User Panel
Posted: 10/31/2004 3:19:50 AM EDT
Phu Bai, Vietnam: A Marine rifleman of the 1st Bn., Ninth Marine Regiment uses the M-16 rifle to fire at North Vietnamese troops during Operation Prairie II. Behind him an artillery forward observer using binoculars spots targets for the rifleman. The M-16 is replacing the M-14 as the basic weapon in 3rd Marine Division infantry units. The M-16 is lighter and uses smaller caliber ammunition, thus lightening the combat infantryman's load. March 13, 1967 © Bettmann/CORBIS Original caption: U.S. Navy Boatswain's Mate 2nd Class Lawrence Malone fires M-16 rifle into a known Viet Cong stronghold during a junk patrol in South Vietnam. August 15, 1967 © Bettmann/CORBIS Original caption: New Rifle. Khe, South Vietnam: SP/4 Rodney W. Henning, of Chippewa Falls, Wisc., a rifleman in the 1st Cavalry Division here, holds the latest Army weapon, the XM-177E2, an improvement over the much criticized M-16. It weights about 6 pounds, 1 1/2 pounds less than the standard rifle, and can fire as rapidly as a submachine gun. October 12, 1967 © Bettmann/CORBIS Two American soldiers take cover from Viet Cong fire. Vietnam, 1967. © CORBIS Here are close-ups of Marine Corps Commandant General Wallace M. Greene Jr., as he displays the controversial M-16 rifle during a news conference at the Pentagon on May 26th. General Greene said that the weapon has proved to be a "reliable, hard-hitting, lightwieght weapon" for U. S. troops in Vietnam. May 26, 1967 U.S. 1st Cavalry Infantrymen huddle a group of frightened South Vietnamese children into a ditch to protect them from enemy sniper fire. The battle scene is 10 miles South of Da Nang. October 30, 1967 TAM KY, SOUTH VIETNAM-11/14/67-: Although it's only practice, it's being done on "location" as U.S. 1st Cavalry troopers test fire their weapons during a break in search-and-destroy mission here recently. General Melvin Zais, the commanding gerenal of the United States Army 101st Airborne Division, serving in Vietnam, is greeted by a fellow officer. © Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS Troops tend to a fellow soldier, wounded during fighting, in Vietnam. © Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS April 11, 1968 Original caption: 5/11/1968-Saigon, South Vietnam: Photo shows troops in a trench next to a bridge, with their machine guns, awaiting orders or action. © Bettmann/CORBIS Date Photographed: May 11, 1968 With weapons at the ready, U.S. Marines advance down a street in Hue on February 14th. Leathernecks broke the stalemate in the battle for Hue with a pre-dawn ground assault, a helicopter borne attack and jet planes splashing the Communist positions with flaming napalm. © Bettmann/CORBIS Date Photographed: February 21, 1968 Original caption: A US soldier encamped in the Vietnamese jungle. © Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS Date Photographed: October 25, 1968 Song Be, S. Vietnam: Assist To Evacuation Helicopter. An American Green Beret (right), and a South Vietnamese soldier assist wounded Vietnamese soldier to medivac helicopter following fighting near the Special Forces camp at Duc Phong, 40 miles north of Saigon, September 9. South Vietnamese spokesmen said government casualties reached a two-month high 502 dead and 1,210 wounded--during fighting last week. It was the highest casualty toll since the week ending June 14 which saw 516 dead and 1,424 wounded. © Bettmann/CORBIS Date Photographed: September 11, 1969 Original caption: Saigon, South Vietnam: The shot of a sniper puts troops of the U.S. Ninth Division on the alert for a possible ambush, as they patrol in the delta area in the summer of 1969. No ambush occurs, however. © Bettmann/CORBIS Date Photographed: ca. 1969 The Face of War. Chi Long, South Vietnam: Looking like a Malay pirate, an American advisor sports a black headband and necklace of grenades as he wades through high grass while on patrol near the Cambodian border recently. © Bettmann/CORBIS Date Photographed: September 17, 1969 DA NANG, SOUTH VIETNAM: With a cocked .45 caliber pistol and an M16 rifle aimed at his head, a suspected Viet Cong is questioned near here, August 5th, during a U.S. Marine sweep of the area. Only scattered action was reported August 5th. © Bettmann/CORBIS Original caption: 4/27/1971-Landing Zone Kershaw, South Vietnam: A GI from the 101st Airborn Division steps over a log during combat assault at this landing zone about five miles north of the A Shau Valley. A joint U.S.