1970 Vietnam M2

[JimF4M1s (Deceased)]

We also had one shotgun with flechette shells. These worked for flushing brush you were concerned about.

[DaveHH]

We used to call these Combat Casey photos. Most people took them to send home. Most of the cool weapons were never actually used, they just were there to make folks go Wow. When I got there in 66 there weren't a huge number of GIs in country yet. After a year there were hundreds of thousands. We stretched all the rules and people didn't care. It was a giant filthy camping trip with guns. Our living conditions were horrible, really bad. We had lots of guys catch hepatitis, you could catch fevers and be sick for weeks. We had a bubonic plague epidemic in spring of 67. When I was drafted I was 20 years old and had no fat, when I came home I'd lost about 20 lbs of muscle and had high blood pressure. 22 and had tinnitus and high blood pressure. We lived in rat infested tents. There were no Instamatic cameras that we knew about, but we had a combat photog unit in our camp so we had a few photos. The very last thing on my list before a convoy was a camera, they were expensive and fragile, they stayed at camp. Here is a picture of a combat casey moment but it was legit I had a full auto M14 in the truck. This was on Hwy 1 about 15 klicks n/o Cam Rahn Bay. Those mountains in the background were like an R&R area for VC and NVA, the Cav came up with a load of arty on tracks and infantry and ran a sweep through there. Didn't find much. Now up at Pleiku...different story. Notice the M3 and flack vest, no uniform, just a tee shirt and web gear, field cap instead of baseball cap, we weren't playing baseball and I ain't wearing that pot unless I needed it.

[browningautorifle]

This was on Hwy 1 about 15 klicks n/o Cam Rahn Bay.

Didn't you stop one time so all the guys could wring out an M2 carbine in that area? Was that you?

[painter777]

DaveHH:
"We lived in rat infested tents. "

Hello DaveHH, I've had you and JimF on my mind while going thru this thread.
Ya'll have my greatest respect for your service, and of course the many others here whose names currently escape me or I've flat forgot about.
My earliest mentor who so kindly walked me thru so many "How To on these forums' Harlan Bless his sole. We often talked on the phone about you two and the sacrifices you and your families must have gone thru.

I happened across a story yesterday about GI's and how they fought off rats in there tents especially during the rain/monsoon seasons. Rats so big they referred to them as "BFRs".

This info from the Smith-Wesson site. Post is titled UNUSUAL GUNS OF VIETNAM. This reply is #8 by member LONG BARREL. Here is his reply......... Below his reply I'll attach a link to the complete thread.

Post #8 by Member Long Barrel- What I really wanted but couldn't find was a .22LR rifle to use in our bunkers against the immense rats (we called them BFRs) that came inside during the monsoon. We finally made a special 45 round by pulling the slug, putting tissue paper over the power, placing an Artillery Plotting Needle in the center and then filling up the remaining space with melted candle wax. We'd field-strip the 1911, carefully ease the needle round into the barrel, then re-assemble the loaded gun. Shoot the rat, and pin it to the bunker wall, then the GI's dogs would get it. Great sport!
__________________
Long Barrel
Retired Artilleryman

Unusual Guns Of Vietnam:

Unusal guns of Vietnam

Cheers,
Charlie-Painter777

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

I have an acquaintance who recounted picking up an ARVN M1 to replace his early M-16. You know the self cleaning ones as first issued. Lacked the ballistics of the .556 but he said it never failed to go bang when the trigger was pulled.

[painter777]

Mosul comes to mind after reading this.
All the equipment left for ISIS could have been left with a HAPPY ENDING waiting for them.

OPERATION ELDEST SON



Project Eldest Son – The Top Secret U.S. Scheme to Sabotage the Enemys Own Rifles in Vietnam | militaryhistorynow.com


Charlie-Painter777

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

Thanks for reminding be of this. I never knew the Op name but had read of it. Talk about a Psy-op. It would be hard to pull the trigger with that going around.

[INLAND44]

It sure does look like this Short M2 was sought after by some Vietnam Soldiers. One Soldier is Proudly Showing off his and the other guy is looking at his like he just acquired one or maybe traded for it and looking it over and getting ideas to go get some.

The one on the left is just an M1A1 with the stock folded. Can't tell if it has the happy switch.

[DaveHH]

Jim: Yes that was me and that was pretty much in the same area, near the rubber plantation.
Thanks Charlie. Jim Flavin was the real deal. I was in a Signal Bn. These convoys and very dangerous airplane rides in the highlands were about all I did.
The rats were there from the very beginning and after dark they came out from under the flooring in the tents and took over. You didn't want to pass out drunk somewhere because they would snack on you while you slept. Lots of Viets had scars from rat bites as babies. The spring of 67 there was an outbreak of bubonic plague which is endemic to that area. They said it came in on a German ship, I don't know. They quarantined our whole area. The rats all started to get sick and die. You'd spot one sitting in the middle of your hooch just staring at you, sick as a dog. These were really big rats, the dominant ones were huge probably close to 3lbs and 18-20" long. Viets ate rats they were that big. Anyway no GIs died, we had all had plague shots, so we probably had it but didn't get sick over it. If you've had a plague shot you'll remember it the rest of your life. It made a whole bunch of soldiers sick and sore beyond belief for a couple of days. Many Viets died.
Sorry about boring everyone with this stuff. Not a day goes by that I don't think of that place.

[imntxs554]

Sorry about boring everyone with this stuff. Not a day goes by that I don't think of that place.

Dave....This is NOT BORING STUFF at all. While I read what you are saying I'm putting my mind and myself there and just trying to imagine this.