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 DId you guys use captured NVA gear? (currently 1 views) |
| Frenchie |
| Posted on: January 1st, 2013, 3:42am |
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Maximum Member2 LIke to hear from anyone that was Co C 4/31
Posts: 407
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When i got to our company in March 68 there was not enough backpacks....some used 2 buttpacks we had in AIT others used captured canvas NVA rucksacks...
This was a short term problem...probably 3 weeks or so but you can imagine how tiring it could get carrying all your gear in the butt packs...NVA rucksacks were not that bad (i got lucky and got a regular USA pack).
did other companies experience the same thing? |
Frenchie - Gilbert E Manasselian
C 4/31 Feb 68 to Feb 69
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| Gregory B Peters |
| Posted on: January 1st, 2013, 6:59pm |
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Maximum Member2 B company, 3/21/196th, incountry 07/1966-07/1967
Posts: 173
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| LOL! Frenchie, you must be small in stature :-) the only thing I could use that wasn't issued by Uncle Sam was the machetees that the Filipino's made and traded to us. |
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Reply: 1 - 22 |
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| Frenchie |
| Posted on: January 1st, 2013, 9:44pm |
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Maximum Member2 LIke to hear from anyone that was Co C 4/31
Posts: 407
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LOL! Frenchie, you must be small in stature :-) the only thing I could use that wasn't issued by Uncle Sam was the machetees that the Filipino's made and traded to us. |
I got lucky and got a regular backpack...im 5 9"....i doubt they based on who got the packs based on their heights....that would make sense..:) here is a picture of my captured bandoleer..tight fit but it worked
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-W63I9KIuf3M/R5GlLsakQFI/AAAAAAAAB3Q/YA6wzpxAv8U/s128/Me%20b.jpg |
Frenchie - Gilbert E Manasselian
C 4/31 Feb 68 to Feb 69
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Reply: 2 - 22 |
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| Ken McKenzie, C, 4-31 |
| Posted on: January 2nd, 2013, 1:57pm |
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Posts: 131
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| I came over on the boat with the originals. We never had backpacks and fit everything in the fanny packs. My platoon sgt had a backpack, but I don't know where he got it. |
Ken McKenzie
C-4/31, 196th LIB, 1965-1967
C-1/5(MECH), 25thID, 1967 |
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| Jim Armstrong |
| Posted on: January 2nd, 2013, 5:16pm |
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I guess I am not sure what you guys mean by "fanny packs" vs "back packs."
From the outset we had packs with padded shoulder straps that rode fairly high up.
We carried so much in them that not being supported that way would have been almost impossible.
I have a picture of myself just before a mission where I look like a packhorse with the webbing invisible behind all the gear. |
Jim Armstrong
C, HQ, A 2/1
1965-1967 |
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Reply: 4 - 22 |
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| Frenchie |
| Posted on: January 2nd, 2013, 9:38pm |
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Maximum Member2 LIke to hear from anyone that was Co C 4/31
Posts: 407
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Fanny Pack, Butt Pack are the same ....we used them in AIT and they would carry very little in the bush....one guy used two of them and im sure that was not enough
Back packs is that i called the regular packs most guys carried , some guys called them rucksacks i think .....in civilian world they are called Alice Packs. I m not sure of the Army name...probably Alice Pack. |
Frenchie - Gilbert E Manasselian
C 4/31 Feb 68 to Feb 69
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Reply: 5 - 22 |
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| Ken McKenzie, C, 4-31 |
| Posted on: January 3rd, 2013, 5:28pm |
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Posts: 131
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Here's a shot with a "fanny pack" on the guy in the background. These clipped to the webbing and hung at waist level. Couldn't carry much, but they were all we had.
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Ken McKenzie
C-4/31, 196th LIB, 1965-1967
C-1/5(MECH), 25thID, 1967 |
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| Jim Armstrong |
| Posted on: January 3rd, 2013, 10:02pm |
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Posts: 203
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I'm pretty sure my RTO used the small, lower pack to make room for his PRC 25 above it.
There is a mix of the old and new fatigues (and maybe boots) in the photo. a common sight early on. |
Jim Armstrong
C, HQ, A 2/1
1965-1967 |
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Reply: 7 - 22 |
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| Larry D Mcknight |
| Posted on: January 4th, 2013, 12:57pm |
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Posts: 63
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| Jim, that is the kind of fanny pack I used to make room for my radio. I don't remember seeing any back packs in our units. They must of came along later. |
Larry D. Mcknight
B Co., HHC S-4 2/1
1965 to 1967 |
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Reply: 8 - 22 |
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| Ken McKenzie, C, 4-31 |
| Posted on: January 4th, 2013, 2:06pm |
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Posts: 131
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Yeah, we didn't all get jungle fatigues until we were over there a while. I think we got two pairs and continued to use the older fatigues when the others were dirty and we were unable to clean them (or get them cleaned). This photo was taken in January 1967. As you can see from the condition of the jungle fatigues, we often had no way to clean them between operations. This photo was taken as the Company was leaving for an operation, not returning from one.
