If you enlarge the photo, and take a close look, I think the box you are seeing is an upturned C Ration box wedged between the headlight frame and the crew added chain link cage support. There might be another sheet of something along with it, can’t be sure from the photo, as the light is glinting off it whatever it is. But for sure, there’s a cardboard box behind, about the size of a C-Ration box, like the one in the crew added bustle rack. As for what looks like pallets over the front swim plane window, it’s pre-fab, corrugated- interlocking construction sheeting, commonly used for lining the inside of prepared fighting positions, or for roofing. It looks like there are two sheets there. I don’t remember the name of this stuff, but it slips together on the ends, interlocking for a long run. But it looks like this crew has found another purpose for it. On many VN Sheridans, it was also common to find a length of rolled up “chain link” or “ cyclone” fencing” along with metal fence posts. This was used to join with other vehicles fencing to form a tight perimeter at night around a lager (a circle of tracks, weapons pointed outward). So it wasn’t uncommon to find engineering/construction materials atop these vehicles. In this case it might serve another purpose other than to protect the window, but it’s anybody’s guess what.
VR, Russ ,
