Corpl. Cleaver Posted December 6, 2012 Share #1 Posted December 6, 2012 Last month I picked up a "Port a Pack XM 2" made to carry the launching tube for the Davey Crockett nuclear warhead. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davy_Crockett_(nuclear_device) http://nuclearsecrecy.com/blog/2012/07/20/king-of-the-wild-frontier/ How rare is something like this? I have never seen another one like it anywhere. Also any ideas of what this could be worth? It doesn't really fit my collection and I would like to pass it on to someone who will enjoy it more than I do. I also have 4 NOS retaining straps that came attached to it. The picture below shows 5 tho. Here you can see Pack B XM 2 in the center. You can see the added shelf and small wooden piece across the middle of the frame. There were 2 holes drilled thru the shelf and pack frame so that they could be bolted together. Also a wooden cross piece I believe was added to support part of the launcher. Close up of markings. Tyler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwb123 Posted December 6, 2012 Share #2 Posted December 6, 2012 How about that, a man portable squad level nuclear weapon! Probably one of the worst things ever concieved by the military mind. Be glad you were not assigned to carry Pack A, with what appears to be the warhead. Value? First off, how many people even know what this is, let alone collect Cold War items and would even want this. There are probably more of these out there, with people having no idea what they are. I will let the field gear gurus come up with a dollar value on this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doyler Posted December 6, 2012 Share #3 Posted December 6, 2012 I met a Sf/Project Delta vet from Minneapolis who trained to carry and deliver such a device during Viet Nam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted December 6, 2012 Share #4 Posted December 6, 2012 Here's the wiki and a cool NON wiki site dedicated to the Davy Crockett. It was a weapon that was issued to Combat Support Companies of Infantry Battle Groups. Platoons were formed for it in the CSC Companies. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davy_Crockett_(nuclear_device) http://www.guntruck.com/DavyCrockett.html the Above site even has a guide to bulid a 1/35 Scale ealy 60s Davy Crockett Jeep using the Tamiya jeep kit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hbtcoveralls Posted December 6, 2012 Share #5 Posted December 6, 2012 There was also a Jeep designed to deploy the Davey Crocket system using a short range rocket system. the Jeep was the M38A1D and they're quite rare themselves. Most don't have any of the original equipment but there is at least one restored with a mock-up of the rocket and warhead. Imagine seeing that driving down the road. I bet most people wouldn't know there was a tatical nuclear weapon in the next lane...sort of. I also remember in one of David Hackworth's books he mentioned that his unit in Germany was supposed to deploy the Davey Crocket to slow down the communist hordes, but nobody ever told him where to get the nuke or who was supposed to authorize the use. http://www.vintagemilitarytrucks.com/M38A1D_Davey_Crockett.htm Tom Bowers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted December 6, 2012 Share #6 Posted December 6, 2012 And to think GIs got nervous about walking around with a flame-thrower strapped to their backs!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reddevil1311 Posted December 6, 2012 Share #7 Posted December 6, 2012 Very interesting! Interesting, and possibly unusual for the US Army, that they just took a wwii packboard for this application and did not design a complete new carrying system for the Davey Crocket. A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corpl. Cleaver Posted December 6, 2012 Author Share #8 Posted December 6, 2012 Yea, it's just one of those weird odd ball items you come across in this hobby. Something that lots of people don't know exsisted during the Cold War. This has got to fit in someones collecting area more than it does in mine, I'd like to see it go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manchu Warrior Posted December 6, 2012 Share #9 Posted December 6, 2012 And to think GIs got nervous about walking around with a flame-thrower strapped to their backs!! I was nervous with soldiers walking behind me with loaded M16's. With that said. I may have had an actual nervous breakdown around one these things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PvtTamura Posted December 6, 2012 Share #10 Posted December 6, 2012 That is way cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted December 6, 2012 Share #11 Posted December 6, 2012 Here's a 7th Inf Div Davy Crockett platoon pocket patch, posted by Kurt A awhile back, South Korean made I suppose, as the 7th Inf Div was in South Korea in the early 60s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted December 6, 2012 Share #12 Posted December 6, 2012 Enjoy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwb123 Posted December 7, 2012 Share #13 Posted December 7, 2012 Here's a 7th Inf Div Davy Crockett platoon pocket patch, posted by Kurt A awhile back, South Korean made I suppose, as the 7th Inf Div was in South Korea in the early 60s. Nothing like keeping your unit mission a secret... except for the patches you wear! Too funny! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1SG_1st_Cav Posted December 7, 2012 Share #14 Posted December 7, 2012 I pulled a lot of Guard Duty in Bamberg, Germany [1963-66] guarding the Davey Crockett Storage bunkers in our Ammo Dump. Not anyone could guard them. You had to have a SECRET Security Clearance to pull the duty. Not everyone had those clearances, so those of us that did pulled a lot of it. What a pain in the BUTT! Danny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savage21 Posted January 4, 2013 Share #15 Posted January 4, 2013 if anything happens to pack u could end up a walking nightlight LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Signor Posted January 5, 2013 Share #16 Posted January 5, 2013 I just saw a story about this and it was the last nuke set off above ground back in it's day . Johnny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawkdriver Posted January 5, 2013 Share #17 Posted January 5, 2013 I spent an entire day last year, with a Blackhawk, looking for the expended training tubes to the DC at the main impact range at Ft. Riley. I was "told" that the poor bastards that shot these were on the edge of the kill radius. Nothing like taking the enemy and yourself out with your weapon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SergeantMajorGray Posted January 5, 2013 Share #18 Posted January 5, 2013 I spent an entire day last year, with a Blackhawk, looking for the expended training tubes to the DC at the main impact range at Ft. Riley. I was "told" that the poor bastards that shot these were on the edge of the kill radius. Nothing like taking the enemy and yourself out with your weapon. I dont think that they were in the kill radius but I saw on the history channel that they were in the range of the fallout and radiation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawkdriver Posted January 5, 2013 Share #19 Posted January 5, 2013 Seems the fatal dose of radiation was 1/4 mile and the best range of the system was 1.7 miles and normally 1.2 miles. Still, only having 3/4 mile buffer between being safe and lethal dose isn't very good odds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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