There was a poet some years ago who did a short story titled "Things they carried" memory fails me who wrote it (ee cummings?) and it didnt deal with the normal gear, but what the Vets thought were important enough to them to hump. Family pictures, a favorite book, things they thought they might need in a pinch...a metal spoon for instance. I have long thought of writing a modern day version of the story, and would like to hear what you carried, or carry if you are still active.

I appreciate the replies.

Carried a former girlfriend's photo with me. It was heavily laminated to avoid damage from heat, sweat and humidity.
I was stationed at Denver, Colo., and in Panama, so I don't want to give the false impression I was in Vietnam.
I carried that photo for years, even while dating other girls. Just couldn't seem to throw it away. It became a good luck charm for me, I guess.
Just before I got discharged, I learned my former girlfriend was married.
STILL couldn't throw the darned thing away.
And I STILL have that darned photo, in my box of military memorabilia. I'm not obsessed, but it became a part of my military service memories.

The only other thing I carried was a Victorinox Swiss Army Knife that had the typical can opener, bottle opener, blade and so on. It also had a corkscrew. More than one party or picnic were saved because Airman Gatofeo had a corkscrew!
I carried that knife in my pocket at all times. Lost it in northern Idaho when it apparently slipped out of my pocket into the Couer d'Alene River while I was snorkeling!
Went out and bought a model just like it. It's in my pocket now.
Sleep tight tonight ... Gatofeo is armed and prepared! LOL

A P-38 on my dogtags chain. A Boy Scout knife, then a "demo" knife-the GI version of the Boy Scout knife.

My wallet with ID and a couple of photos inside. A King James Bible, a 1911 (in the proper caliber), my dog tags and that was about it.

At the time I travelled light. But added items only slowed a person down and there was not much need for personal items at the time.

Wore a crucifix in 2003 in Iraq along with a nickel with a cross cut out of it, Im not catholic but got it from a kid while in Bosnia in 1996. Carried a Bible with me, King James Version with a special note and scripture, 1 from my Dad and 1 from Mom, a black crinkle finish Zippo, a redue of the WW 2 version, a cut out from penthouse, a picture of a chick that stole me blind, a unit coin, a Morgan silver dollar, wore a Brass POW MIA bracelet with a guy from VN who shares my same last name(not directly related) wore a Ring my Dad gave me when I was 18, black star saphire, white gold, his Mother gave it to him before he shipped out to the Army in 1962. Carried a scripture cut out of a Bible from Romans my Granny gave me and made me promise to carry it where ever I went and read it often!!! I did. A picture of my 2 nephews, a custom made stilletto called the HALO, the makers name escapes me, awesome knife though, my older brother gave it to me , i gave it back upon return as did I the knife my little brother gave me. My business attire was a Colt M-4 with my personal sling, trijicon A.C.O.G. TA01 with iron sights, ballistic vest, 4 mag pouches (3-30rd mags each), 1 beretta m-9 with 2 spares, a Randall #1 Fighter,special purpose model 16, 2 Frags, 1 smoke, a cobra walkie talkie, an official fisher space pen(absolutely the best writing instument in a combat zone!!!) call for fire card,notes and contact info of every one of my 5 guys including Blood type, adress book,stamps, passport(never deploy without this, you can always become a civilian!!) Boonie cap, baseball cap with embroidered unit crest, we wore our promask early on, carried them in the vehicle later, baby wipes, camelback, k- Pot, mini light with red lens, always had cash on me, always in excess of $100 greenbacks, camera and film, often ran out of film!! Map, 1 over 50k, Love of and for my family, and the Spirit of Christ!!! Of course i didn't carry that it carried me! Forgot a casio G-Shock..Oakley M frames ( these saved a guy in my units left eye) Knee pads..


King Nebecanezer the II Palace in the rear, Babylon. Marine CH-46 gunship Babylon( 1st Marine Ex. Force HQ's)


From King Nebecanezer's rebuilt palace in Babylon looking down on the Euphrates, or tigris i forget. Statue unearthed by a german archeologist in the 1890's when the excavated the old city of Babylon.



Supposedly where the antichrist will proclaim himself GOD. The road into Babylon as it was when Alexander the Great rode in!

"Hearts and Minds" I remember he spoke english and was an Animal VET, Baghdad. If I knew better I would have taken everyone of those tiles down, it was before the populous destoyed them.


