5. Equipment
and Weapons
First, let's take a
look at the personal firepower that your 9 man infantry squad will have to
conduct defensive & offensive infantry operations:
Seven (including
the squad leader) will carry the M-16 Rifle (5.56 mm; 20 round clip; semi &
full automatic mode):
One will carry
the M-60 Machinegun (7.62 mm; belt fed):
One will carry
the M-79 Grenade Launcher ("Thump-gun"):
Additonal firepower
is available from the 50 Caliber Machinegun mounted on your track ... you’ll
see it located just above Uphus's head (the driver) in the photo
below:
The 50 Cal.
machinegun is also belt fed. Since this weapon weighs over 80
pounds, it can only be used in a mounted
configuration. When setting up a Night Defensive Position (NDP), it
is removed, placed on a tripod and placed into a fighting position on
the ground:
Additionally, each
of you will be carrying at least two M-67 Fragmentation grenades:
An additional
asset used for ambushes and Night Defensive Positions is the M18A1 Claymore Antipersonnel Mine. It is positioned 10 to 20
yards forward of your foxhole or ambush position and detonated by
squeezing a hand generator that sends an electrical charge to the mine
detonating it.
The Claymore
Mine can also be placed on a known enemy trail or expected
avenue of approach; it is detonated automatically by trip wire and
battery. We called this an "automatic ambush."
If things get close and
personal, you also have your handy-dandy M-7 Bayonet:
Remind me to tell
you a little story about "Wop," his bayonet and some friendly
South Vietnamese soldiers that we were on a mission with.
You may proceed to
the next page:
