To the OP, by the mid 60's (I was in from 64 -75), the Air Force issued model 15 S&W's to the air crews that I flew with. The rifle in your pic is the original M-16...he has a back to back, taped pair of 20 round mags in the gun's mag well, plus another pair taped to the butt stock. Reversing the mags gave you add'l capacity without going to your web gear. I never saw a 30 round mag while I was in country in 1970 but have heard of them since. And, I never saw a USAF issued 1911 in Vietnam, Guam, Thailand nor the CONUS in the hands of USAF personnel. Not to say it didn't happen with Air Police det's. or in the hands of Air Force PJ's while in combat.
Though I'm sure you know his decorations but for the rest of us...his dad was also awarded the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, the Air Medal with 4 clusters, and in the bottom row, a Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry-twice, their equivalent to the Silver Star. These are combat decorations, not support staff stuff....He was a warrior!
I originally qualified with an M1 Garand on induction at the Air Force Academy in 1964, but re-qual'd with the M16 in the early fall of that year. Flying the Skyraider (A-1E), your dad would have participated in air strikes as well as airborne cover & flak suppression for downed airmen rescue ops...in this latter role he would most probably have had a "Sandy" or "Spad" call sign. By the time I got to the festivities, in Nov '69, the A-1E's in Vietnam had been turned over to the Vietnamese Air Force. Those still in use with USAF markings & pilots were flying rescue ops out of NKP in Thailand...the heroics of those Sandy/Spad pilots is the stuff of legend...they NEVER had to buy a drink anywhere in country. BIG BrASS cojones on them all! You, sir, come from very good stock as my dad would say...may they all rest in peace. "I bear you on eagles wings, and brought you unto myself..." Exodus 19-4 A verse etched in granite at the Air Commando/FAC Memorial Park, Hurlburt Field, FL
Here's my own litany of woes from that period...
I flew the O-1E (L-19 in Army lingo) (that high wing Cessna in the pic below) as a USAF 1st Lt from Oct '69 to Nov 1970 throughout lll & iV Corp, Vietnam, but my home patch was the 5th Special Forces (Green Beret) camp at An Loc, in lll Corp (about 40 miles north of Bien Hoa) and just 10 kilometers from the Cambodian border. During that year, I was issued a S&W model 15 with Magna grips and a CAR15 for the 5.56mm round. My job was that of an airborne Forward Air Controller (FAC); doing visual reconnaissance, while directing air strikes, medivac (dustoff) flights, artillery fire, and Army gunship ops all from a lofty 1500 feet above terrain.
The revolver rode in an AF issued swivel holster as in your pic, on the standard US Army web belt. Issue ammunition was the 130 gr FMJ round nose .38 Special round supplemented with a dozen flare rounds in .38 Special as well. The gun I had, was in really good shape, considering the climate and being banged about while in the cockpit...about NRA Good+, IIRC. A cpl months into my tour, I took possession of another FAC's Browning Hi-Power and carried that in a "Tanker" type of cross holster used by the Army. I liked it for it's 13 round magazines and its great accuracy. After acquiring it, the Model 15 stayed in my duffel and was turned in when i DEROS'd late in November, 1970. Wish I had it now!
The issue, 130 gr FMJ, .38 Special ammunition was notorious for its lack of accuracy and mine was no exception...4-5"+ groups at 25 yds were the best you could hope for...but that Hi-Power would shoot Nato issue 9mm into half that from an improvised rest.
I pretty much ignored, (but carried) a handgun but the carbine accompanied me on every flight along with two bandoleers of AF issued ammunition. The handgun, however, was a 24/7, full time carry proposition, even in the bunker or while asleep...& trips to the shower point, 4-holer, mess bunker, mortar pit...it was on my hip and never out of hand's reach. It was a habit that I never broke...there's still a good handgun within reach 99% of the time. HTH's Rod
BTW, that's me in 'tiger stripes' with the Model 15 on my hip, loading rockets on the bird about May 1970. For those interested in those long ago times, I also carried a Ruana sheath knife that would cut through web gear like hot butter or provide for needy chores if shot down. The 2.75" rockets are white phosphorous for marking purposes and occasionally for strikes, tho flechettes worked better for the latter. Rolling in from the "perch" at 1500 feet, I could hit a barn sized target 100% of the time if the rocket came out of the tubes ok. Out board of the rocket pods, you may be able to pick out the flare shackle point. Without any instrumentation in the cockpit, any night time airborne operations were nearly suicide...no horizon or even cockpit lighting in the bird nor in that country back then...dark was DARK. I flew something over 350 missions during my first tour, was very lucky any number of times, but was hit only twice; no damage to me, but the 'dog' bled a bit...God bless and keep those that didn't come back. Memorial Day is two weeks away, hope you all remember, May 30th is the day, not some 3-day weekend made up by a vote-hungry Congress. YMMv. Rod