King Nebecanezer II rebuilt palace Babylon( 1st MEF HQS) Al Sumood Rocket, you could here the jet fuel boiling inside!!! EOD guy took the picture and then said listen to it boil (130 F)

Babylon with map in background. Northwest iraq at a SF camp.

Ibex we killed with the Supressed Sterling we borrowed from Seal team 5. First real hot chow. JUL 2003

Always a Swiss Army Knife and a lighter (tools and fire are what separate us from the rest of the animal kingdom, after all). Most of the time I also had 20 feet or so of 550 cord and a few yards of "hundred mile-an-hour tape" wrapped around a 3x5 card.

"The Things They Carried" is a collection of related stories published in 1990. The author is Tim O'Brien, a Vietnam veteran.

+1 on the old girl friend's photo. I was going through my stuff from boot camp a while back and found a letter I'd written her but never sent. Sure brought back some memories! Also a knife (rope wrench) and a lighter. Didn't smoke, but a shipmate who had a way with the ladies told me to never be without it.

You are right...I looked it up just now. I was in college when I read it and it was in one of my American Literature books in its entirety. I have a long standing admiration for Vets and LEO's and have always been intrigued with the extraneous items they carried and why...hence the thought of writing the sequel.

A M16-A1 made by GM Hydromatic and a Meranda card, MP 1974 to 1979

My first issue weapon serial #4578654 was made by the Hydromatic Division of the GM Corporation. The second was a Remington, and the 3rd was an Armalite. Still have the card somewhere on the GM gun.

The best crew I could ever have.

We carried each other.

Me,Peace time Army....But when your flying with the best it's good to be the best.No room for error.No room for slackers.Off to the motor pool for slackers.

Army aviation is another Army.Only rotor heads would understand.

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Dum vivo cano

K-Bar, Gerber tool, socks, extra glasses (birth control glasses), cold pills, 550 cord, duct tape.

In a zip lock bag, pics of my then girlfriend now wife, and a mini am/fm radio in my K-pot.

Other than the required field gear of the time (1979) like the 1911, 81mm mortar bi-pod and sight first aid kit, poncho and liner, gas mask, A.L.I.C.E. pack and H harness...

I made sure I took along Tabasco sauce, spoon, spare socks, real TP, bug juice, USMC KaBar, Gerber MKII, SAK.

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Regards,
Guy-Harold Smith II

I carried the US version of the SAK and had a St Barbara medal on my dog tags chain. I'm not Catholic but St Barbara is the Patron Saint of Artillerymen and I figured it couldn't hurt. Later as a civilian I I put the St Barbra medal on the bulkhead of my sailboat, because for some reason she is also the Patron Saint of sailors.

Only "luxury" item I carried was a three winged folding stand designed to hold heat tabs and a tube of heat tabs. Though I do have two pictures that have followed me since Basic. One is my wife in her wedding dress and the other is a picture of us in late 1700's clothing that we took the week before I left for Basic. I used to do Revy War reenacting and the picture is actually of us in our cloths. In fact those picture are on my desk at work right now so have followed me since 1987.

I was never in combat even during my time in the Marines my AF job was keeping the ICBM missiles up and ready. My always have gear was mostly related to cold weather survival if for some reason we got stranded which did happen on two separate occasions. After 9/11 I did start to carry a benchmade folder and an AF survival knife.

The first time we got stranded was in a freak winter ice storm outside Minot. I didn't mind getting stranded that time as I happened to be with a all female missile crew and a female chef so no complaints there. Second time a crewman stuck us in a drift during a pretty good storm. There happened to be a security policeman that was able to get through and he picked up the missile crew but I stayed with the vehicle until the roads were finally opened up.

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Mike
USMCR 84-87, USAF 87-07

Nothing special. Just dog tags and those neat gold frame pilot sunglasses. I tried to get those cold weather, white, air filled bunny boots, but struck out. Only issued to the AP's.

an extra canteen pouch, stuffed full of 20 rnd mags. (loaded with 18 rnds ammo) you could put more mags in a canteen pouch then you could an ammo pouch. extra socks.

Great pics SSG

Damn that was a long time ago. (2/502 Inf, 101 Abn Div. RVN 67-68) Lets see if I can remember it all.

First of all, MY Wings, I kept my jump wings with me through out. We didnt wear patches but I kept my wings.

