While serving in RVN in 1970 I was assigned to 191st AHC, Gun Plt. The enlisted crewmembers were not issued pistols, just an M-16 or what ever other type of weapon we could trade for or scrounge. Every one of us had an odd assortment as our downed weapon. I thought I needed a pistol and had the chance to buy a Ruger 357 Blackhawk from a agency guy. He also had a Hi-power for sale. Being young I wanted the 357 so I got it with 3 boxes of Federal JHP. I carried it while flying for a couple of months and had just received the required paperwork from BATF to bring it home as a war trophy when a Captain offered me a deal that I could'nt refuse so I know it was still in country when I left in 1971. Mike