From: Wayne Harris (papercu@hotmail.com)
Date: Tue Dec 31 2002 - 17:57:01 PST
It took a long time for this question to be asked again. Wayne
http://www.mil-veh.org/archives/
Mon, 04 Jan 1999 09:41:55 -0500
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I don't know how the uside-down "V" was adopted, but it signified Allied
"coalition" units. (Prior to the start of the ground war, we had a
theory. since the "V for Victory" symbol was used in WW II, we figured
the upside down version meant the same thing as an upside-down US flag -
distress. We thought the "powers that be" felt we were going to get our
tails kicked so picked an appropriate symbol.
the markings actually did make sense since it seemed everyone was using
the same MVs.
Examples:
CUCVs (M1008) or visually similar Chevy pickups used by US and Iraq.
T72s (and similar M80 used by Kuwait), BMPs, BTRs, M1984s (Soviet APC)
used by Egypt and Syria (coalition) and Iraq.
M113s used by US and Iraq.
East German military cargo trucks used by Syria and Iraq.
Panhard armoured cars used by France and Iraq.
(The list goes on. No wonder there was so much fratricide!)
Once it was determined that we at more risk from allied aircraft than
from the Iraqis, we placed "day-glow" orange panels on the tops of our
vehicles to make sure they could be identified at aircraft "killing
range".
William von Zehle, Jr. (MVPA 593)
Ridgefield, Conn. USA
'53 M42
(Special Operations CA team NCO attached to 3rd AD during Persian Gulf
War)
Bob & Jeff Gallagher wrote:
> > desert colors, most were simply spray painted tan overall with black
>markings
> > (small stars, upside down "V"s,bumper numbers, etc.).
>
>What are the upside down "V"s for?
or
Fri, 1 Jan 1999 07:09:35 -0000
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-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Masse <mmasse@islc.net>
To: Mil-Veh@skylee.com <Mil-Veh@skylee.com>
Date: 01 January 1999 05:27
Subject: RE: [MV] m151a2 ["V"] markings
>>
>>What are the upside down "V"s for?
>>
>
>Great effort was taken to reduce fratricide events during the gulf war.
The
>upside-down "V"s aided in visual identification of allied vehicles.
This
>measure enabled the military forces of one coalition country to
recognize
>another's unfamiliar vehicles as friendly.
>
Didn't work too well though. . . . . . . . .
Richard
(Southampton UK)
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