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The Nylon Sandbags to Be issued Late Vietnam War.


patches
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I was interested now and again when the "Nylon" sandbags first came out. It seems starting sometime in 1971.

 

From the February 1971 issue of Army Digest.

 

Better Bags: Don't be too shook if your unit is having difficulties with rotting sandbags. An answer has been found. The latest is an acrylic or wash-and-wear model found to be unaffected by the sun's ultraviolet rays. When ordering this potential lifesaver, use Federal Stock Number 8105-935-7101.

 

 

(my note: Not sure what the wash and wear feature means? Probably means easy to wash after repeated use, to keep clean for continued servceablity etc. As noted these bags came out around this time, but I gather these only supplmented the old canvas or whatever they were made of in the 70s, I certainly seen and used both in 80-82.)

 

 

 

 

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439th Signal Battalion

Patches,

 

An interesting article. It seems that the 199th LIB had nylon sandbags quite a bit earlier in June/July, 1969, when this picture was taken...

 

post-4009-0-75454400-1419272635.jpg

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439th Signal Battalion

Perhaps.

 

Out of the "several" 199th images I have, you can begin to see a transition in sandbags (burlap to green nylon) on perimeter bunkers and fighting positions from late 1968 to full nylon bags being used on nearly all structures by mid-1969.

 

More examples here: http://signal439.tripod.com/redcatcher199lib/CampFrenzell-Jones.html

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(my note: Not sure what the wash and wear feature means? )

 

 

 

 

 

Youngsters... tsk tsk :)

 

In those times (way back then) "wash and wear" fabrics were something pretty new - housewives no longer would have to iron everything they washed. It was a marketing term that made its way into everyday use. Basically it means the item doesn't need a lot of care.

 

...and now I feel so old... :blink:

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Youngsters... tsk tsk :)

 

In those times (way back then) "wash and wear" fabrics were something pretty new - housewives no longer would have to iron everything they washed. It was a marketing term that made its way into everyday use. Basically it means the item doesn't need a lot of care.

 

...and now I feel so old... :blink:

I know what wash and wear means, I was trying to figure out the correlation of this to a sandbag, it,s not like one's going to wear a sandbag :lol:

 

Or maybe not, seems at least one guy wore a sandbag LOL

post-4009-0-75454400-1419272635.jpg

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I know what wash and wear means, I was trying to figure out the correlation of this to a sandbag, it,s not like one's going to wear a sandbag :lol:

 

Or maybe not, seems at least one guy wore a sandbag LOL

post-4009-0-75454400-1419272635.jpg

 

ROFLOL!!! This is a great pic, and fits in perfectly in this thread... But I bet he didn't wash it before wearing it!!!

Another guess on why they used the "wash and wear" phrase is so the young troops would understand what they meant when they said the new bags were "acrylic." The soldiers probably hadn't been exposed to "acrylic" but would understand "wash and wear" fabrics.

Just a guess.

 

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The soldiers probably hadn't been exposed to "acrylic" but would understand "wash and wear" fabrics.

 

I agree. I think it's just a reference to them being synthetic rather than made from natural fibers (cotton) like the old ones were. "Wash & wear" was used as a synonym for synthetic fabrics back in "olden tymes."

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  • 1 year later...

post-34986-0-79316500-1458013045.jpg

 

Here's one more example of a Sandbag as Headgear in Nam, think this one might be burlap, in any event, when I first saw this I thought this cat was wearing that WWII British Command knit cap right, said got to scan this one, but seen real fast that it's a Sandbag :lol:, still a great foto, and shows more than one GI, and no doubt from the other Branches of the Armed Forces in South East Asia used it as an Ad Hoc headgear item in the field. Unit, unit is an unknown unit of the 2nd Field Force Vietnam at Chow, circa late 1967, possibly Cannon Cockers of IIFFV Arty.

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Cobra 6 Actual

I distinctly recall when we first extensively used these new nylon sandbags sometime in 1969: one of our platoon sergeants was to receive a well-earned Distinguished Service Cross for his bravery during an earlier battle that had happened in 1968. The Division's commanding general was to make the presentation (this was the First Infantry Division and the unit was the Black Scarves of B Company, 1st Bn, 2nd Infantry).

 

A couple of days before the award ceremony was to take place the "Good Idea Fairy" struck, and struck hard, with some "Nervous Nellie" at Battalion Headquarters: seems that many of our perimeter bunkers were built with both the older burlap sandbags -- which faded to a light tan -- and near the tops of these bunkers, as they were reinforced, the newer dark green nylon sandbags were used. Oh dear, oh my, we couldn't have that! What would the General think? Those sandbags had to be uniform!

