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Vietnam 1964


Camp Pendleton 1964


Vietnam 1965


Vietnam 1965


Okinawa 1964

What is that guy doing with the pack howitzer in the last pic? It wasnt a muzzle loader right?... As an aside, I kinda wondered if they might have been useful during Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan...

Neil

I think it's a 4.2" Mortar graffed onto a pack howitzer carriage. Sort of an early version of the heavy morters that are popular now.

I think the Ontos picture is one that Dontos has ID'ed before

- bsmart

I think it's a 4.2" Mortar graffed onto a pack howitzer carriage. Sort of an early version of the heavy morters that are popular now.

More commonly known as the M98 Howtar...

I posted the Ontos before, I was just sitting here killing time and realized I have a lot of photographs to share. the back of the mortar photograph says "Howtar, Howtar joins Division... the 3rd Marine divison's need for a lighter, compact and more mobile direct artillery weapon was met when the Divison received the new "Howtar" 1964

The "@#$%%$# Pig" vehicle commander was known as "Slop-chops" and the driver is "Kraut"', April 15 1965, 3rd AT Bn, Company "C" 3rd plt. The logo on the right fender reads "KC".

Also looks like the fender says 'C33'.

oldertop u know those people?

- oldertop

The "@#$%%$# Pig" vehicle commander was known as "Slop-chops" and the driver is "Kraut"', April 15 1965, 3rd AT Bn, Company "C" 3rd plt. The logo on the right fender reads "KC".

This is what I dug up.

This is the 'official' blurb on the back of the photo:
9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Danang, South Vietnam: An Ontos rolls off the ramp of a landing craft at Red Beach 2, Danang as BLT 3/9 lands to become a part of the 9th MEB with BLT 1/3 being the other part.
8 March 1965 DOD Photo (Marine Corps) A183793

Additional Note: C 33, nicknamed "Road Runner" is part of 3rd Platoon, C Company, 3rd AT landing in support of BLT 3/9.



Exerpt from 3rd AT Command Chronology:
The 3d Antitank Battalion (-) consisting of H&S Company (8 Officer and 75 Marine Enlisted, 2 Navy Enlisted) embarked aboard APA 27 at WHITE BEACH, OKINAWA on 29 June 1965, and sailed 030300July65. Arrived and disembarked at Danang, Republic of South Vietnam 9 July 1965. Moved into bivouac (AT983744). On 10 July, relocated to AT987711 and set up defensive positions and H&S Company bivouac.
Company "A" (-)(Rein) arrived via surface transportation at Danang, Republic of South Vietnam on 12 April 1965.
Company "B" (-)(Rein) arrived via surface transportation at Chu Lai, Republic of South Vietnam on 7 May 1965.
Company "C" (-)(Rein) arrived on 8 July 1965 via surface transportation and disembarked at Danang, Republic of South Vietnam. "

'Red-headed-Step Child'
Don

OK what's wrong here, oldtop says Aprill 65 and he's got all the poop on the picture, The official photo blurb says March and the excerpt says they arrived in July. Thus making the Marine corps able to take a picture of a landing 4 months before it happens I know there good but nobody's that good. No wonder historians go nuts .

Jeff Lewis

I have the photos here also, anyone want more info on the pics and i will be happy to put it here, but I can only put what is on the picture.....Don do you have a hard copy of that photo?? I can make you one....