-South Vietnamese operation in the area is taking place under a cloak of official secrecy. © Bettmann/CORBIS Date Photographed: April 27, 1971 Original caption: American division GIs ford a river about 11 miles west of Da Nang on patrol for Communist troops in this photo. The GIs, members of Bravo Company, 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry, are among the last U. S. combat troops still operating in the field. U. S. B-52 bombers blasted suspected Communist troop concentrations near the demilitarized zone, on August 15th, following more shelling and ground assaults earlier on August 15th. More than 750 rounds of mortar and artillery fire have been directed at South Vietnamese outposts along the demilitarized zone August 14-15th. © Bettmann/CORBIS Date Photographed: August 15, 1971 Protecting Da Nang. Da Nang, S. Vietnam: GI guides helicopter into landing zone here Nov. 9th during operation in this area five miles west of Da Nang. Troops of "A" Company, First Battalion, 327th infantry of the 101st Airborne Division, are protecting Da Nang from Communist rocket attacks. © Bettmann/CORBIS Date Photographed: November 11, 1971 IMAGE LINK Congressman Richard H. Ichord in Vietnam investigating faults of M-16 rifle. (Photo by Co Rentmeester//Time Life Pictures/Getty Images) 1 Jan 1967 IMAGE LINK American soldiers guarding a captured member of the vietcong.1 Jan 1967 (Photo by MPI/Getty Images) IMAGE LINK US riflemen from the 173rd Airborne Brigade charge toward Viet Cong positions, holding machine guns in a wooded area of War Zone D during the Vietnam War, March 21, 1967. (Photo by U.S. Army/Getty Images) IMAGE LINK 4th November 1968: American soldiers of the 22nd Infantry Division on board helicopters during the Vietnam War. (Photo by Terry Fincher/Express/Getty Images) IMAGE LINK 5th January 1969: A soldier in the U.S. Army 1st Air Cavalry holds his rifle above his head as he serves as a 'traffic cop' for helicopters landing in a field during an operation north of Saigon in the Vietnam War, South Vietnam. The helicopters were bringing members of the unit to the area that they were to patrol. (Photo by APA/Getty Images) IMAGE LINK Soldiers Lance Corporal Murphy (R) and Sergeant Paige patrol a jungle area, carrying a rifle and a pistol during the Vietnam War, 1968. (Photo by Express Newspapers/Getty Images) IMAGE LINK VIETNAM - 1973:) U.S. Army soldier Corporal Cooley (holding a Pepsi soda can) of the 101st Airborne Division in the mountains above Hue, Vietnam 1973. Cooley was a member of a Recon outfit. (Photo by David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images) |
|
Excellent. Thanks Lumpy.
You're apretty nice guy for a DU spy. |
|
did anyone notice that waffle mag in the first photo ??
they are very rare & bring as much as $200......, IF marked Colt/Armalite.., any one got one ?? |
|
Very interesting pictures. When did 30 round magazines first come into the inventory? Several pictures clearly show troopers w/30-rounders. I didn't see them in the Army until the early '80's.
|
|
Yes, I've got 2, one for each of my 3 digit serial numbered SP1's! |
|
|
Its my understanding they started to show up with Spec Ops units in the late 1960s, but didnt make it to the line infantry units until around 1971, and even at that point, they were still rare. Anyone notice the XM177 with the birdcage flash suppressor and the M203 in the 1971 photo? |
|
|
|
|
Cool "old school pics", History speaks volumes. Thanks for sharing Mr. LUMPY !
