Maggie’s Military Jeopardy

You pretty much have it.
It is the piles of shit they issue you like canteens&covers, cold weather gear, sleeping bags&covers, ruck, asskicker, pistol belt&suspenders and the list goes on and on.
The list varies as to the location of the post and the needs for the area you are operating in.
It was always a PITA to find each and every item on the list and get it all cleaned and turned in with a PCS and God help your ass if you were missing something and the supply Sgt. didn't like you for whatever reason.
 
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We were never issued many things but always found ways to get stuff we thought we could use it. Getting std small arms to 50bmg was a no biggie. We traded into a M67, (90mm R/R) an 50rds of ammo that we thought we had a need for, until it came time to hump it and it's food the first time. The damn thing hung on everything an we were going to trade it off until we used it the first time on a bunker. The LAW was OK for short work but the M67 was outstanding for most anything that needed banging.
The nickle an dime crap was harder to get that big stuff most of the time.
 
I really have no clue as to what he is doing.
My guess would be that it is training for the "night walk" when we were training as to how to move at night and detect trip wires and mines etc.
Other than that, you have got me. FM
 
I was in Nuremburg US Army Hospital in 70 on conv status. I had a motorsickle and lots of time on my hands and toured around there a lot and got to meet a lot of the Old Germans in the Gausthous and other places.
One day an Old farmer took me out into his fields and showed me what remained of what he called"the field of lights" on his family farm. He had left them in place, what remained, to show others.
He and I got along really well and I spent many nights with his family under their roof and was more than happy to help out on the farm. His Frau was a great cook and one of his daughters and I became quite close. I really fucked up in the fact that I did not stay there upon my ETS and would have had a happy life as well as a farm in Germany now if I had had my shit together and didn't want to come home so bad.
I am still in contact with the family and my Shotzie but that is water under the bridge.
He was drafted during WW2 and put his time in as a conscript but never talked about it much other than when he and I would be out in the barn knocking down some of the Great bier he made.
The Germans built a BIG series of strings of lights to be lit up during the night NW of Nuremburg out in the farm fields to fool the Allied bombers into dropping there instead of on the airfield where the fighter planes were. That was all blacked out. The Allied bombers did good and hit the shit out of the farm only to uproot their crops and destroy their food supply.
It was really big and from the air looked like a small city with a lit airstrip. It worked as the farm was heavily bombed during the war and the family lived underground in a big root celler during that time.
So, cammo and deception was used by both sides with good effect by both sides during WW2. FM
 
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I was in Nuremburg US Army Hospital in 70 on conv status. I had a motorsickle and lots of time on my hands and toured around there a lot and got to meet a lot of the Old Germans in the Gausthous and other places.
One day an Old farmer took me out into his fields and showed me what remained of what he called"the field of lights" on his family farm. He had left them in place, what remained, to show others.
He and I got along really well and I spent many nights with his family under their roof and was more than happy to help out on the farm. His Frau was a great cook and one of his daughters and I became quite close. I really fucked up in the fact that I did not stay there upon my ETS and would have had a happy life as well as a farm in Germany now if I had had my shit together and didn't want to come home so bad.
I am still in contact with the family and my Shotzie but that is water under the bridge.
He was drafted during WW2 and put his time in as a conscript but never talked about it much other than when he and I would be out in the barn knocking down some of the Great bier he made.
The Germans built a BIG series of strings of lights to be lit up during the night NW of Nuremburg out in the farm fields to fool the Allied bombers into dropping there instead of on the airfield where the fighter planes were. That was all blacked out. The Allied bombers did good and hit the shit out of the farm only to uproot their crops and destroy their food supply.
It was really big and from the air looked like a small city with a lit airstrip. It worked as the farm was heavily bombed during the war and the family lived underground in a big root celler during that time.
So, cammo and deception was used by both sides with good effect by both sides during WW2. FM

This exact same tactic was used by Britain, who I consider to be the most savvy at war --they don't have a choice, really.
 
A stick is drove into the ground, at the end of it's shadow another stick is drove into the ground. For what purpose are the two sticks used for?

Disregard my post above, I missed the shadow part, it's DAY land nav. By observing the movement of the shadow on the ground from the original mark you can establish direction.
 
Did you see that documentary about Azorian? If you are into engineering, math or physics, well, that's the most goddamndest operation ever conducted. IMO, the guys on that operation are only bested by the moon landing. Seriously. And they did it in secret --under everyone's noses. Fucking pros, every one of them.

FWIW, my father did shit similar to that but he never talked about much of it. A couple of the things he did talk about are declassified now, like the theft of 100 T72 tanks from Moscow (CIA literally ordered 'em on official papers and diverted the train in Siberia; it's how we knocked out Saddam's tanks so easy). Guys in those kinds of jobs have a VERY hard family life, I remember looking at my father and recognizing his face, but not actually knowing him. It was a strange feeling I'll never forget. His ability to just "switch" was fucking uncanny. I'll never know what he kept secret all those years so I guess he was a pro too. I wanted to get into that life and he did all he could to keep me from it. Enough about me.

