Fish
Operator
I stand corrected. No reason for the NO
Rumble in the Jungle: American Tanks in Vietnam
- Thread starter Mike H.
- Start date
mikegc
Elite
What year was that? When I went out with the 1st of the 4th Cav (Big Red One) in '69-'70, I never saw a Zippo tank. The APCs I saw were all equipped with a big ol' Ma Deuce. I cannot imagine an M-113 going up full of napalm. Glad you made it back!!!
Mike
No reason for saying that no M-60s were deployed in Vietnam. Oh wait! I "offended" you by using capital letters??????
I signed up for this forum because someone was talking about tanks in Vietnam. I am a long time member of the USMC Vietnam Tankers Association. When people (like Dye) talk trash about tanks, they need to be corrected.
Perhaps you have had better results finding records of the medals that Dye claims that he was awarded. I think that he may be telling more fiction stories. Especially with his Hue City "experience." The shame is telling folks that he was a grunt when he was a news reporter.
The USMC shipped their tanks to Okinawa. Then some went to the West Coast.
Sld1959
Ronin
Well from what I have read in various sources actual numbers of military equipment left behind is unknown. Most estimates i have heard put the numbers to be close to 5 billion, in I understand 1970s US dollars. How much was tanks, who knows. Whatever it consisted of, I am sure it supplied forces to some extent for years.
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Fish
Operator
I was with the Big Red One in 68, 1/16 Iron Rangers Mech. Recon Platoon. We had a Zippo M-113 but never seen it used. My guess is couldn't find any one to drive it! The M-113 I was on had 2 60's and Ma Deuce. Lets not forget the RPG screen we had to put up. It made it easy for the dinks to find us making so much noise putting it up.
Welcome Home Brothers.
mikegc
Elite
Fish, I think I took this pic when out with 1/16 Mech. I only went out with them once and recall the CO was a Lt. Col. named Suffstill (I think that's close but not correct).
That was in '69 but I don't recall the month.
Mike
I did not see any Armor in 1965, 173rd Abn Bde, Army, near Bien Hoa, but I was not there but three months. I went back in 1966/1967 and my brigade had an Armored Company, or maybe it was a reinforced Platoon/ M-48s and M-113s and even an M-114.
Back again in 1969 with 1st Inf Div, M-48s seemed to take a back seat to M-113s. We had 113 flamethrowers and we called them Zippo's. The few Sheridans I saw seemed to be very effective and could traverse shallow rice paddies. We did find a M-41 tank several klicks SW of Lai khe, but north of War Zone D. The tank was hidden in a VC bunker it had been stolen further south, by Phu Loi, from the ARVN
Back again in 1969 with 1st Inf Div, M-48s seemed to take a back seat to M-113s. We had 113 flamethrowers and we called them Zippo's. The few Sheridans I saw seemed to be very effective and could traverse shallow rice paddies. We did find a M-41 tank several klicks SW of Lai khe, but north of War Zone D. The tank was hidden in a VC bunker it had been stolen further south, by Phu Loi, from the ARVN
mikegc
Elite
Somewhere along the way, I read about that tank the VC buried. I was based in Lai Khe in '69 and part of '70 The BRO folded it's colors sometime in March (I think) and went back to Fort Reilly. Long time ago!
By the way, if you guys don't know about the PACT Act, please check it out. If you were exposed to Agent Orange, burn pits, and/or PTSD, the Veterans Administration wants to know. It can be well worth the time it takes to fill out the form on line. Here's the link: P.A.C.T Act information. It can possibly be a real game changer. Welcome home, gentlemen.
Mike
Does DoD work for you as a source on Dye's background?
From DINFOS: https://www.dinfos.dma.mil/About/DINFOS-Hall-of-Fame/Hall-of-Fame-2022/HoF-2022-Dye/
"He served in Vietnam in 1965 and then from 1967 through 1970, surviving 31 major combat operations. He emerged from Southeast Asia highly decorated, including the Bronze Star with V for Valor and three Purple Hearts for wounds suffered in combat. "
I dunno why you want to tear Dye down, but you're out of line.
Fish
Operator
Mike we could have pasted each other in Lai Khe in early 69!
mikegc
Elite
Fish, I don't think there's any doubt! Hey, I'm not sure what unit I was with but this photo was with a recon unit just off of "Thunder Road," north of Lai Khe, if memory serves:
I also found a pic of some Rome plows but, again, I don't recall the unit:
Mike
Fish
Operator
Mike, we used run the road on Hwy 13 at 10 PM then again at 3:00 AM. Mostly recon by fire when we were in Lai Khe which was not very often. We did not have any Jeeps. Only seen 2, 1 for our First Segt Drak who never his office. The other Jeep was for the E6 who was the TC of the Zippo track which never left Lai Khe. Our Company commander a Captain can't remember his name who we never seen in the field.Don't know how he got his commission but actually made us stand for inspection and wanted to know why out boots were not polished! He asked one of our guys with a M79 what the gold rounds were!!!
We were basically on our own. But we had a great LT, Mike Norris who took good care of out in the field.
So much for the rambling of this old man. My rant for today is over. lol
We were basically on our own. But we had a great LT, Mike Norris who took good care of out in the field.
So much for the rambling of this old man. My rant for today is over. lol
The main Army tank in RVN was the M60, Marines used the M48. ARVNs used the M41. A lot of southern I Corps was paddies or steep mountains, not good tank country. I did see some used on Go Noi Island, but it was a sea of elephant grass. Semper Fi.
I switched to the Cal Army Guard when I left the Marines. In the run-up to Desert Storm I was stationed at Camp Roberts where they were upgrading M48s from A2 to A5. Doubt if any were ever used.
gordie
Operator
After our second round of explosions ( primary took out a 175 pad which set off a C-4 and other pads ) command decided to use tanks at various points around the perimeter of the depot.
It was the first time I saw them around our area, but I couldn't miss them at night when they would occasionally turn on those Xeon search lights.
It was the first time I saw them around our area, but I couldn't miss them at night when they would occasionally turn on those Xeon search lights.
Served with the 3rd Squadron 5th Cavalry, 9th Infantry Division in Vietnam. I was there from February 1968 to February 1969. As soon as I arrived, about 5 February 1968, three Troops of the 3rd 5th Cav, Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Troops, were moved north, by way of Da Nang, to the area around Hue. Alpha Troop was attached to the Marines at Hue. I do not believe they ever entered the city. Bravo and Charlie Troops operated with the Marines in I Corp. As a member of Charlie Troop, most of my time was in the area around Quang Tri, Phu Bia, Cau Viet and Dong Ha. Each Troop was made up of 3 Platoons. Each Platoon consisted of 3 M48A3 tanks and 6 M113 ACAVs. This represented a substantial amount of fire power which could move quickly, on the roads or through the jungle, to respond to any need.
