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VN relics?

ChuckWBIVChuckWBIV Member Posts: 351 ✭✭✭
edited November 2011 in US Military Veteran Forum
My favorite was a Kalashnikov.

My dad brought back a Chi-com AK-47 sometime before '66. It was ALL mine, and went with me to show-and-tell, Schilling Elementary School, Ms. Peterson's 2nd-grade class, September? 1967, Salina KS, complete with the 'stained' sling. Dad was doing a year commanding the JROTC detachment at St. John's Military School in Salina, before returning to VN.

Then the divorce very soon afterwards, dad back to VN, and the rifle (amongst other goodies and toys) went AWOL/UA. Then many years after my granddad's estate was disbursed in '89, news from my sister that the AK had been with Gramps, and GIVEN (I guess it couldn't be 'sold') to someone at a Marine reserve unit near Pittsburgh PA. I'd give $5k to get that weapon right now. I'd pay a pretty penny just to take some pics of it...

Oh well - easy come, easy go...

What goodies do you have?
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Comments

  • IronrifleIronrifle Member Posts: 664 ✭
    edited November -1
    A terminal case of Agent Orange!
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  • 70-10170-101 Member Posts: 1,006 ✭
    edited November -1
    One pair of Ho Chi Minh sandals, one Montagnard bracelet that I wore proudly until it broke in the late 90s, and one field jacket.
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  • StingSting Member Posts: 629 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I brought back a 105 Howitzer brass. I take it off the shelf and polish it about once a year.
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  • 11echo11echo Member Posts: 1,008 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Anybody take home a "short-timer's stick"?
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  • EOD GuyEOD Guy Member Posts: 931 ✭
    edited November -1
    VC gas mask and a Chicom compass.
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  • Rick S.Rick S. Member Posts: 33 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Camo helmet cover. My K-Bar. Bloodstained letters and pic from girlfriend. That's all I could take with me on medevac bird. They wanted to take my k-Bar away from me at 1st Med Bn. but somehow I managed to hang onto it. (Don't remember how). Sent to 106th Army hosp. in Japan for 10 days and the japanese cleaning lady liked my chest hair (guess all their men are smooth) and made me an origami reindeer. I still have that under glass in my office.
    Rick
    USMC V.N. '69
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  • Laredo LeftyLaredo Lefty Member Posts: 13,451 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I brought back some ammo I took off a dead VC I killed at the Oasis FB one night.
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  • Laredo LeftyLaredo Lefty Member Posts: 13,451 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by 11echo
    Anybody take home a "short-timer's stick"?


    I made one out of an empty .50 case and a primer rod from an artillery round, had it all shined up but I dont know what happened to it.
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  • River RatRiver Rat Member Posts: 9,022 ✭
    edited November -1
    I have a short, heavy machete-like thingy that I picked up along the way. Have no idea if it's one of ours or one of theirs.

    A sniper's jacket someone gave me. Or that's what I think it is. It has recoil pads on both shoulders. Thought it was pretty special until I saw one just like it at a second-hand store a year ago. For two dollars.

    Had a boonie hat, but lost it. Had tiger-striped camo shorts, but gave them away. All my OD BDUs and t-shirts bacame rags. Boots finally got tossed.

    Have a box with some patches, etc. Dog tags. Showed them to the grandkids a year ago, and they were suitably impressed.

    And an Air Force survival knife that I carried. That's it, except for memories, a bad case of tinnitis, and a muscle twitch that's lasted 40 years.
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  • tjrssbtjrssb Member Posts: 46 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Was in the 59TH EOD in Quang Tri Province. Was able to inert and bring back some VC grenades, concussion & frag, along with a shape charge grenade (rare), Polish rifle grenade a couple of RPG rockets & some leaflets.
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  • 70-10170-101 Member Posts: 1,006 ✭
    edited November -1
    Not to mentioning all the stuff that was shipped home, for free. As an example: You could buy a new Boss Mustang or a Z/28 Camaro, etc, etc, from your nearest PX and have it waiting for you at your local dealership when you got home, tax free if memory serves me.

