Before he retired from the USAF with 20 years and the rank of Major, an area man did a tour as a administrative officer in a military hospital somewhere in Viet Nam. During an earlier tour in Germany, he had bought a Colt Python. He took the Python to Viet Nam and wore that revolver to work every day. He said that his peers gave him a fair amount of razzing about wearing the Python, saying that they were Air Force hospital administrative officers, not B-movie cowboys or Army infantry officers.

Then one day a Viet Cong unit attacked and got inside the hospital. He found the Python useful as he and others held off the Viet Cong in their immediate area long enough for the Air Police to arrive and repulse the attackers.

Next day he wore the Python to work, as usual. His peers didn't razz him about the Python then or at any time during the rest of his tour.

I don't recall any further details; he told me the story in 1973, give or take a year.