|
|
wow great stuff, as always thanks Lumpy. your picture threads are the greatest. Ronald
|
|
I have 4, If you keep your eyes open they are around, I picked one up last year for $50 on another unnamed boards for sale section, I picked up the first one right here from a member for $100 3-4 years back. The other 2 are with My Dads 1964 SP1, I dont knowif they came with it or if he picked them up somewhere. They all function well, Even though some board members will tell you they don't work worth a shit. |
||
|
Great pics lumpy, at 53 i dig the older stuff , well in guns anyway. thx.
|
|
I was thinking the same thing.....I would be way to paranoid about landmines on the other side of the log to step right over it. |
|
|
|
Where I grew up we weren't too worried about landmines, but snakes were a real threat. I suspect that the same thing applied in Vietnam. |
||
|
First clear photos of 30 round mags I've seen.
Very cool stuff. Lumpy deserves some type of award. |
|
Thanks lump...
I was looking for some older military M-16 pics in action... |
|
Very nice pics!
I did notice the 203, but it took a while for me to notice the 30rd mags |
|
Im digging out my Jimi Hendrix and Doors CDs and watching Hamburger Hill tonight....
|
|
Yep How much ya got? |
|
|
Great pics Lumpy! The old school Black Rifles are far and away the best looking of all... |
|
In which picture?
He sure did. Awesome thread. |
||
|
Yeah! Think I'll watch "We Were Soldiers" again! Sam |
|
|
|
What kind of sling did they use early on before the black nylon ones came out?
Hootbro |
|
Damn good pics! I just did an M-16A1 clone complete with the no-trap-door stock,then sanded down for that shiny look that the early M-16s had. Yeah,I'd like to know what slings they had too!
|
|
Not Vietnam vintage but you can see what the Air Force was using circa 1988. I was in the Civil Air Patrol at the time on an OJT exercise at summer encampment with the 380th SFS out of Plattsburgh AFB, NY. I joined active duty in 1989 and it wasn't until 92 or so we swapped handguards for the A2 style. I clearly remember qualifying on the range with an M-16 that had green furniture and a three-prong flash hider. hock.gif Last year in Iraq we were carrying Colt-marked M-16 lowers with a three-round burst mechanism installed, the word AUTO stamped over with XXs and the word BURST stamped under it, as well as A2 stamped after the part number. A2 uppers were installed but it was definitely a cobbled-together affair... I guess the Air Force is getting their money's worth out of 'em! he
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid117/p7c36fe0b2c8055a19d964a413725a650/f8a283d6.jpg |
|
Maybe I'm blind, but where's the M203? |
|||
|
Two different photos I was speaking of. Look at the 2nd to last...the soldiers standing in the stream. |
||||
|
Yeah, I Just realized that after my above post. You beat me before I could edit. Would have been cool to see an M203 mounted on an XM-177 though.
|
|
|
The slings are the m1/m14 slings. The nylon were more common, but there were web slings as well. Want a new in wrap from the era? |
|
|
And he is 4th ID, not 101st. Look at his left shoulder (guy stepping over log.) |
|
|
Thanks for the offer but I have Garand slings comming out my wazoo. I thought they were Garand slings but was not sure. Did they duct tape the rear swivel when using the garand clip end on the butt? I would thing the early swing swivel and the garand clip end would make a racket for sure. Hootbro |
||
|
You may have to right click them and copy the address line into a new browser window. Getty Images is hit and miss for showing up for people. |
|
|
|
Sign up for the ARFCOM weekly newsletter and be entered to win a free ARFCOM membership. One new winner* is announced every week!
You will receive an email every Friday morning featuring the latest chatter from the hottest topics, breaking news surrounding legislation, as well as exclusive deals only available to ARFCOM email subscribers.
AR15.COM is the world's largest firearm community and is a gathering place for firearm enthusiasts of all types.
From hunters and military members, to competition shooters and general firearm enthusiasts, we welcome anyone who values and respects the way of the firearm.
Subscribe to our monthly Newsletter to receive firearm news, product discounts from your favorite Industry Partners, and more.
Copyright © 1996-2024 AR15.COM LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Any use of this content without express written consent is prohibited.
AR15.Com reserves the right to overwrite or replace any affiliate, commercial, or monetizable links, posted by users, with our own.