>Anybody else seen
> "trenches" of NOS stuff on bases?
Somewhere on the former site of Camp Enari, South Vietnam, the former division base of the 4th Infantry, there is a similar trench containing two brand new M35A2's, one M54 tractor with 55 foot lowboy trailer, and six conexes full of spares. I was on the detail that was ordered to bury these items as they were not on the TOE, and an upcoming inspection demanded it. The spares boxs had LDT engines in the cans, enough stuff to build a dozen mules, and dozens of new mounted tires, plus a rack of M14E1 rifles and a browning M2. There were also unopened canvas pouches of new carbines, two full size maintenance shelters, still in crates, and a big Fairbanks Morse mud pump. I took pictures, only to have my camera confiscated later when someone dimed me. The stuff was "appropriated" from other units, by our covert night supply group, the same as our stuff was subject to "appropriation" by other similar foraging units. What it all amounted to was that we shipped all that stuff over the!
re, gave all the wrong stuff to
the wrong units, then they "traded" it by various means so every had what they needed, then everyone buried the stuff before each inspection because they couldn't get caught with it. With all the forms and paperwork bull the army had, you'd think they would have a form for trading equipment. This was practically SOP, except that there were no written orders. I would bet a lot of that stuff is still pristine today, if you could find the sites.
Sigh...
Jack
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