C33 is 3rd vehicle (heavy section) of 3rd platoon, plt. Sgt Anderson, plt leader 1st Lt Jarock, by July this plt. will be re-assigned as 3rd plt, "B" company 3rd AT Bn. and thats why the information on the picture is screwed...or there were two differant 3rd plt. C company 3rd AT Bn and two 3rd plt B company 3rd AT Bn. The actual history of this plt. will be so screwed up not even the Bn commander will know whats going on....And how do I know, I was the plt mech! I had to point this out to Lt Terry (Ontos web site) some years ago, he didn't believe me till he got a copy of both "C" and "B" company rosters..there we are in listed in two companys and two plt at the same time. There was another Plt leader who made the first landing with the plt but he was replaced when he went off the "deep end" and was shipped out in a crying jag some time around June 16 1965 right after the first @#$%$# PIG was lost to a mine out side Hue near the "Old french fort". The vehicle (C32) hit a mine on its right side which blew the track and first two roadwheels off...oh ya, I was sitting on the slope-plate at the time and lost the hearing in one ear and two cracked teeth...and a badly dented helmet.
..OK now to fog the picture up a little more..Company "C" 3rd AT Bn. was shipped out to the "Rock" or Oke-knock-knock on Feb 18 1965 from Hawaii, it was part of the Pineapple Brigade (3rd Brig.). They landed and were at Camp Hansen (Oky) then the 3rd plt embarked on April 10 for Nam and landed at Hue April 15. with BLT 3/4 under the command of Col W.W. "rough-house" Taylor.....but by the end of may there were two company "C" 3rd plt. "in contry".

- oldertop

C33 is 3rd vehicle (heavy section) of 3rd platoon, plt. Sgt Anderson, plt leader 1st Lt Jarock, by July this plt. will be re-assigned as 3rd plt, "B" company 3rd AT Bn. and thats why the information on the picture is screwed...or there were two differant 3rd plt. C company 3rd AT Bn and two 3rd plt B company 3rd AT Bn. The actual history of this plt. will be so screwed up not even the Bn commander will know whats going on....And how do I know, I was the plt mech! I had to point this out to Lt Terry (Ontos web site) some years ago, he didn't believe me till he got a copy of both "C" and "B" company rosters..there we are in listed in two companys and two plt at the same time. There was another Plt leader who made the first landing with the plt but he was replaced when he went off the "deep end" and was shipped out in a crying jag some time around June 16 1965 right after the first @#$%$# PIG was lost to a mine out side Hue near the "Old french fort". The vehicle (C32) hit a mine on its right side which blew the track and first two roadwheels off...oh ya, I was sitting on the slope-plate at the time and lost the hearing in one ear and two cracked teeth...and a badly dented helmet

Oldertop

Don't get me wrong, I'm always willing to learn from first hand accounts. The Ontosnet has been a wealth of personal experiences, that many have been kind enough to share with me

Besides, the 'Official' photos & information came out of the Public Affairs office, which weren't really known for their accuracy.

June 16, 1965 : MOS 0353 Casualty


Thank you for the insight.
Don

Western was a very sad case, he was removig the M191A4 from his vehicle, he walked up the front of the vehicle and bent over the MG with the barrel pressing into his belly, he lifted the cover and pulled the belt, closed the cover and tripped the trigger, a round had been chambered and he didn't clear the weapon, the discharge blew him backwards off the front of the vehicle, when the gun dischaged not only did the bullet wound him but the high velocity gases were vented into his abdominal area (about 45,000 psi), there was nothing anybody could do for him, the Marine Corps flew his family in to be with him for his last few days.

- oldertop

Western was a very sad case, he was removig the M191A4 from his vehicle, he walked up the front of the vehicle and bent over the MG with the barrel pressing into his belly, he lifted the cover and pulled the belt, closed the cover and tripped the trigger, a round had been chambered and he didn't clear the weapon, the discharge blew him backwards off the front of the vehicle, when the gun dischaged not only did the bullet wound him but the high velocity gases were vented into his abdominal area (about 45,000 psi), there was nothing anybody could do for him, the Marine Corps flew his family in to be with him for his last few days.

Cases like that are doubly sad, somehow (not due to enemy action). We lost two 45J's (aircraft armorers) at once one day at Phu Bai when I was around while they were testing 2.75" rockets on a Cobra and standing in front of the pod. Weapons systems are not very discriminating about who they kill when that one thing goes wrong and you're in the line of discharge.

www.vhpamuseum.org/wea...cket1x.jpg

www.vhpamuseum.org/wea...cket2x.jpg