Next stop Vietnam, reinforcements on page 12

[Dr. Zombie]

We are about to start a Vietnam campaign using the Force on force rules.

But I realized that I was a few Marines short of a full platoon. So I ordered some more an quickly painted them up.

[carlos marighela]

  Nicely done! That's a wonderfully damp looking forest floor effect and the minis are nicely painted.

You might want to trim the aerials on the radios though. With the PRC-25 and PRC-77 radios you typically got two aerials*. One was a 3 foot flat aerial, rather like a metal tape measure, which could be folded over and secured with an elastic band, most typically used on the move. For static roles there was a 10 foot rod aerial, that disassembled into various parts. It wasn't flexible in the sense that it bent or curled as the aerial sections were hollow metal tube structures held together with a connecting internal cord. Only a idiot would attempt to walk around in scrub or jungle with the 10 foot aerial extended, in fact just walking around with 10 foot of metal tubing connected to your shoulders is a minor test in balance.



*There was a third 'jungle aerial' for extended range which is essentially a wire that could be strung up on a tree or a frame but you really do have to be static to use that.

[Russ justice]

Real grimey looking fellas, you've captured the look perfectly.

[CapnJim]

Those fellas do look really good.  But in the Picking Nits Department. I would echo Mr. Marighela's comments about the length of the antennae.  Mind you, they're your figs so do as it pleases ya...

[Dr. Zombie]

Im just going by reference picures I found online, most have the end of the antennas out of frame. But those who have not they look kind of long.

[carlos marighela]

Those are the flat metal whip antennas. About 3 foot long plus the goose neck.

[Ultravanillasmurf]

Nice work on those figures.
Thanks for the radio aerial information Carlos.

[carlos marighela]

Glad it's of use. Spent quite enough time humping a real one around.  They are heavy, as are the batteries

[Grumpy Gnome]

I agree with Carlos and Captain Jim. As Carlos, I have “humped” a “prick-77” (PRC77) for a fair bit and it was not a good time for my scrawny younger self.

What was fun was the old gag of telling the new private that there is a problem with the radio and to go ask the platoon sergeant for a new “prick E-7”.

Right up there with bubble grease for the mortar sight and helium packets for the M16a2 buttstock compartment.

I most remember the aerial on mine being usually like the one in the second picture, bent down over my left shoulder.

[carlos marighela]

We typically put the damn thing in the top section of our big pack and would swap it around. Whoever got the radio swapped packs with the one with the radio in it.

Being of an unkind disposition I once swapped my pack with one of my diggers while we were on enemy party. He expressed considerable surprise at the weight of my pack but his concerns were assuaged by the assurance that I had loaded the better part of a slab of beer into my pack.

Considerable surprise was feigned when we finally reached our night harbour and the contents of my pack were revealed to include M113 track link we had found on the range. That notorious soldier Private Somecunt 's work was suspected. 'Jesus some c%#t has robbed my beer and replaced it this this piece of shit!' I mean what dickhead would put the better part of 30 pounds of metal into their own pack?

[Grumpy Gnome]

One thing I love about soldiers… no matter the nation so often the themes remain the same.

[CapnJim]

For fear of going off-topic, we used to send FNGs to get a can of squelch for the radio, or a box of reticles for the tank sights...

But nit-picking aside, and as I mentioned, those minis do look really good!   

[Grumpy Gnome]

For fear of going off-topic, we used to send FNGs to get a can of squelch for the radio, or a box of reticles for the tank sights...

But nit-picking aside, and as I mentioned, those minis do look really good!   

I forgot about the can of squelch, thanks for the reminder.

And I agree, the minis look really good!

[mikedemana]

Great looking figs!

Your gags sound similar to what we did in my work as ground crew with an airline. We'd send new employees to other airlines to borrow their "chock hardener" for the triangular, rubber chocks we secured aircraft wheels with. Typically, they'd forward them on to another airline in an endless round of initiation. Or, to the Maintenance Department for a bin extender if we had a heavy load to go on an upcoming flight. 

Mike Demana