Here Are 25 Of The Most Amazing U.S. Military Photos From The Past Year
 

GREAT PHOTOS! The Real Deal. Thanks, Darrel,

Rigger,
Check them out. What do you think? Psych-you-up?

Neil

Nice pics!

Lots of new weapons since I was in.

I like that pic of the 120mm mortar.

Rigger

Rigger,
 

After mentioning liking that 120mm mil. Mortar photo, such got me thinking of those same big mothers that our APC (designated COWS as per my old pocket notebook) Mortar Sections used to fire & train with.

Well, I was wrong my friend. Old details from 55-58 or from over a-half-century ago prove me wrong (plus a little fuzzy). Only notes I had in my little notebook were for an 81mm Mortar.

Just out of curiosity Steve, were Our APCs called: "COWS" for radio security, in your day?

How about: PONY for jeep, HORSE for 3/4 ton, MULE for 2 1/2 ton & BUFFALO for tank,...unless reporting enemy vehicles in-the-clear?

Neil

Neil,

I don't recall any specific name we had for equipment, other than we called a 21/2 ton truck a "deuce and a half".

When you were in you had the 81mm mortar and the 4.2 inch mortar (1951).

We still had them in Vietnam in the 60s.

The 4.2 is still in service, but I think now it is mounted on vehicles.

I did a little homework. The 120 mm mortar is an ISRAELI weapon, which the U.S. adopted in 1991.

Our mortar crews like it, so I guess it'll be around for awhile.

Rigger

Rigger,

We had to know: "Specific names" or codes for all OUR vehicles & tracks & most everything else needed or requested by radio, since most all vehicles in either our Recon Co. or Troop had radios. Even chow/food had to be requested or referred to as: "CORN" during training, manuevers & battalion testing.

That way any enemy listening-in wouldn't know that BUFFALOS (actually tanks with 76mms) & COWS (actually our APCs with Mortar & Rifle Sections) were on the way to greet them very nicely.

Any Enemy vehicles, equipment & troop positions were naturally radioed: "In-the-clear".

Our own map positions were given as: "Xray Point of Origin System",...as best as I can remember. Basically that's pick a spot on the map & go up or down & right or left from that point.

Unless knowing that predetermined: "Point of Origin", any friendly positions or map coordinates overheard by enemy are meaningless.

Neil

Sounds like reasonable precautions to try to keep everybody in one piece.

We riggers weren't concerned too much with code names.

Our function was to air-drop beans and bullets to the troops on the ground.

Rigger

Have been on the receiving end of a 120mm mortar. During Lam Son 719 we pushed out to the border of Laos and ran into an NVA Division. They had 120mm Russian mortars and within 15 minutes they had killed or wounded half of my platoon. Would have been worse but about 1/3 of their rounds were duds. Don't mean nothing , did I tell you I am an Opa ?

Congrats new Opa, LT.
Been such a couple of times before myself.

Great feelin,...isn't it?

Neil

Not so new Neil , Johnny is 8 and Olivia 5. I have three generations living in my house and kinda enjoy it although some of my friends think I am nuts