I carried a "M-60 or M16A1, and a 1911a1. I found that the Schrade hunting style knife was better then the k-BAR, It held an edge better. Didn't do any knife fighting but the knife spent most of its life cutting the '60 out of the wait-a-minute vines. Also carried one of those silver boyscout knives. Handier then hell. Plus a small wet stone. A P-38 on my dog tag tag. Also a picture of my Girl Firend (later wife) and a little dog tag shaped engraved metal she gave me. Wrote letters on c-rat boxes when we couldn't get writing paper.

Of course a plastic spoon in my shirt pocket. My prise positon was dry socks, worth their weight in gold. That with my Giedian Bible.

I carried a pair to TL 90s (wire cutters). I found it easier to bring down Water buffalo if you cut the tips off '60 ammo. It was also great for cutting the wire of c-rat cases after the army decided to get rid of those three proned flash hiders on the '16s. Got to have koolaide, it helps to kill the taste of purification tablits. Carried lots of halazone and malaria tablets.

I didn't carry the LBE or web gear, everything was in my ruck, you never left your ruck. It was your life.

When I carried the '60 I carried 4-100 round belts plus a 50 rd. assault belt. When I carried the 'A1, I carried 460 rounds of 5.56. Also carried a claymore, LAW, 4 gernades (M-26) WP gernate, and two smoke gernades. 5 cantines of water, two meals a day (we go resuplied about once a week. Plasma bottle and means to administer it. first aid kit, radio batterys for the PRC 25. Puncho w/liner, cigerettes of course. One of those L shaped flash light w/red lense (forgot what they were called) and BA30s for it.

I carried my 1911 in shoulder holster, pistol belts hurt my hips (I was scrawny and boney). A supply of 550 cord.

If I was to recommend one item every soldier needs and is a must, It would be a good quality "boyscout" type pocket knive, Case makes the best one I've ever used. Tie a sting to it or you'll lose it. Forget the tactical BS. The pocket knife is more practical and will be used a lot more. If you want a knife for diging or probing, get a bayonet. If for some reason you need a knife for fighting it will suite you. More then likely you'll use it for digging, saving your pocket knive. Take a small wet stone or steel and keep the pocket knive razor sharp. I cannot tell you how useful it will be. From what I remember it was perfect for slicing white bread from C-Rats and holding the slices over a fire to make toast.

I'm sure there were other items but that was over 40 years ago. But if you have a good pocket knife, and you're jump wings you can survive anything.

Well said -

With 1,100 hrs. of combat time in RVN, I know how tight crewmembers are. All of Flight Platoon were very close - even when we didn't agree on the ground (Heads vs Juicers).

A few things I always carried as much for use as superstition:
P38
Zippo lighter
plastic spoon
pocket knife (small)
Buck hunting knife (large)
sun glasses (aviator style naturally)
extra gas cylinder plug for M60

The old G.I. can opener, which I still have after all these decades.

My father used to tell me stories about WWII:
"When we landed in Normandy we had a long way to walk to get to the Germans. You would see guys just drop their BARs on the side of the road. They were just too heavy. When we finally got to the front, you couldn't buy a BAR for any price. I carried the BAR and Thompson sub-machine gun."
"We would throw hand granades as a team. One guy would grab the granade and the other guy would grab his arm, pull the pin, then let go of his arm. Guys would get tired and excited and would sometimes throw the granade without pulling the pin or would pull the pin and drop the granade. We loved to get a hold of the German "potato mashers" you could throw them much further than the American "pineapple" granades and they didn't have shrapnel, they were concusion granades, although the Germans at the factory that made tater mashers would put metal filings in with the powder."
Dad carried those little metal filings from German grenades for the rest of his life. He said the best enemy soldiers he fought against were the Hitler Youth, they didn't know the war was almost over, they fought like hell and they were mean as the devil."

When Hitler killed himself dad was in Germany. The war was not over yet, most Germans were surrendering but not all of them.
Dad had a German POW as his jeep driver, still in a German uniform. He had seen this castle across this valley and wanted to see it. So they go driving through this valley and came to this little village. As they drove through the village he discovered that it was full of armed Germans. They looked at him and he saluted them and told the driver to keep driving. They made it through the village and up to this castle. He was about to get out of the jeep when a Luftwaffe officer came out, fully armed. He told the guy that the soldiers in the village had just surrendered and that he and his men should go down there and wait with the others. Then he got in his jeep and got the hell out of there. He said he captured the whole village and castle single handed without firing a shoot. Then he would laugh....... I miss that old man.

