Another masterpiece from the Vietwar!! You are the past master at this era buddy! I always admire your painting style and the colors are so spot on for this time period.
Not too sure about the naked canteens though. Maybe a hint of too much yellow?
My favorite first sgt from my first unit I was assigned to told me once about his respect for the VC or the NVA regulars. He said the most impressive thing he ever saw was after an arc light went through the assault area,and he saw how devastating that was,as soon as the smoke cleared he heard the pop pop pop of small arms from the enemy that had survived. They NEVER gave up.
J

The towel is a nice touch, but also the wrong color. Virtually every one used was O.D. green. M16 is a forward assist version. They didn't show up till Tet in 68, Also you didn't go a hundred feet past the wire without a combat load out. (21 mags and at least two belts) Still a nice piece of work.

gary

Yep,the new color looks spot on to me now. This is a great piece as always!
J

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The towel is a nice touch, but also the wrong color. Virtually every one used was O.D. green. M16 is a forward assist version. They didn't show up till Tet in 68, Also you didn't go a hundred feet past the wire without a combat load out. (21 mags and at least two belts) Still a nice piece of work.

gary

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Thanks for your feedback, Gary. It is much appreciated and you can't beat getting info from those who were there. Thanks for your service. Prior to embarking on about 95% of my projects I talk to Veterans of the unit I am portraying who were involved in the events depicted in the project. Because of the wide range and differences of one's experiences in Vietnam depending on time frame, area of the country, and unit, I feel it is important so I can try to get as many of the smaller details correct in order to honor their service. Most of my work has depicted 9th Infantry Division units since that is the unit my father served in while in Vietnam and I have the most access to many Veterans from various 9th Infantry Division units who have helped me with details such as Bill Rambow helping me with the details for my "Breakfast in the Boonies" diorama which depicted the crew of C14 of C Company, 2d Battalion, 47th Infantry (Mechanized), 9th Infantry Division as they were in July 1967 of which he was a member. This figure represents a Soldier from 4th Battalion, 39th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division and is equipped in a manner that was described to me for the 1967 time period.

Since I strive to be as accurate as I can be, for future projects I need to know what you meant by the towel being the wrong color.
The towel is a shade of OD Green, so how is that the wrong color? I have several towels from that period and no two are the exact same color OD Green. There are variances in color dyes from manufacturer to manufacturer so perhaps the towels Soldiers in your unit were issued may have been a slightly different shade that those issued at a different time and place to a different unit.

To prevent confusion for those who are reading this thread who may not know much about Vietnam or the development of the M16 and it's improvements over time, M16s with the forward assist did exist in-country prior to Tet. Not all units had them at that time depending on when the unit first arrived in Vietnam and their fielding priority. My dad arrived in Vietnam on 19 December 1966 as one of the advance party elements of the 9th Infantry Division and he had an M16 with a forward assist as did everyone else in the Division that was issued an M16. They had the three-prong flash hider like the one in the vignette. Since the 9th Infantry Division was formed and trained especially for service in Vietnam (Infantry Soldiers received their basic training and advanced individual training there at Fort Riley with the units they would serve in when they went to Vietnam), they were issued the latest Infantry weapons at that point in time which included the M16 with forward assist and three prong flash hider, M16s with the M148 grenade launcher attached in addition to M79s, M60s, etc. You must be thinking of the M16A1 with the birdcage flash hider and other improvements that wasn't issued until the 1968 Tet time period. Even though that version came out at that time, depending on the fielding priority of a unit, a unit may still be equipped with earlier versions until there were enough of the new ones issued to that unit.

You made a good point about the ammo load out for Infantrymen.
This Soldier is carrying at least 21 magazines for his M16 between the 8 in the ammo pouches and what he can fit in the claymore bag on his left side (as a Recon Marine in the late 1980's to mid 1990's I carried spare 30 round magazines in a claymore bag on missions in addition to what I carried on my LBE and I was able to carry 12 magazines in the bag. You can fit even more 20 round magazines in one.) The only thing he might be lacking would be belts of ammo for the M60, but those could have already been passed over to the M60 gunner (the person I talked to prior to this project told me that he rarely carried extra belts for the M60 since he was a point man most of the time. The figure is equipped like he described how he was equipped on a longer operation). Being that the places where the frags were attached to his ammo pouches are empty and the straps that secure the grenades are hanging down, he probably threw a few grenades already, so it is plausible that he would no longer have the belts if he was even carrying any. Different units have different SOPs and load outs depending on what their resupply situation might be and the size of the element. I know that short duration patrols of some elements of the 9th Infantry Division wore minimal gear especially when operating in the Delta region. Some 1st Cavalry Division units would patrol during the day without rucksacks because their unit would have them air delivered with the evening resupply. Due to these variances, it is important to know what unit one is depicting and to learn more about how that unit operated during the time period being depicted.

Thanks for bringing up those points so further clarification could be made as to why I equipped this figure as I did. Usually when I post my work on Armorama I include a background concerning what is going on in the diorama and why, info about the unit being depicted, notes about equipment, and stuff like that. I am the type of modeler who mainly models things that actually happened and include the actual Soldiers or Marines who were part of those actions when I can. I have done extensive research on units, Veteran experiences, various actions, uniforms and equipment, and weaponry as a historian and museum guy. When planning and making exhibits, one has to do quite a bit of research to make sure what is being displayed is as accurate as possible. Normally, I also run things by people who were involved in the event I am depicting prior to posting a completed work. I did do my normal inquiries and research at the beginning of the project before things were made. Things have been pretty busy for me lately and I had been trying to hurry to get this completed for an upcoming show, so this time I did not email in progress photos of the project like I normally do for feedback which is why the brightness of the color of the uncovered canteens wasn't addressed until this thread posted. My eyes aren't quite they used to be and I sometimes need those extra sets of eyes for things like that. I guess I better go on over to the other thread and update that part.