    I sent home a nice Akai reel-reel with speakers, but I think that's it.
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  • Old-ColtsOld-Colts Member Posts: 22,697 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Other than pictures and memories from our (VAW-115) deployment aboard the USS Midway (CVA-41):

    The first thing I purchased when we arrived at Subic Bay in the Philippines in 1972, preparatory to our first line period in the Tonkin Gulf, was a Minolta SRT 101 Camera kit with multiple lenses; I still have it.

    Of all of the stereo equipment I purchased during that deployment; I've replaced it all and sold or given away everything but an Akai GX-370D Reel-to-Reel tape deck.

    I still have my "Aviators Flight Log Book", the dog-bone from my first Tonkin Gulf catapult launch, all of my flight suits, leather flight jacket, and utility flight jacket. When I left the Navy and terminated my flight status, the parachute rigger asked me if I wanted to keep my helmet, I said no; I've always regretted not keeping it!

    I still have the "Westpac Log"; a booklet that was put together at the end of the 1972-73 Westpac cruise. It is a compilation of all of the Snoopy Cartoons that were drawn by a LT. in Operations and included in each Airplan during that cruise. The cartoons always depicted an event from the previous day; some funny, some hilarious, and some rather somber. I also still have the Cruise Book (Mission: Seventy-Two) from the 72-73 Westpac deployment.

    My favorite bring-back is a jungle hat that was given to me by a SAR Helo (Big Mothers) crewmember in Da Nang. The Big Mothers rotated between Carriers that were operating in the Gulf. The Midway couldn't recover us one night due to a fouled deck, so we had to bingo to Da Nang and spend the night. Our crew was drinking in the Red Dog Saloon and I struck up a conversation with one of the SAR Helo crewmembers and in the course of our conversation I mentioned that I'd like to have one of the Jungle hats like he was wearing and was wondering where I could get one; he gave me his. Those guys never backed down and would go anywhere, anytime, to extract a downed pilot!

    If you can't feel the music; it's only pink noise!

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  • cercer Member Posts: 826 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I brought back some schrapnal from a 122mm rocket, a few SV coins,had a friend in supply so sent back 4 pr Jungle Boots, a painting from my mommasun. and several jungle utilities.
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  • perry shooterperry shooter Member Posts: 17,105 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Bought a 1967 Dodge RT through the PX it got to dealer one week after I got Home. [^][:D]The other stuff I sent home I can't really talk about except to say there were two officers that had to account for a lot of their issue items that went missing. Plus a lot of items they should not have had when their stuff was inspected. Better then FRAGGING them but I found out they had a lot of explaining to do,and I think may have even been C.M. But By that time I was long gone home.
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  • john6012john6012 Member Posts: 97 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by 11echo
    Anybody take home a "short-timer's stick"?


    I traded a pack of Kool cigarettes for a short timers stick but I thought it was a swager stick. It's about 2 feet long with a gargoyle on the top and a shell casing on the tip. In fact, it's sitting on top of the TV credenza right now. Not a bad trade for 11 cents. And I've some Vietnam dong.
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  • MMOMEQ-55MMOMEQ-55 Member Posts: 13,134
    edited November -1
    Still got my short timers calendar. It is a naked lady and the last day is her, well anyone that was there knows what part of a woman's body was the last day.[:D]

    I had some real gruesome pics and the damn Air Force Customs dude took them and a couple of really cool knives as I was going thru customs.
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  • pwilliepwillie Member Posts: 20,253 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Chop sticks from the Ton Loc hotel,Saigon....1967...lost every thing else...
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  • tacomasr5tacomasr5 Member Posts: 51 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I may be old now, but I wouldn't say I'm A relic[:)]
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  • rivethookrivethook Member Posts: 167 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    My favorite was the set of orders sending me back to the world [:)][:)][:)]
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  • Jim RauJim Rau Member Posts: 3,550
    edited November -1
    I brought back a 16 mag with a piece of shrapnel stuck in it. It was around my waist and saved me from a serious second purple heart!!!![:0]
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  • flapjackflapjack Member Posts: 58 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I was the one from my bunch that took home the short stick. Everyone had scratched their name in it, and the guy who left before me said, "I guess you take it home," and I did, and I still have it, and look at it once in a while. I just realized as a wrote this that I am the only one who hasn't scratched my name on it. I guess I'm still getting short. Flapjack.
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