OT Vietnam

[Heyseed]

This image has shown up a couple times on FB and I was curious what weapon is the guy on the right holding?

 

[PaGlenn]

grenade launcher?

 

[plainview]

It's an M79 40mm grenade launcher.

 

[guido]

Hello Heyseed,

It an M79 grenade launcher. I hope you moves is right thumb when he fires it. It wiil give you a very painful reminder if you don't! I don't remember the caliber for sure 40mm?

Guido.

 

[hd6gtom]

don't have glasses on -- looks like a "thump Gun" someone correct me it that is wrong.

 

[petehall]

Yes it is a m-79 or BLOOPER as we called them(Marines)
They made a round also that was full of small darts
The grenade round had to rotate a number of times before it would activate
One night on patrol,I found one and picked it up not knowing this!!!!!
A fellow Marine Yelled,Throw it !!!
Well I threw it and it activated and blew up when it hit the ground!!!

 

[used red MN]

Wonder if any lives were ever saved by a bullet being deflected by the shells in those ammo belts wrapped around a guy like that? Call me what you will but I'll be the first to admit that I not sure I have the guts to face what those guys may walk into any second. If I had been called to service I would have had to hope that my mechanical aptitude would have saved me from being a "ground pounder." Thank you to all who have served to protect the rights and freedoms we enjoy in the USA.

 

[PaGlenn]

That is what is called a flashback of a flash. You were indeed lucky.

 

[guido]

Hello used red mm,

Yes I was a ground pounder, although drafted a an extremely inconvenient time of my life, I put my time in. Never saw combact, certainly saw the aftermath of those who were in it. That weapon fired a variety of shells including illuminaries. And you are welcome!,

Guido.

 

[dr sportster]

That is the truth right there !

 

[guido]

Hello hd6gtom,

Never had fired a gun in my life before the Army, I paid close attention when weopons training accured for obvious reasons. Intructions were to have the thumb on the right of the stock not across. That is how I fired it always,

Guido

 

[Greg K]

How very true. My neighbor was a tunnel rat in Vietnam. He said he volunteered with a friend of his thinking they were going to die anyway and might as well get on with it. I never had to find out if I had a fraction of his nerve.

 

[20MuleTeam]

Sign up $3500 12 day tour soon!

 

[20MuleTeam]

My fellow Nam comrades.

 

[dhermesc]

Or he could be one of the college kids that was spitting on returning veterans.

 

[Heyseed]

What an ugly bunch
Good to see you all still kickin.
I still have my draft card, but was just young enough to miss the lottery.
My old man was there in 67, his third war. He is in Arlington now and boy do I miss him.

 

[Guido.]

Hello 20Muleteam,

Thank you and all your buddies for your service. It was not popular to be in greens in those days.
By the way the guys with the biggest smiles are the one in the wheel chair and the last one standing on the left. God bless them...........


Guido.

 

[dzc3]

One of my Good Friends was a Tunnel Rat. Others said he was a little off when he went to Nam, and never the same when he came back. Man could fix anything and would help anybody. Gone now but not forgotten, when I am working on a mechanical problem way above my ability, I asked myself how would Russ handle this one.

 

[20MuleTeam]

I'm the good looking guy. Went to Wreaths Across America & got to lay a wreath @ Fort Jackson National cemetery couple weeks ago. I know you're proud of your dad, was honored to talk to a 98 yr old WWII POW. He was a tail gunner on a bomber that got shot down. I was there 69-70.

 

[Billy Shafer]

Me and a friend returning from nam. Showed one of the college boys. Why that was not a nice thing to do.

 

[Phil9N3667]

I had a cousin who went over in the late '60s, wasn't quite the same when he came back. I've got a lot of respect for those who served there and came back unscarred. Thanks go to everyone on this site who served in the Armed Forces.

 

[Mark - IN.]

Grenade launcher. They resembled a shell, about 1.5" in diameter, about 3" long. Huge bullet with one heck of an impact. I can't remember...couple of football fields long was the distance on one? I can't remember the distance, but I remember them getting to where they were going. Just kind of watch them hurl through the air arching up, then down, followed by KA....BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!

Mark

 

[old-9]

This says it all!
Salute

 

[Moonlite37]

I sent you a request for a copy to be sent to me so that I can print it. Tractor Related: My dad kept my Allis Chalmers WC and C while I was serving from 1960 to 1966. He did not live intil I got back though

 

[Heyseed]

Hey Moonlite,
I got it off the internet. It is a very lo-rez image and would not print worth a darn. You can get a better version by just googling it.
try this link.
https://www.google.com/search?q=vietnam+old+man+memes&biw=1600&bih=752&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjO0quLhM3RAhVL5mMKHWuFD4cQsAQIGQ

 

[4wdtom]

Good for you.

 

[ericlb]

looks like the m 79 "bloop gun" 40mm, you wouldn't want to be the one it was aimed at

 

[the tractor vet]

M79 grenade launcher , 40 MM max affective range 450 meters. Round would arm it's self about 12-15 feet past the end of the muzzle . Easy way to remove small trees and brush , rodents and other vermin. . A nice thing to have when you could get resupplyed , but only good as a club when you ran out of rounds. M 60 was another great weapon as long as you had ammo . way to heavy to lug around when you had to move fast for long walks and not something you want to lugging when you have to RUN .

 

[Raptor44]

26 lbs on that M60 if I remember correctly. Max effective range is 1200 meters if you can engage with kentucky windage from that far out. From a Huey it gets real interesting depending from which side your engaging from because of gyroscopic procession.