Vets...What did you carry???

[29aholic]

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.

 

[Gatofeo]

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

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

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

 

[oldman45]

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.

 

[ssgmac]

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

 

[Frailer]

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.

 

[Marshwheeling]

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.

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

 

[seagill]

+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.

 

[29aholic]

We have a winner

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

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.

 

[mbnatt]

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

 

[29aholic]

Yep

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.

 

[DeathGrip]

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.

 

[lazy]

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.

 

[Smith357]

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.

 

[walnutred]

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.

 

[K.38]

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.

 

[JamesArthur60]

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.

 

[HCD]

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.

 

[29aholic]

Great pics SSG

 

[kraigwy]

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.