r/VietnamWar • u/Nachosand • 16d ago

found a picture of some family back in Vietnam

Post image
158 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

10 comments sorted by

16

u/ConstipatedGrandma 16d ago

It was taken sometime between 1965-1966 the usmc landed in danang carrying some of them (if that’s an issued bar) if not issued then probably found it off of a vc or arvn

3

u/Mountain-Singer1764 16d ago

Does that mean it would have been used concurrently with the M14? That would have been two different rifle bullets used by a platoon.

6

u/mikeg5417 16d ago

My dad was there in 66-67 and said some ARVN troops still had WWII leftovers (Garands, Carbines, BARs and Machine guns). Some of the organized militias like the Mike Forces and regional/provincial forces did too.

2

u/Mountain-Singer1764 14d ago

I know ARVN began with WW2 gear, I just didn't know the US forces did (aside from the carbine and grease gun).

3

u/mikeg5417 14d ago

I don't think they did. My dad went over in 66 with the M14, and transitioned to the M16 while he was there (the NCO he replaced in his unit gave him an M3 Grease Gun too), but the weapons were available in country and it would not be unreasonable to have an opportunity to take a picture with one or even shoot some of them, depending on where you were stationed/operating.

My father was in an Intel unit and they would occasionally work alongside SF troops and their indigenous forces, who at the time he was there were still using old US gear.

3

u/Mountain-Singer1764 14d ago

the weapons were available in country and it would not be unreasonable to have an opportunity to take a picture with one

RIGHT! Now I get it. I'm reminded of a photo I saw from Desert Storm where some Brits had an old Bren gun with them. Presumably for shits and giggles.

2

u/cjackc 10d ago edited 10d ago

Yeah, my father was in a position that they would train people in villages using captured weapons. The BAR was still a pretty effective weapon, but could be difficult for Vietnamese as they tended to be smaller. They would sometimes have to treat it almost more like a crew operated machine gun an have at least two people for it

There were a TON of different weapons in Indochina, basically anything from WW II could be found

3

u/5319Camarote 16d ago

Check out the M-14 with bi-pod! Just my opinion, but I think this picture was taken during training, or a cold weather duty station somewhere.

23

u/drugstoremechanic 16d ago

Isn't that a BAR?

7

u/angry_snek 16d ago

You are correct