 |
| 1st Recon Team "Crazy Bone" Top Row Left to Right: Cpl. Kelly, Cpl. Morris, Lcpl. Ames, Sgt. Thomas Dale, Lcpl. Weber and Lcpl. Herrmann. Bottom Row Left to Right: Pfc. Wilkins, Lcpl. Ellerthorpe and Pfc. Sylvester. Photo taken in Khe Sanh February 1969... |
|
|
A Recon Marine learned to use a variety of weapons. Nearest and dearest to his heart was his rifle. All Marines are first and foremost riflemen. Recon Marines were certainly no exception. The M-14 and M-16 rifles were the weapons carried by the individual team members. Generally the M-16 replaced the M-14 as the standard rifle in Vietnam because of its lighter weight. The M-16 fired a 5.52 mm bullet. It could be fired semi-automatic or fully automatic. The M-14, on the other hand, normally was fired only as a semi-automatic weapon. It could, however, be converted to an automatic weapon. The M-14 fired a 7.62 mm bullet. This heavier bullet was more likely to stop VC or NVA soldier in his path immediately, so some Marines, particularly those who had to walk “point” or the lead position on a patrol, preferred to carry the M-14. The M-14 was also easier to take apart and clean if it got dirty or a round stuck in the chamber. All the Marines on a team carried grenades. Most of these were HE or high explosive grenades. They were round in shape, and had a short delay before exploding. When thrown at the enemy, the subsequent explosion would hurl bits of metal (called shrapnel) at the enemy soldiers. Usually one member of a recon team also carried an M-79 grenade launcher. This weapon, commonly called “The Blooper,” fired bullet-shaped grenades, 40 mm in diameter. It got its pet name from the sound it made when it was fired. It looked like a sawed-off shotgun of large diameter. Claymore mines were another weapon carried by a recon team. These consisted of a bunch of little projectiles (they looked like the bb’s used in a bb-gun) backed by C-4 plastic explosive. Normally, the team set out the mines to protect their position or “Harbor Site” at night. In the morning they would retrieve the mines again. In the event of an enemy attack, the mines would explode when a Marine closed a remote switch. Marines were also trained to use the M-60 machine gun, although it wasn’t normally carried on patrol. This was commonly used as a defensive weapon on observation posts (OP’s), which the Recon Marines guarded.
|
|
