Hi guys,

being currently in the process of building a HUE diorama, I wonder if you could help me with a problem we encountered:

There will be a M151a1 on the dio and I cannot find any conclusive info about any markings. The kit unfortunately does not include anything else but army markings.

Should the Marines not have deployed jeeps in HUE at all, it would be assumed that the vehicles belonged to the MACV, in which case the markings problem would of course dissolve!

Any help will be much appreciated!

Cheers

Romain

I found a pic of a news crew using one as a dolly while interviewing the commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, 1st Marines here http://www.commandposts.com/2012/02/february-27-1968-walter-cronkite-president-johnson-and-vietnam/walter-cronkite-and-a-cbs-camera-crew-use-a-jeep-for-a-dolly-during-an-interview-with-the-commanding-officer-of-the-1st-battalion-1st-marines-during-the-battle-of-hue-city-feb/

MACV jeeps here (3rd pic down) http://www.film.queensu.ca/cj3b/Military/Vietnam6.html

Edit- they might be M38A1s. I don't know my jeeps...sorry

Hi Jason,

thanks a lot for the prompt reply and your attempt to render assistance.

I know the Cronkite pic from Hammel's book, but the problem is that I'm not sure it is a Marine jeep. The markings look a little bright to me (i.e. white, not yellow) (and it's not a M151a1, but that's not iimportant).
I am still not sure there were any USMC jeeps in Hue.

The second site you mention is in my favs too (got to be of course) and not even from there can you actually be sure either way!

Ah, where are those days when you could not be bothered by details of this kind!!

Cheers

Romain

P.S.: and yes, M38a1s are really very prominent in those pics!!

I saw some Marines using an M38 alittle south of Chu Lai in January 1968. Interestingly, it was painted grey! Up near Hue there were a few Jeeps in the area, but not anything like we'd think of. The roads were not secure, and a Jeep was the last thing you wanted to be caught in. During Tet the only real things you saw on the roads were tracked equipment and big trucks with an armmored escort. The road from Hue to just north of DaNang was pretty much wide open, and it was the sameway from five four to just south of
Da Nang. I did a road march up that way right after things kinda settled down (maybe a week or ten days after), and the only things you saw on the road were tracks and five tons. Lots and lots of gunships overhead (they must have had half of them in I-Corps overhead)

One thing that most folks have no idea about Hue is the POW rescue attempts. There was a military intelligence station inside Hue, that was run by Army, Airforce, and Marines. It was over run, and everybody was captured. Not knowing where they were other than they were in the general area; everybody kinda went on a massive search and not shooting much. They couldn't level the areas because of the fear of killing the POW's. They sent a SOG Brightlight team in there while everybody stayed south of the river. Asked the Marine commander if he could spare one heavy company to act as a reaction force incase the SOG team came into heavy contact, and the Marine Commander said he was completely tied down and could spare a single man. They then flew in a heavy company from the 101st, and later brought in a batallion from the 1st Cav a little west of Hue. SOG found the POW's and they setup a rescue on the Song Be river. But the attempt was called off due to a heavy fog (they were flying in the company from the 101st). By the time the fog lifted the POW's were gone.

Prior to this most fighting around Hue was actually in the village on the southside of the Perfume River (within eyesight of the city of Hue). Was a tough couple weeks.
gary

The jeep in Jason's post is a M422A1 Mighty Mite (just check out the wheel rim ) . AFAIK the USMC was the only user of it ...



HTH

H.P.

Gary: thanks for the first-hand info Sir! It confirms what I've read most of the time....and what the photos in Hammel's book are showing.
On the other hand, the book also shows a couple of M151a1.

Henri-Pierre: you are a genius!!

I was asking myself what was "wrong" with this vehicle....but now we know!!
And yes, the Mighty Mite was used exclusively by the MC (like the Ontos)
Your pic shows a USMC reg number on the side of the hood. So if we decide the M151a1 belongs to the Marines, we can always use that one. So merci beaucoup!!

I am less and less sure the jeeps were MC at all!!

Thanks for the input guys!!

Cheers

Romain

Most M38's were already obsolite by the Vietnam conflict, and the M151a1 was much more common. But the picture of that M38 has stayed in my head for years. I do know for a fact that there was at least one M151a1 in the Hue area, but it was used by a JPRC team (they had bigger gonads that I did for riding in that thing up there). In that AO the 48 was king (pretty much everything north of five four)
gary

You're welcome Romain

Here's a USMC M151A1 but I'm not 100% sure this is a Vietnam picture Maybe you can use the reg number as well ? (providing you can decipher it ! )


(from this website )

H.P.

Some tips about USMC M151 markings :

http://g838.org/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1743&p=14014&hilit=usmc#p14014

HTH

H.P.

Eh ben mon vieux....quelle foule de renseignements!!

Thanks a huge bunch H-P!!!!

That should do for a start!
It was a great idea to post the query up here!! Competent and nice and helpful members, super combination!!

Cheers

Romain