Unusal guns of Vietnam

[Saigon1965]

For Catboatwilly -

Picture is circa 1961 or so - South VN -





For CH47gunner -

 

[Saigon1965]

For Lee Barner -








This is unconventional weapon -

 

[Rock185]

I was in the Central Highlands '69-'70. Our 1st. Sgt. showed me a Colt revolver, blued, .38 Spcl., 4" barrel, with adjustable sights. I can't recall the model now. Also ran into a guy in the field that had a blued Browning Hi Power. He said it was a problem finding 9MM ammo. IIRC, he said he got 9MM ammo from the Australians...

 

[Saigon1965]

Welcome home Rock -

I was in the Central Highlands '69-'70. Our 1st. Sgt. showed me a Colt revolver, blued, .38 Spcl., 4" barrel, with adjustable sights. I can't recall the model now. Also ran into a guy in the field that had a blued Browning Hi Power. He said it was a problem finding 9MM ammo. IIRC, he said he got 9MM ammo from the Australians...

 

[PA Guns & Ammo]

Keep this thread going!!! It is great to hear stories from people who were ACTUALLY THERE! This has to be the best thread of the SW forums by far!

James

 

[Double-O-Dave]

I had a friend who was a chopper pilot in Viet Nam. He was a little guy - small framed, and light weight, and was delighted to learn he would be assigned to fly a gunship (policy of his command was that smaller pilots would fly gunships so more ammo could be carried), rather than a "slick". Unfortunately for him, he was seconded by some "alphabet group" and flew an unarmed Cobra attack chopper doing photo recon and BDAs (Bomb Damage Assessment). Curiously, he was not provided with any sidearms, and he told me he purchased an old Webley top break revolver on the black market for self defense. He really hated his assignment, and really wanted to engage the enemy in "real combat". His solution was both personal, and unique: he told me he always carried extra canteens of water and "piddle packs" in the cockpit of his Cobra, and tried to "bomb" Viet Nam in that manner. By the way, a "piddle pack" is a pilot relief item - a plastic bag containing a special type of sponge - used to contain urine.

Regards,

Dave

 

[THE PILGRIM]

I had a friend who was a chopper pilot in Viet Nam. He was a little guy - small framed, and light weight, and was delighted to learn he would be assigned to fly a gunship (policy of his command was that smaller pilots would fly gunships so more ammo could be carried), rather than a "slick". Unfortunately for him, he was seconded by some "alphabet group" and flew an unarmed Cobra attack chopper doing photo recon and BDAs (Bomb Damage Assessment). Curiously, he was not provided with any sidearms, and he told me he purchased an old Webley top break revolver on the black market for self defense. He really hated his assignment, and really wanted to engage the enemy in "real combat". His solution was both personal, and unique: he told me he always carried extra canteens of water and "piddle packs" in the cockpit of his Cobra, and tried to "bomb" Viet Nam in that manner. By the way, a "piddle pack" is a pilot relief item - a plastic bag containing a special type of sponge - used to contain urine.

Regards,

Dave

Sorry, this one don't make sense! You are a-feared of the VC. I got that! So then you drop pee-pee on them? They have AKs and other guns. They love to shoot down choppers. You got to get low and slow to make that drop.
All the Army chopper guys I ever talked to were issues handguns. Many carried M-16s.
My Father in Law flew in a Mosquito with a Brit in Africa, WWII. The Brit had a Webley. FIL had a 1917.

 

[Rock185]

Dave, that is curious that a military pilot would be unarmed. Not even a sidearm of some kind?

 

[Gunhacker]

I just want to interrupt this thread long enough to THANK all of the VN vets for their service and sacrifice.

I was still going through high school when the conflict was going on, and the war ended before I graduated.

A high school friend who graduated about 2 years ahead of me had a birthdate that was in the top ones in the draft lottery, meaning his call up was imminent.

Rather than waiting for his draft notice for the Army, he enlisted in the USMC and was killed by small arms fire while on patrol 4 months after arriving in country. That really took the war off of the TV and brought it directly home to me... I'm still saddened when I think of him and his sacrifice at such an early age.

R.I.P. PFC Henry Bell Jr. (3RD PLT, I CO, 3RD BN, 7TH MARINES, 1ST MARDIV, III MAF, KIA 31 Jan 1970, Quang Nam Province - 18 years old).

It thrills me to no end that finally, VN vets are starting to get the public recognition that they so deserve.

Welcome home gentlemen and thank you.

 

[Double-O-Dave]

Pilgrim and Rock185:

The gentleman in question was a very brave, and very nice man. He passed from cancer in the mid 1980s, so I cannot ask him to verify or prove what information he shared with me. I met him when I was assigned as a nurse to the cancer ward at Walter Reed AMC in the late 1970s. There was some question as to whether his cancer was due to the effects of Agent Orange (he flew through many areas that had been sprayed with Agent Orange during his tours), but he died before this could be proven. Bill was my patient, and became a good friend - something you are not supposed to let happen. As any veteran knows, just because something is "supposed to be" doesn't really mean it actually does happen.