I had a pair of jungle fatigues literally rot off me after 70+ days in the field with the 5th Mech (25th Div). |
Ken McKenzie
C-4/31, 196th LIB, 1965-1967
C-1/5(MECH), 25thID, 1967 |
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| joemahoney |
| Posted on: January 5th, 2013, 4:22pm |
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The first year we all used the fanny pack. You didn’t need much more. We would take our 3 days of rations, throw out the boxes and any ration you did not want (fruit cake, etc.) and put a carton of cigarettes and some sardines in the pack with as much as would fit. Any leftover cans were packed in a sock and hung on our web gear. We would pack our poncho liner and canvas hammock on the flap and put the poncho on top
The supply Sargent tried to make a few laundry runs, but we wore the fatigues so long, they would fall apart after they were washed. If we were out for 30 days or more they just gave us a new shirt and pants.
(I guess we had a good supply sargent) |
Joe Mahoney
B 2/1
66/67 |
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Reply: 10 - 22 |
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| Jim Armstrong |
| Posted on: January 5th, 2013, 5:11pm |
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Posts: 203
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This subject kind of stretches the ol' memory.
I think we just wore what we were given, perhaps modified as ideas came up.
Here are some good descriptions:
http://www.vietnamgear.com/kit.aspx?kit=19 |
Jim Armstrong
C, HQ, A 2/1
1965-1967 |
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Reply: 11 - 22 |
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| Gregory B Peters |
| Posted on: January 5th, 2013, 5:21pm |
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Maximum Member2 B company, 3/21/196th, incountry 07/1966-07/1967
Posts: 173
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Poncho Liner???? damn Joe you did have a good supply sgt., never had one or remember seeing one. My pictures at https://picasaweb.google.com/1.....&feat=directlink
are similar to Ken's in regards to what we carried as packs. Some of the pictures are us going to Chu Lai, so we are carrying or wearing everything we owned. I don't remember mixing fatigues, but I didn't have a camera for about the first half of my tour. Nor do I remember "clean" fatigues, just brand new or rotten. don't seem to remember wearing undershirts, drawers or socks for very long either. Seems like we soaked them and agitated them in any clean water we could find. a river, stream or steel pot. I would think a back pack that Frenchie describes would have been a hell of a lot more comfortable. do you Remember running with this silly butt pack bouncing and beating us to death, plus being tripped by the hanging shovel and machette. riding in a copter was also a pain. |
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Reply: 12 - 22 |
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| Larry D Mcknight |
| Posted on: January 6th, 2013, 12:41pm |
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Posts: 63
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| Joe, if I remember our supply Sgt name was Carter. He was a cranky old sgt, but he was pretty good to us. |
Larry D. Mcknight
B Co., HHC S-4 2/1
1965 to 1967 |
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Reply: 13 - 22 |
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| Frenchie |
| Posted on: January 6th, 2013, 4:38pm |
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Maximum Member2 LIke to hear from anyone that was Co C 4/31
Posts: 407
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The first year we all used the fanny pack. You didn’t need much more. We would take our 3 days of rations, throw out the boxes and any ration you did not want (fruit cake, etc.) and put a carton of cigarettes and some sardines in the pack with as much as would fit. Any leftover cans were packed in a sock and hung on our web gear. We would pack our poncho liner and canvas hammock on the flap and put the poncho on top
The supply Sargent tried to make a few laundry runs, but we wore the fatigues so long, they would fall apart after they were washed. If we were out for 30 days or more they just gave us a new shirt and pants.
(I guess we had a good supply sargent) |
Guys ive learned a few things already...some of you did what I had heard other units were doing....3 days out 4 days in...you pick the numbers...
By the time i joined the unit we were out weeks at a time and clean clothe came in weekly along with food and mail etc...the clothes were in a duffle bag and did not have the cute patches and they were of the one size fits all variety
In thinking back you "boat" men had a rougher as far as gear and i can see that no one knew what they were doing and decisions were bade on the fly and on the spot
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Frenchie - Gilbert E Manasselian
C 4/31 Feb 68 to Feb 69
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