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Old 07-14-2004, 04:25 AM
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Default Bitnam urban legend

I was recently told astory about a GI in 'Nam who decided to ship home an AK-47, but couldn't do it while it was whole. So he took it apart and shipped it home, piece by piece. A couple of weeks after he sent the last piece home he received a large package from his wife...the re-assembled AK. She brought the pieces to a gunsmith who put them together and she sent it back under the assumption that he wanted her to do just that.

Years ago I was told a similar tale but that it was a Marine officer with a captured Russian handgun.

Have any of you heard such tales?:cd:
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Old 07-14-2004, 07:06 AM
39mto39g 39mto39g is offline
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Default spoils of war

If the United States Declairs war on a country and you capture a weapon from an enemy you can keep it and send it home.
No war was declaired with VN so he couldn't send it home.
In WW2 GIs sent home all kinds of stuff but that was war.
Good thing he didn't get caught.


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Old 07-14-2004, 06:05 PM
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Dan, I'm voting for Urban Legend. Can't be TWO women that dumb .

On my first tour [JUN66-JUN67] shipping stuff home was pretty easy. They were pretty lax about screening stuff......on both ends. Along with their tape decks, stereos, etc., guys were sending home grenades, C-4, broken-down automatic weapons, and dope. Hell, probably coulda' got a Jeep home in pieces. When I was back in '68, they were x-raying everything and puting sniffer dogs on packages. Became a little tougher to get the cool stuff back to The World.
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Old 07-15-2004, 04:04 PM
Dragon Lady Dragon Lady is offline
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Tom,
Might it have had something to do with the new massive import of "illicit" drugs? That and a few packages that decided to open themselves before they reached their destinations (kaboom).

My husband has a Nazi Officer's saber that his grandfather liberated from between the officer's ribs in WWII and brought home with him.
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Old 07-16-2004, 04:56 AM
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DL,

When my Dad was being demobilized in Germany in October 1945, he was told that he would be flown back to the States so he could only take a minimum of stuff back with him. Over the course of the war, he had collected several souveniers including Lugers, Mausers, pieces of uniforms, decorations, etc., so he was forced to give away many of them. The day before his flight there was a change of orders...he would return by ship so he was free to load up with whatever he wanted. Was he ever pissed!

By the way, did your husband's grandfather put the sword there in the first place?
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Old 07-16-2004, 07:33 AM
Desdichado Desdichado is offline
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Default Re: spoils of war

Quote:
Originally posted by 39mto39g If the United States Declairs war on a country and you capture a weapon from an enemy you can keep it and send it home.
Unless it's an automatic. I ran into a bunch of souvenier hunters who were frantic to try and swap the "cool" AKs they'd acquired for SKS's, so's they could send them home. I don't think they had much luck.
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Old 07-16-2004, 04:06 PM
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Rev, that is a definate yes. One of those cases of "It was either him or me" I'm kinda glad Charlie survived it because if not I wouldn't have this big pain in the butt hanging around always wanting me to cook for him.

That saber in it's sheath hangs over our mantel, while the other walls are adorned with medieval replicas and a few Civil War originals that were also handed down. Nothing around here really has a need of reloading.
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?Whatever else history may say about me when I?m gone, I hope it will record that I appealed to your best hopes, not your worst fears; to your confidence rather than your doubts. My dream is that you will travel the road ahead with liberty?s lamp guiding your steps and opportunity?s arm steadying your way.?
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Old 07-19-2004, 05:24 AM
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DL,

That's kinda like the story of "Sudden" Sam Whitmore from Menotomy (now Arlington) MA. Sam fought at the siege of Louisburg, Quebec in 1758. When he returned home he was riding a beautiful white horse with a fancy French saddle. When asked how he got it he replied, "The owner died all of a sudden." Later in the war he mounted his horse and went off to fight again. When he returned he had a matched pair of dueling pistols in his saddlebags. When asked how he got them he replied, "The owner died all of a sudden." On April 19, 1775, Sam, now in his late 70's, put his pistols in his belt, grabbed his old musket and went out to meet the Brits on their retreat from Lexington and Concord. He killed 3 of them before they shot, clubbed and bayoneted him. He was carried into his house where the doctor proclaimed that he would die shortly. But, for the next 18 years, Sam would sit outside his house or at the local tavern and regale people with the story of his life. Tough old guy.
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