Since it's Veteran's Day.
Our infantry company always had two combat engineers assigned to us when we were in the bush. On one particular mission, reacting to an ambush on the convoy between Pleiku and Kontum March '69, the engineers were humping a chainsaw, fuel and bar oil in addition to their regular load of 20# of C4, det. cord, blasting caps etc. This was in addition the usual load of war gear (M16 & ammo). One fellow had the chain saw and the other was humping two 2 gal cans (metal) of fuel and both of their M16s. They must have had close to 100# each on their backs. This was in hilly terrain in dense forest.
The saw looked like something the Army would buy. Built like a tank w/14 ish bar. Must have weighed 25+#. O.D. green, natch.
Gotta admire them fellows.
A month later I had the oppertunity to borrow the saw from them when we were building a firebase. Cut small trees to use to suport overhead in our bunkers. First time I ever used a gasoline saw. I had used an electric one at home and was the only fellow in our platoon who knew anything about them. Had a manual oiler.
Engineers instructed my platoon leader that only "that little Shake & Bake" was to operate it as the others ran the bar in the dirt and ruined the teeth.
Delta Co., 1st Bat., 8th Inf, 4th Inf Div. clash of '69.
Wecome home.
Our infantry company always had two combat engineers assigned to us when we were in the bush. On one particular mission, reacting to an ambush on the convoy between Pleiku and Kontum March '69, the engineers were humping a chainsaw, fuel and bar oil in addition to their regular load of 20# of C4, det. cord, blasting caps etc. This was in addition the usual load of war gear (M16 & ammo). One fellow had the chain saw and the other was humping two 2 gal cans (metal) of fuel and both of their M16s. They must have had close to 100# each on their backs. This was in hilly terrain in dense forest.
The saw looked like something the Army would buy. Built like a tank w/14 ish bar. Must have weighed 25+#. O.D. green, natch.
Gotta admire them fellows.
A month later I had the oppertunity to borrow the saw from them when we were building a firebase. Cut small trees to use to suport overhead in our bunkers. First time I ever used a gasoline saw. I had used an electric one at home and was the only fellow in our platoon who knew anything about them. Had a manual oiler.
Engineers instructed my platoon leader that only "that little Shake & Bake" was to operate it as the others ran the bar in the dirt and ruined the teeth.
Delta Co., 1st Bat., 8th Inf, 4th Inf Div. clash of '69.
Wecome home.