Re: [MV] altered trucks

Joe Baker (edc@tiac.net)
Fri, 19 Jun 1998 10:36:35 -0400

I have a number of photos of the Gun Trucks I rode on while in Vietnam
as a medic. The modifications ranged from 2"x10" wooden planks made to
make a box that would contain sandbags in the Cargo Bed to Steel Plates
welded together with an internal lining of wooden planks to reduce the
chance of bullet rumbling around inside of the box. Towards the end of
my tour in 1970 I had the chance to ride on a few 5 tons with an M113
APC hull in the cargo bed. These trucks were normally armed with a
variety of 50 cals and M-60 machine guns. The trucks were almost always
5 ton cargo trucks. The cabs were hardened very often in the process
and the floors of the cargo box and the cab were almost always lined
with sandbags. Convoys of Cargo 5 tons and 5 ton s&ps of up to 200
vehicles would be formed in up to 3 march units with two or more gun
trucks being assigned to each march unit depending on the size of the
march unit. There would always be a forward element usually composed of
a gun truck or two with a 151 armed with an M-60 (usuallly not hardened)
and a scout element also usually an M151 with an M-60. The trail
element included the usual maintenance stuff, a wrecker, a parts truck,
and a tire truck, as well as a number of 5 ton tractors with out
trailers. The trail element also usually included two gun trucks and an
assortment of jeeps. In the early 70's we saw the introduction of
V-100's operated by the MPs as part of the forward and trail escort
vehicles.

I have photos of the box gun trucks as well as a few of the "M113 hull"
trucks. When I get some time I will scan them an put them into a web
site..

Joe Baker
Major, Infantry

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