With the exception of Bill, every chopper pilot I knew that flew in Viet Nam flew armed - many with sidearms as well as long guns and variants thereof (I knew one pilot who carried a sawed off Browning Auto 5 shotgun). But for whatever reason, Bill told me was not issued a sidearm, and his crew chief helped direct him to the black market where he found the Webley.

I never asked him how he made his 'bomb runs" with the piddle packs, but I don't recall him ever saying he was targeting anybody, I think he was just making his mark on Viet Nam and hoping to hit some enemy trooper lurking down below. Thus, I don't think he was flying low and slow at the time. Bill was a funny guy, but he was not suicidal.

I wish you guys could have met my friend. He had a rare zest for life. It was one of life's ironies that he wanted to fly combat missions, and instead was relegated to flying an unarmed recon chopper. I really miss my friend - he's another that left too soon.

Regards,

Dave

 

[Road Rat]

Don't forget the Remington Nylon 66.....................

 

[Voyager28]

Pilgrim and Rock185:

The gentleman in question was a very brave, and very nice man. He passed from cancer in the mid 1980s, so I cannot ask him to verify or prove what information he shared with me. I met him when I was assigned as a nurse to the cancer ward at Walter Reed AMC in the late 1970s. There was some question as to whether his cancer was due to the effects of Agent Orange (he flew through many areas that had been sprayed with Agent Orange during his tours), but he died before this could be proven.

Unfortunately this happened to a lot of rotary wing drivers. The rotor wash stirred everything up and fill the air with it long after it was sprayed. Also, remember, there was other nasty stuff called Paraquat (sp) that was openly sprayed as well. IMHO, this was even nastier than Agent Orange.

I can believe throwing out the "Piddle Packs" in the off chance of hitting someone is quite possible. In fact I saw many cases where mostly futile acts of aggression were used just to relieve the pressure and give even a little sense of getting even.

As an example, on a few occasions when out on a "Snoop and Poop" (recon or sniper) mission in the Ah Shau Valley we would sometimes find a unit of NVA dug in alongside a small river of stream. But, we were under orders not to engage them because that wasn't in our mission profile. So, we would make our way a couple of "clicks" up stream from them and each one of us take turns peeing and pooping in the water so it would flow down stream towards the NVA unit. We would then have a lot of fun speculating what effect our turds and "yellow water" would have on them and their food/water supply.

Another time we were out with a group of Montagnards and one of them captured a baboon which, at first, they intended to eat. But the leader of the group got a better idea. They proceeded to put a pair of panties (where those came from I have no idea) on the baboon and let it go free. They had written a note on the panties that basically said she was a NVA soldier's mother out looking for her son. The young Montagnard who thought it up was shot and killed by a sniper 2 days later. His name was Trac. The sniper also did not survive the day. I have no idea what his name was nor do I care.

Bob

 

[Voyager28]

I don't know if this thread is a blessing or a curse. I'm remembering things I have buried and tried to forget for a very long time.

Bob

 

[Saigon1965]

Bob -

It is because of men like you and my dad that gave us hope and able to be here today to reflect and live and enjoy freeedom! I thank you for this once in a lifetime opportunity -

Some of us gave a little - Some of us gave all - RIP to my uncle and cousins whom gave all for country -

My dad was ARVN for roughly 20 years - Biet Dong Quan - He is with us today -

Thank you -

Luong / Saigon1965 -

I don't know if this thread is a blessing or a curse. I'm remembering things I have buried and tried to forget for a very long time.

Bob

I look at these when feeling down and they always bring a smile to me - I hope they do the same for you -


Husband and wife - She transfered in country to be near him -




SF helping locals -




Though not a flattering picture but this was one of my dad's old boss - General Lamson - Father of the VN airborne -







Goofiness after long range patrol -









Never seems to be enough of this stuff!

 

[Voyager28]

To Saigon1965: Thank you Sir. I needed that. Please tell your Dad I said "OORAH!"


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[BudMan5]

I was an armed helicopter crew chief/door gunner in VN from January 1966 to September 1968. We were allowed whatever we could scounge up. I carried a Nazi made Browning Hi Power in an old tanker m3 shoulder holster for the entire time I was in Vietnam. I tried to win a Sig P320 on the The Truth About Guns website about my pistol and how it was returned to me 46 years after I left Vietnam:

There and back again, my VN Browning Hi Power

 

[FPrice]

I am no archery expert, but does something look wrong about where the arrow is resting? Or is there something I am unaware of?

For Lee Barner -

This is unconventional weapon -

 

[Voyager28]

I am no archery expert, but does something look wrong about where the arrow is resting? Or is there something I am unaware of?

Nobody said he was an Archer. Sometimes you just did what you had to do.

Bob


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[Critch]

I was training to be a nuclear weapons specialist in the Air Force during the last year of the war. Both of my brothers served in country, one as an Air Force medic the other as a bomb loader. Brother Mike told me of seeing some VC bodies after they tried to breach the wire and one of them had a muzzle loading rifle of some kind.

This thread was a lot of fun...

 

[tkdguy]

I think the archer is using a left handed bow...

Nobody said he was an Archer. Sometimes you just did what you had to do.

Bob


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suggesting that he is experienced. Right handed bows are common.