I guess you need to come up with some questions now.

Ice Cream... Doesn't that come from the fact one of the patches or flashes looks like a Good Humor ice cream stick? The chute? Isn't it 101st? Ice cream boys were the fuckers in basic that got caught eating the shit on KP when I was in... Recruits are fucking sugar FIENDS.

My father in law is retired CIA and has a sample section of the main power cable from the sub.....
 
Marine NCO sword or Officer' Mameluke sword (pretty sure it's the NCO sword, as it was the Army Officer's sword before the Civil War, but relegated to Marine NCO's when the Army had so many of its officers resign and join the Confederacy).
 
Marine NCO sword or Officer' Mameluke sword (pretty sure it's the NCO sword, as it was the Army Officer's sword before the Civil War, but relegated to Marine NCO's when the Army had so many of its officers resign and join the Confederacy).

I thought the Marmaluke was descended from a sword given to the Marine Commander who took out the pirates at Tripoli c. 1803 or so... A grateful pasha gave the Marine officer in charge of the landing party a presentation sword... from which all later Marine swords are derived?

Also, didn't Patton create the current Army sword design? Or was that a cavalry sword limited to pre-WW2 timeperiod? I'd Google it, but I'm on a phone.

But you are probably right... the sword is the longest 'official' issue item! The tomahawks, though, were issued to airborne forces as late as Vietnam.

Cheers,

Sirhr
 
Sirh,

I suppose I should have written that more clearly (my b). You are correct in the history of the Mameluke sword (and Lt. Presley O'Bannon). I was referring to both the NCO sword and the Officer's Mameluke sword. And yes, IIRC, it was Officer's Calvary sword that the Marine NCO's ended up being issued.
 
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When I posted it up I was "remembering" it to be the Marines NCO sword, but googled it afterward to check myself and depending on how technical you get I believe the Marine Officer Mamaluke sword is more appropriate.

Sirhr, you had the history right. A sword of similar traditional Ottoman style was presented to LT Presley O'Bannon in 1805 for his actions in Tripoli during the war with the Barbary Pirates. It was slightly modified and became part of the USMC uniform regulations in 1826. The NCO sword was adapted from an Army sword in the 1850's.
 
In the mid to late 60's what did the US Army use Daisy BB guns for and how were they modified?

Not first in on this one, those were the days,...
Sights were removed to teach the principles of quick kill. Started with pie plates at the end we were hitting/killing apc's (aspirin tabs) 9 out of 10 times. Worked very well in the bush, as most gooks had longer lag times than most GI's. The guys who had QK training had 3-4 on the ground before the rest of the squad/stick got the safetys off, LOL Very good training, use it to this day.
 
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^^ Impressive, at what distance? On a side note, I used to lay waste to the kids down the street with that quick skill bb gun. They would come after me 3 on one and go home looking like they had been caught in a hail storm. Those were the days.
 
^^ Impressive, at what distance? .
BB guns were 15-25 feet but remember the apc's were thrown in front of you. Everyone was paired up, an after 25 rds you traded off. The real fun came when we transitioned, back to the M14 an M16, as those were unknown pop ups from 50-200yds, you had 5 seconds, for two targets, from a patrol walk starting point.

 
Good, you guys got the BB guns right and in quick time. It was great training, instilled confidence and was used by a lot of troops walking point to good effect.
Now, do you remember what fingers were used and why?
There are some answers in wiki and references too but don't cheat, read it after your answer.
 
What was the second longest used issued weapon of the Marine Rifleman?

Since you say 'rifleman' as opposed to "Marine" I would have to guess the Springfield 03? Perhaps I am overthinking... because the 1911 was around a long time, too!

Did I read that the Marines are getting a new rifle? Gas Piston AR-variant?

Cheers,

Sirhr
 
The 1911 is what most people answer, but in reality (believe it or not) the M-12 shotgun was issued longer than the 1911. We still had a few in the early 90's (long assed bayonet and all) for TOC security and NEO crowd control. Back then we had a little of everything when it came to scatter guns (Mossberg M-500's, Remington 870's and the Winchester M-12's). Those M-12's were OLD, but they still worked flawlessly.

And every Marine is a rifleman. :)

As to the piston driven rifles; I'll believe when I see it. The Corps' is too cheap, though they are starting to issue suppressors for the M-4's from what I hear...
 
If we're talking Russians and the groups of launchers, then SA-3's are what you're describing. Though from a Photo Interpreter's lingo, this was called a "bear claw" pattern with the FC radar located to the rear in the "palm" of the paw.

If you're talking four groups of SAM's deployed in a trapezoid, then that was just an air defense (IADS) of an area with a HVT or capability. Typically, even in the 50's SAM's were deployed in a mix, as each type had their own optimum altitudes and speeds that they could operate in.

A mix of 2's, 3's and 5's were a standard mix for fixed defenses. 6's, 9/13's were more for defending mobile deployed assets.

And then you had the deployed electronics that were also indicators (Tall Kings, Side Pairs, Odd Pairs for the SA-5's, Spoon Rest D's for the 6's, etc.)..
 
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