WW1 & WW2 Vintage Equipment Used in VN

[Andrei]

 

Evacuation of Phu Thu

 

The helicopter will take the dead to the waiting USS Ranger, just off the coast of the South China Sea.

 

It would prove to be a typical Viet-Nam day, “Sorry ‘bout that” was the answer for any and everything that went wrong. And because they were wrong, I had again looked the Death Angel in the eyes. It wasn’t a pretty sight, especially the images it left hanging on and on and on.....

 

Didn’t the pilot see there were no troops in this LZ at 4am? All alone in a dark grass field. It seemed to have happened a long time ago.

 

We defeated Charlie again today, but it cost the lives of a half dozen young Marines. I hitched a ride out with the medical evacuation (medevac) and tomorrow I would do it all over again a little farther up the coast. I had two more missions to go before I could get out of the delta to some place up north. Danang, maybe..Haven/t been there in a while.

WT

 

From Flickr.com, WT's photostream

 

Note WW1 Colt 45 clip pouch and WW2/Korea frogskin helmet cover.

[craig_pickrall]

Those WW1 .45 magazine pockets were used for ever it seems. They must have made a few million of them. You would think they would have been used up in WW2 but Oh No they made more of them then.

[El Bibliotecario]

As late as 1979 I recall buying unissued Mills and Russell WW1 .45 magazine pouches in a surplus store for something like 50 or 75 cents each--they had a whole bin of them.

[glenm]

And the OD3 Suspenders on two of them too. And what appears to be a transitional canteen cover...

[Andrei]

And the OD3 Suspenders on two of them too. And what appears to be a transitional canteen cover...

You're right !

[Andrei]

Found another pic of Marines using WW2 vintage. This time a 2/9 Marine LT with his M-1 Carbine, 1966.

 

 

From adkensmith's photostream on Flickr.com

[Justin]

I was watching a documentary today on Marines in 1966, saw a lot of WW2 items.

 

Among them were 2 cell USMC kakie grenade pouches. Brown colt holsters. Ww2 helmet shells (sewn straps) ww2 era helmet liners

a nice handful of ww2 USMC helmet covers including a first pattern on. Kakie ww2 canteen pouches, and first aid pouches, ww2 shovels (non round tip/no pick) ww2 or Korean war army suspenders and of course ww2 m41 suspenders.

 

One marine was even using a m1 rifle. With the 8 round clips all linked on his suspenders.

 

Even show a Thompson and a grease gun.

 

Ive seen those huge ww2 tropical packs and bar belts being used too (in a different video)

[Andrei]

I have just noticed that the 1LT with the M-1 carbine has a SB M-1 helmet, WW2 or later issued. Without the metal clip chinstraps.

[DocRick]

I have just noticed that the 1LT with the M-1 carbine has a SB M-1 helmet, WW2 or later issued. Without the metal clip chinstraps.

 

 

Even as late as the early 80's some WWII items were still popping up at the supply hut. The Marines used the same WWII style suspenders, rucks, FA kits, belts, canteens, etc long into the war. I have a pair of OD suspenders and a lower pack, same style as in WWII. The suspenders are dated 1968. In the early 80's we were still issued the Colt 45, so I'm sure some of the mag pouches at supply were WWI and II vintage.

 

Doc Rick