My zippo, a pack of Marlboros, and a Buck folding knife.

Usually just a couple of 3H pencils and enough money to go to the snack bar next to Base Operations a couple of times during the day.

Hey, I was a Weather Observer in the United States Air Force for 4 years,
somebody had to do it. (At Wethersfield RAF base in England)

As a Navy CT, my EDC was a multi-blade pipe tool and a set of Telex Twinset headphones. There were a couple of times when I was issued a 1911 to guard a Japanese typewriter repairman to keep him from learning any secrets.

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Rick, W0FG
CTR2 68-72

A P-38, dog tags, St. Christopher's medal a photo of my wife a K-Bar from Ranger Joes in Columbus Ga. then a Randall. Socks lots of dry socks and foot powder. As an 11B lots of foot powder.

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Stan

Been to Ranger Joes...would love to see pics of the Randall

As an 11B in Iraq from 2007-08, I was never without the St. Christopher's medal on my dog tag chain......I believe it saved me a couple times, as well as the other guys I was with. Some things turned out well for us that could have gone seriously, seriously wrong for me and other guys. I was never without that medal......

I had a few knives I brought with me, including a Japanese made S&W branded "tanto" knife. I still have a box of **** I haven't even gone through yet from when I was over there. I also carried a little CZ-70 .32 ACP pistol I found in a house,had it for a few weeks and then broke it down and dumped it when my team leader almost found it stashed in my IBA...... no one knew about that though........I wish I could have brought it back but they did everything but a cavity search in Kuwait on the way out.....

Also was never without a pack of Royale or Miami

A ithica 1911 and a P38 can opener and a gerber guardian boot dagger.

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God save the SOUTH

And a nasty habit I brought back with me - which totally disgusted my pops.
Crown Royal mixed with Dr Pepper -
Hey, Dr Pepper was the only thing we had at the time.

Bruce

I agree with your dad; that's a waste of good Dr. Pepper. Overholt and Dr. Pepper, now there's a cocktail!

In my 23 months in Vietnam I carried a CAR-15 or a M16A1 (with a Weaver K6 Scope and a carry handle scope mount my uncle who was a gunsmith in NM made for me before I went left) depending on where we were working. I also carried a Walther P-38 that I bought in Nha Trang when I first came in country. At times I also carried a cut down M79 Grenade Launcher in addiation to my rifle and pistol.

I also carried a couple or three knives. I still have my Randall #1 and my Buck Folding Knives. In the two units I was in while in country both were very lax about what you carried.
In the unit I was with in the 101st, it was an Article 15 if you were caught without a weapon on you when we were in the rear with the Sergeant Major, the gear and the beer.

And we thought that "High Livin'" was Hot Dr. Pepper and Cutty Shark at LZ Betty or Camp Eagle....
Low Livin' was hot beer at any of the low places we were working out of.

Rule 303

P-38, "demo" knife, Zippo, one of an assortment of 1911/1911A1 or an M-16, pencil or pen of some sort and a litle pocket pad in a baggie with wallet. As issued sundry pack brand cigarettes (we were engineers, and everyone always pawned of the Kents on us if there was a split of the sundry pack stuff).

rayb

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"cumplo pero no obedezco"

The gun I used for the 4 years I served was a Devilbiss JGA-502.
I still use them to this day.

Look it up, it's a real gun! hahaha!

Leon

Medical bag (I was a corpsman) and condoms (I was an optimist.)

I did, what did you shoot?

Lacquer by the dozons of gallons!

We sprayed in an open maintenance hanger.
No ventilation, no filtration, just half faced masks.
Good thing it was on a USAF installation, because I'm sure the EPA would have shut a civilian operation like this, in a heartbeat.

I painted RF-4C Phantom II aircraft.

Leon

Sir, I was a grunt and thus did not like to carry anything more than absolutely necessary. "Extras" that I considered necessary included:

* "John Wayne" can opener, even though we mainly ate MREs
* Foot powder
* Extra socks
* Tabasco
* Spare MRE spoon
* K-bar
* Swiss Army knife (very handy--used this much more than the k-bar)
* Cigarettes and lighter
* Civilian compass (Silva)
* Field notebook, including a map protractor and various laminated "cheat sheets" (medevac, call for fire, etc.)

