever's help they needed. The crew spent a good part of the trip home cleaning and polishing their new toys and filling out the paperwork to keep them. Though an arduous adventure for all involved, it sounds like a blast.

Bob