I found a place called gunrag.com,  that stated M-1 Garands were finally retired fom National Guard units in the LATE 1970's. I thought Garands were replaced by the early 1970's. If not by the M16A1, then at least by the M-14. Does anyone have any info or stories about this???

I saw a few issued to some South Vietnamese garrison troopers in the late 60s.

The Ohio Army Reserve National Guard used them at Kent State University in May of 1970. I also saw R.O.K. "Guardsmen" using them during Team Spirit in 1985 near Yea Chon ROKAFB.

My USNR unit was equipped with several 7.62 NATO chambered M1s and several M14s as late as 1986.  The M14s except for two were set up internally for semi-auto fire only.  Having fired the select-fire M14 in FA mode, I agreed with the SA only set-up.  The M14 in FA is tough to control.

Noah

If you go beyond the US army, I know that units in the Danish Army used them until aorund 1990.

These were mostly support units like artillery and supply, but one combat regiment retained the M-1 until 1990.

The rest of combat units used the H&K G-3, and switched to the C-7 (M-16) in the late 90s.

That's where the "Danish Garands" from the CMP come from - they were given to Denmark right after WW-II, and many of them have just come back ot the US relatively recently.

Here's a parade from early 1990 with Garands.

Claus:

Fixed your picture.

JD

I was a member of a (very small---only about 100 members) Michigan National Guard medical unit in the early 70's---in fact, it was a MASH unit.  The unit was issued a few firearms for defensive purposes---about a half dozen .45's, probably about a dozen M1's and maybe 20 or so Carbines. I recall that in about 1970 or 71 they replaced the M1's with M16's----then, a couple of years later, replaced the Carbines with additional M16's. I can also kind of recall going to Summer Camp in mid-70's----(that was near the end of my 6 year enlistment)----and noticing that by that time, everyone then had M16's---there were no M1's or Carbines to be seen.  Those Summer Camps----at Grayling, in Michigan---frequently included troops from Michigan, Indiana as well as Ohio---so, I would think that they would tend to be somewhat representative of what was 'happening' around the greater U. S.

Thanks.  

I went through USN boot camp in 1971.  We shot the M1.  The ship I was on had M14s but I didn't see any M1s.