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M3 M3A1 Grease Guns in Vietnam


SergeantMajorGray
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The CO of our company, (Support Co, 3rd Engr. Bn. RVN), carried a grease gun. The only one I ever saw incountry. One of our squad leaders had a m1A1, I had a AK47, tried to bring it home..no luck, sold it for 75.00 to another Marine.

DS

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What an interesting topic, it is really neat to see that the M3 has held on as long as it has. Go Go Grease Gun!

 

 

 

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  • 3 months later...

Think this is a Marine, date and unit unknown.

 

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A GI of the 3rd Squadron 5th Cavalry, a Tank Crewman, Operation Comanche Falls III November 1968, squadron at this tme was detached from the 9th Infantry Division and attached to the 1st Cavalry Division.

 

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Jumpin Jack

The position I held allowed me to travel all over the III Corps area. I saw a vast array of foreign weapons. My SVN counter-part had a beautiful mint MG38/40 hanging behind his desk in Saigon. The most breath taking weapon that I saw in a large area strewn with captured weapons was a brand new FG42--the WWII German Paratroop machine gun. I lusted after this weapon, and could have had for the asking, but the risk was to great. Thus, it became a memory for me. In spite of its weight, my weapon of choice was the Thompson or the Model 70 when I was sniping.

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My dad's captain brought home a grease gun and an ak47 from Vietnam when he finally made it back stateside in 1970. The grease gun was stolen and then used in a robbery ten years later. The police confiscated it and never gave it back to my dad's captain, despite the paperwork he had saying it was his war trophy. I got to see and handle the ak though which was really cool since it had a large gouge in the butt from where shrapnel chewed into it as well as some painted Vietnamese writing on the magazine.

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  • 4 months later...

Wow just discovered this, did you know that the CHICOM's made a copy of our M3 SM during the Korean War? Turns out they did, called a Type 36. Wouldn't be surprised if they didn't ship some of these down to the Viet Cong to use, and that we, got a hold of some we captured, with we, using them.

 

http://www.koreanwaronline.com/history/Enemy%20Weapons/Frames/37.htm

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Just saw thread. Our unit had the last GI operated M-88 in RVN. Had at least 2 Grease guns on board. Had an Ord. section in unit so there were all kinds of weapons. GIs had all sorts of “ private purchse” weapons, one had an RPD, AKs were common even though unauthorised . Had both RPG launchers, asked about cutting them in half Longways, mounting on board, no dice. Wish had just cut them in pieces and sent home.

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  • 2 months later...

Some US tankers still had M3A1's issued in their vehicles up until the mid 1990's, some are even reported after 2000.

I carried one in 1978 while in Germany as I drove a tracked vehicle and they didnt issue .45's to enlisted. The M16 was to hard to get in and out of the drivers hatch with. Most of the 2AD units had these in inventory back then.

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I carried one in 1978 while in Germany as I drove a tracked vehicle and they didnt issue .45's to enlisted. The M16 was to hard to get in and out of the drivers hatch with. Most of the 2AD units had these in inventory back then.

Where you a Tank Crewman?

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  • 9 months later...

While not a photo taken in Vietnam, it is one of Reserve Special Forces Groups at a Drill at Ft Meade Maryland, 1965, probably of the old 11th Special Forces Group, and shows that the Grease Gun was still in the inventory for SF Groups in the States, at least the Reserve Components at any rate.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Wow just discovered this, did you know that the CHICOM's made a copy of our M3 SM during the Korean War? Turns out they did, called a Type 36. Wouldn't be surprised if they didn't ship some of these down to the Viet Cong to use, and that we, got a hold of some we captured, with we, using them.

 

http://www.koreanwaronline.com/history/Enemy%20Weapons/Frames/37.htm

Here's a saved image of the CHICOM Type 36 just in case that site in link goes down for some unknown reason.

 

 

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post-34986-0-22486700-1571322569_thumb.jpg

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easterneagle87

I was a ROTC cadet in the summer 0f '86 and SMP with the WA Nat Guard, HHC 161st. They needed people to ride armor, so I hooked up with a Univ of Idaho grad branched armor and I rode with his M-60. They were issued grease guns. I thought it was an odd relic of a weapon, but like earlier posted, easier to get out of the turret/hatch with one.

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  • 1 month later...
USCapturephotos

I'm late to the party I guess but here a few things I can add to the thread. This is a copy of a photo taken of my friend Henry Labombard, 88th MP Co- K9 who was in Vietnam in 65-66.

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The second thing I wanted to add was from this old but awesome work on the history of Civil War relics. There was a small paragraph in there I saw years ago but never forgot that totally relates to this thread and the variety of weapons seen in Vietnam and Cambodia in this period....

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...

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The book this was in...

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Thanks for the addition, as an aside, we're seeing a MACV patch there, the 88th MP Co in 1965-66 was directly assigned to MACV it reassigned to the newly activated 18th MP Bde when it sets up shop later in 1966.

 

Weird the VC used such relics LOL, wonder if the 1853 carbine was ever fired in anger at our boys LOL. Martini Henry's Anybody LOL.

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post-30147-0-17270200-1574304257.jpgIn Vietnam we had two on every tank, and the VTR crew also had a couple. We also carried a grenade launcher and a M16 on the tank. They were used in tank units into the 80s as I remember.

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 8/25/2017 at 5:15 PM, patches said:

And one being used by the 101's Lima Ranges, 1970.

 

attachicon.gifgrease-gun-in-vietnam 101.jpgattachicon.gifimages 101.jpg

REF: L Co Ranger Photos in post #94

Those photos were taken at Camp Eagle near Hue in April 1971. We were conducting a familarization class with captured NVA/VC weapons and of course those included a few older US weapons. None of our guys ever carried either the M3 or M3A1 on a patrol. We also had a few Thompsons and fired them out there in Bravo sector as well. The only guys I encountered who liked the M3 Grease Gun in our area (Northern I Corps) were a few of the helicopter pilots. Those things are heavy, slow firing and short range. Helicopter pilots who normally were armed only with a revolver liked them and kept them handy in case of emergencies. They didn't have to hump them. BTW, we fired everything we could get ammo for including the AK's, RPD's, DSHK 12.7mm, SGM, RPG's and many other captured weapons. Since this is US only I won't go on... RLTW!

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