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LW Rucksack Frame Radio Attachment-Really Used in Vietnam?


capa
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Hello All,

This is currently listed on Ebay as an early Vietnam used, however, I have yet to come across any photos of this attachment being used in Nam at all. It does look like it was made for the LW ruck frame, but I wonder if it is Canadian(ien).

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

post-1646-0-70246100-1406901217.jpg

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  • 4 weeks later...

The ruck frame kinda looks like the one I threw away when I tied the ruck to the backboard. Just a guess, but if the belly band is as the WWII, I'd guess I'd guess US frame-With a foreign attachment. My 2 cents. Dave

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  • 2 weeks later...

I think you are correct Dave-there is no photographic evidence that I can find to support this is a US attachment. Thanks for the reply!

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  • 8 months later...
dave grunt

I think Capa was talking about the pack board itself. The frame is either the War 2 frame from the mountain ruck or the LW ruck VN era. I don't believe that those are US shelves. US shelves are rounded and have a little hole on each side. The shelves in the picture from Capa are straight w/o holes. I might be wrong but I have never seen metal pack boards in VN. I carried a PRC/25 (same as PRC/77 w/o crypto capabilities ) on the War 2 plywood pack board. Dave

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I think Capa was talking about the pack board itself. The frame is either the War 2 frame from the mountain ruck or the LW ruck VN era. I don't believe that those are US shelves. US shelves are rounded and have a little hole on each side. The shelves in the picture from Capa are straight w/o holes. I might be wrong but I have never seen metal pack boards in VN. I carried a PRC/25 (same as PRC/77 w/o crypto capabilities ) on the War 2 plywood pack board. Dave

Here's a photo of one being used in Hue.

post-154926-0-60532900-1431986552.jpg

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dave grunt

That's not the same. That is what I carried, not what is pictured in the original post. Look again. The openings with the hooks are not visible in the original post. I tied my socks full of c-rats to those hooks on both sides. Dave

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That's not the same. That is what I carried, not what is pictured in the original post. Look again. The openings with the hooks are not visible in the original post. I tied my socks full of c-rats to those hooks on both sides. Dave

I meant of a ww2 plywood packboard. Sorry for the confusion. I just thought it would be nice to have a reference of that in action...

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Allen Dail

Here is a link to a reference thread with great pics by Craig Pickrall. Near bottom of thread pics of the attachment. http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/12287-tc710-8-the-lightweight-rucksack-with-riveted-frame/

 

I am on my phone at the moment but Shelby Stantons Uniforms of the Vietnam War on page 179 has two pics of this radio attachment on lightweight rucksack frame in use. I will try and post them tomorrow if they are not posted before.

Allen

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dave grunt

Allen-I stand corrected. We didn't get the PRC/77 until mid 69 when an RTO from our company was sent to learn how to operate it. I don't remember him using that style of pack board or having the bottom cable connected box. Of course, I've forgotten more than I ever knew. That was the only 77 in the company.

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decontrol215

These were used in Vietnam rarely. I have seen maybe 3 or 4 pictures of these in use, all of which were Army 1968+ish. One picture I remember distinctly was from Operation Pegasus in 1968.

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  • 3 years later...

The attachment is for a PRC-25/77 and a KY-38 encryption device. The KY-38, and KY-28 aircraft counterpart, represents the first widely issued tactical level voice encryption devices. Thousands of KY-38s were issued in Vietnam, but I havent seen a lot of material referencing their use. However, I have seen quite a few studies on the lack of communications security and underestimating the Norths signals intelligence capability. Perhaps the thousands of KY-38s were issued, but were not used as intended.

 

post-14550-0-71062900-1551750634.jpeg

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