Cheers,
James

For some odd reason the issue O.D. towels didn't fade much at all. Kinda strange, but true. BUT! One could also take it that it was a towel that his Mom sent over in a care package. I used what was left of a raggedy old tee shirt, but I also had exactly one towel in my possession.

The forward assist is petty (in my eyes), and all you need to do is change the date and add a bird cage suppressor. My eyes are not good enough to tell what kind you used. The color of the stock was as close to perfect as you could get (few get that right, and the Parkerized finish just comes out period correct.

Most units had a standard set of orders for when you crossed the wire. The load out was flexable, but you never left with out at least one bandolier hanging on your neck. I've seen a couple ambushes tripped less than a hundred fifty yards outside the wire. After two or three months you didn't chance anything. Now the thing about two belts (or more) hanging around your neck is another S.O.P. thing. Yet if there was no sixty out there you wouldn't need one belt. Still trust me if you were a member of a squad moving out two hundred yards from the wire or even a CAV troop, you'd have a hog with you. Better to be tired than caught with out it.

I know little about the 9th Infantry to tell the truth, but know a little about Tet and the Bien Hoa area. Most was on the outside of the base. Pretty ugly. A good read on the area just outside is Dwight Birdwell's Hundred Miles Of Bad Road. My best friend (and former brother inlaw) was in the Quarter Cav right there as well, and he pretty much confirms what Dwight says. Yet Larry spent most of that time in the Rubber Plantations (now there's a place you need to investigate).

Your dio's are a work of art, but at times give me the creeps to be honest. The other lone figure reminds me of a certain sargent first class in the way he looks. You got him way too right, and I miss him.
gary

Hi James, thanks a lot for your answer, could you remember me in which way you usually realized the boots so consumed....??

Thanks a gain.

Mario.

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For some odd reason the issue O.D. towels didn't fade much at all. Kinda strange, but true. BUT! One could also take it that it was a towel that his Mom sent over in a care package. I used what was left of a raggedy old tee shirt, but I also had exactly one towel in my possession.

The forward assist is petty (in my eyes), and all you need to do is change the date and add a bird cage suppressor. My eyes are not good enough to tell what kind you used. The color of the stock was as close to perfect as you could get (few get that right, and the Parkerized finish just comes out period correct.

Most units had a standard set of orders for when you crossed the wire. The load out was flexable, but you never left with out at least one bandolier hanging on your neck. I've seen a couple ambushes tripped less than a hundred fifty yards outside the wire. After two or three months you didn't chance anything. Now the thing about two belts (or more) hanging around your neck is another S.O.P. thing. Yet if there was no sixty out there you wouldn't need one belt. Still trust me if you were a member of a squad moving out two hundred yards from the wire or even a CAV troop, you'd have a hog with you. Better to be tired than caught with out it.

I know little about the 9th Infantry to tell the truth, but know a little about Tet and the Bien Hoa area. Most was on the outside of the base. Pretty ugly. A good read on the area just outside is Dwight Birdwell's Hundred Miles Of Bad Road. My best friend (and former brother inlaw) was in the Quarter Cav right there as well, and he pretty much confirms what Dwight says. Yet Larry spent most of that time in the Rubber Plantations (now there's a place you need to investigate).

Your dio's are a work of art, but at times give me the creeps to be honest. The other lone figure reminds me of a certain sargent first class in the way he looks. You got him way too right, and I miss him.
gary

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Hey Gary,

Thanks for the book recommendation. It is one of a few that I have not read yet. My friend Bill Rambow wrote two books, "CIB" and "ROE" which are historical fiction but were based on his experiences in Vietnam with 2/47th Inf (Mech). His company commander, John Gross, also wrote two books - one non-fiction and one historical fiction which were both quite helpful in gaining a perspective of what life was like in C Co, 2/47th Inf (Mech) in 1967 and during Tet of 68.

I appreciate your sharing of your memories about what it was like for you in Vietnam. It helps those who were not there gain a better understanding (although one will never gain a full understanding unless if they were there) of the things you guys experienced. For me, talking about my wartime experiences is helpful for me to understand what I went through. You mentioned that some of my work gives you the creeps sometimes. I'm sorry if it conjures up some bad memories, or perhaps good ones that remind you of the loss of those your cared about such as the SFC that you said the figure in my "Battle Weary Grunt" vignette reminds you of. I try to make my dioramas and figures as realistic as possible as a way to honor those who served and meant so much to their comrades and families. Again, thanks for your service and thank you for sharing your experiences. You and your Sergeant First Class will be in my thoughts and prayers.

Cheers,
James

I think you read me wrong about SFC Oliver. I'd bet the farm he walked outta there. Know for a fact he did four tours. If he didn't, I'd hate to have gone down with him. Interestingly, your dioramas are in his A.O for his second and third tours. His first was with the 173rd near Dak To. His fourth was down south as he came in thru Bien Hoa.

Oliver was actually a WWII Ranger, and I think he had four or five combat jumps. He was seventeen when he went up the ladders in Normandy. He was first wave and either the first or second man that made it to the top. He wasn't sure, and remembers looking to his right and seeing another guy about a hundred yards away. He said he felt OK then! Always thought he should have wrote a book, but he didn't. Yet there were several magazine articles written about him. He did combat tours all over the place, and in some places we never talk about. Wore a max award CIB, and could have had at least two more stars on it. One thing odd was that he wore his Pathfinders tab above his Ranger tab, and was very proud of his glider patch. His hobby was bar room brawls!
gary