I also saved all my MRE matches, toilet paper and any MRE chow that I didn't immediately eat. Never know when you might need that stuff.

All this was in addition to the regular deuce gear, weapon and cleaning gear, etc.

Hope this helps, and Semper Fi.

Ron H.

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Wishin' don't make it so.

Tool box. A M16 on first day at Nha Trang. I never saw it again after the 1st day.

LTC

Boy Scout knife
5" Randall Little Bear Bowie & sharpening stone
fish hooks & line
metal match (firestarter)
eXacto knife blade
needles and safety pins
water purification tabs
small bottle of iodine
small compass
signal mirror

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You are what you learn.

Weapons depended on my job at the time, I was a SAW(M249) gunner for a few months, and then an RTO for a line platoon leader, a company XO, and eventually for the company CO for the better part of my four years in the regular Army. When I was an RTO it was an M16A2 and a SINCGARS PRC-119 (with the ANCD device in my left cargo pocket tied down with dummy cord)

I always had either a Camillus K-Bar or a pilots survival knife on my LBV, a folding SOG or Spyderco in my right BDU trousers pocket, a Leatherman, camo stick, matches, a lensatic compass in my BDU breast pocket with the lanyard running through the little slot that was allegedly not for pens according to every Sergeant Major I ever met.

Also, a red lens Mini-Maglite, varying map protractors, markers, erasers, call for fire and medevac cards, signal mirror, VS-17 panel, an extra hand mic that was waterproofed, 550 cord, commo wire to make a "Two-niner-two", and a neatly folded map that was the envy of any new Lieutenant, and the required packing list items.

I always carried an extra battery for the radio (over the packing list requirments), pyro if issued for signal, and a tommy cooker (tablet stove). That stove was used to warm water in a canteen cup to make instant coffee, tea, or cocoa-to cheese up to whomever I was humping a radio for at the time....I ain't gonna lie guys.

With that being said I never saw combat as an 11B but did catch a nasty case of foot rot in the ROK (Camp Giant A 1/506 Inf)....

Tim O'Brien's book was one of the first I read after leaving the Army and entering college..........basically in LIT 101 or Writing About Lit 102........O'Brien strikes at your heart with his account of his friend's mocassins and the disposition of them. If you are not familiar, look it up-very worthwhile.

When Joaquin Jackson wrote "One Ranger" he titles a chapter something to the effect of "The Things I Carried......with no offense to Tim O'Brien".

God bless you all, thanks for your service, and I mean that....

My weapon carried me......M1A1

When I was in a Mech Infantry Company ,lbe, m-16a1, protective mask and other assorted stuff. The eye opener came when I was in a Artic (LIGHT) Infantry Company,I carried a ton's of stuf.M-16a1, M-60,spare barrel, tripod,m-67 and sub- cal and assorted cloths,sleeping bag, telephones, spare batteries etc. The time spent in Alaska put the "G" in the word Grunt

Currently, an M9 (I know... it's what I was issued) an M4, and depending on my mode of travel, either a Randall Number 1-7 or Number 15 Airman.

basic Training at Parris Island M-16A-2.
Marine Barracks Subic Bay an M-16A-1, 1911A-1.
Statside duty M-60 by Maramont and an M-9.
9-3-89 discharge DD-214 Priceless
Adam

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Adam-12

I spent 9 years in Calif. National Guard. Carried my M-1 Grand. Still have my P-38 from the first C Rations I ever opened. June, 1951. Wish I still had that M-1 however.

Back up for a good thread

I was just getting in the Army as they phased out the C-rats and brought in the MRE's. My first meal in the field was C's and I still have the P-38 from them.
I read a book one time written by a famous General who always advised carrying a spoon, so I requisitioned one from the mess hall. Aside from the fact you can eat pretty much anything with a spoon, you would be amazed at all the things you can do with one. I guess of you had to you could dig a hole in a pinch.

I was in the Peace-time Navy, active duty '80-'84, most of it on a destroyer (USS Cochrane DDG 21) at Pearl Harbor. On the boat, I always had three things: my Gerber folding knife (still tight as the day I bought it!), my coffee cup (attached to my belt with my keys), and a story about what I was doing right now and what I was going to do next!

I hear that... Forty years after the Nav let me go, one of the things I'm still most likely to have in my hand is a coffee cup.

Rick
CTR2, 1968-1972

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Rick, W0FG
CTR2 68-72