 

So, the only logical thing to do was to have the troops, who had just returned from 'humpin' the boonies', cover up those old, nasty burlap sandbags. A couple of days later -- after much cursing and whining -- the newly rebuilt bunkers all had sandbags that were uniformly dark green and the ceremony was held: the General flew in, made the presentation, and flew out: total on the ground time was maybe 30 minutes.

 

The sad thing was that by the time of the ceremony everyone was POed at the Staff Sergeant that was receiving the DSC. Sometimes the 'Big Green Weenie' strikes out if nowhere!

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439th Signal Battalion

I distinctly recall when we first extensively used these new nylon sandbags sometime in 1969: one of our platoon sergeants was to receive a well-earned Distinguished Service Cross for his bravery during an earlier battle that had happened in 1968. The Division's commanding general was to make the presentation (this was the First Infantry Division and the unit was the Black Scarves of B Company, 1st Bn, 2nd Infantry).

 

A couple of days before the award ceremony was to take place the "Good Idea Fairy" struck, and struck hard, with some "Nervous Nellie" at Battalion Headquarters: seems that many of our perimeter bunkers were built with both the older burlap sandbags -- which faded to a light tan -- and near the tops of these bunkers, as they were reinforced, the newer dark green nylon sandbags were used. Oh dear, oh my, we couldn't have that! What would the General think? Those sandbags had to be uniform!

 

So, the only logical thing to do was to have the troops, who had just returned from 'humpin' the boonies', cover up those old, nasty burlap sandbags. A couple of days later -- after much cursing and whining -- the newly rebuilt bunkers all had sandbags that were uniformly dark green and the ceremony was held: the General flew in, made the presentation, and flew out: total on the ground time was maybe 30 minutes.

 

The sad thing was that by the time of the ceremony everyone was POed at the Staff Sergeant that was receiving the DSC. Sometimes the 'Big Green Weenie' strikes out if nowhere!

 

Now that's a good war story...thank you for sharing.

 

post-4009-0-37647200-1458062957.jpg

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Cobra 6 Actual

Now that's a good war story...thank you for sharing.

You're welcome! I had to look the guy up after I posted: seems he was a Spec 4 at the time of the action in May 1968 and by the awards ceremony which was in September 1968 (not 1969 ... hey, I'm close to 70, I get confused sometimes) he'd just been promoted to Staff Sergeant ... I guess earning a DSC definitely helps move your career, too!). Here's the official citation:

 

http://valor.militarytimes.com/recipient.php?recipientid=4974

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There might be a difference between the acrylic mentioned in the 1971 Army Digest article, and Nylon? Perhaps the acrylic was an improved material in the use of sandbags, and was meant to replace both the Nylon (if that's what they were), and the even older burlap. I say all this as evidence is surly in that sandbags other then burlap was seen by 1968-1969.

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Quartermaster

In the late 60s, my uncle worked in a local factory whose products were made from man-made materials. Small plastic-like pellets were placed in machines that heated the pellets to the melting point then were extruded into fiber that was ultimately woven into cloth. The industries main products were woven carpet backing and bags that held onions and garlic.

 

The company received a government contract to produce the woven fabric and fabricate the actual sand bags. My uncle was able to bring home some end run material and a number of sand bags that failed to pass quality control and he gave much of it to my parents, who were avid gardeners at the time. They used the material and bags for all sorts of gardening projects but later I remember my dad complaining that the darn (my word - not his) stuff might wear out but it wouldn't go away, leaving the remaining plastic material strands all over his garden and they wouldn't decompose like burlap sacks he had used.

 

So they apparently were good for the military but bad for my dad!

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  • 2 weeks later...

I was in 'Nam from Oct. '68 to Oct. '69 and the nylon bags were in use. We were still using the older type "osnaburg" fabric bags as well. I'd say at first it was about a 50/50 mix with the nylon bags replacing the older ones as time went on. I preferred the older type. The nylon bag had a shorter string that was a pain to tie and that nylon material was hard on the hands. I was in a airmobile 105 battery and filled thousands of those things. I even have a certificate issued by the 1st Cav that says so!

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  • 1 year later...

attachicon.gifface4.jpg

another sandbag hat

Looks like woven polyethylene! Most commonly seen on tarps. I use this stuff all the time for covering firewood and anything else I need protected from the elements. It lasts a long time and fades very little. Ideal for sandbags! certainly better than burlap.

post-153820-0-66142900-1506314375.jpg

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  • 3 months later...
  • 5 months later...

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