bannockburn
Member
- Joined
- Apr 24, 2007
- Messages
- 26,253
Never met him, I have his writings and ramblings to look at here and on the firing line. I hope he's running his 870 in the sky. I'm sure you treasure that CS very much12 in that pic. The Byrd is a Spyderco product, as is that Street Bowie. I have more, though.
Yes, Dave was someone that I loved immediately on meeting him. He had a "welcome back" dinner for me soon after I returned, and we were supposed to begin getting together regularly. 3 weeks later he was gone.
What I wanted but didn't get until decades later.
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That's pretty cool, my father wasn't anything special just a tank guy but he carried a model 27 3.5 inch Smith with him. Was the weapons issue only with your unit. For what it's worth he was with the 1st Cav 19th Artillery.Two tours in Vietnam as an enlisted man and NCO (Army). Personal weapons, including knives, were generally prohibited unless specifically authorized by the commanding officer. Our bags were closely searched before going to Vietnam and again before leaving Vietnam. Any unauthorized items were confiscated. I carried a folding pocket knife, which was allowed.
In Vietnam there was an active trade in knives and handguns among the troops. I had a "off the books" M1911A1 during my first tour, and a captured Belgian FN Hi Power during my second tour. Gave the .45 to a buddy when I went home the first time. I was allowed to register the Hi Power as a war trophy and take it home.
There were a few exceptions, such as Special Forces troops and some officers. In those cases the individual's travel orders had to contain authorization for personal weapons (pistols, knives).
Interestingly, when I left Vietnam the second time I was on emergency leave due to my mother's death. I went straight from the field in jungle fatigues, muddy boots, carrying my rucksack. Somewhere along the way I remembered that I had a Claymore mine, detonator, and 3 frag grenades in my ruck. Got to McChord AFB, reported to the Security Police and was allowed to turn in the ordnance without any problems. Had it been discovered otherwise I would probably have been court martialed.
Back in the day, I (like a lot of guys) kept a Gerber II on my web gear, off side, upside down.
So on one mission I had a pallet of water leaning way over the side of my trailer, and my driver couldn't see the gun truck behind us in the mirror. I had to climb out of the truck, onto the trailer, and cut it loose, as we ran down MSR Tampa. When I was coming around the catwalk behind the cab to get back on the truck, the knife sheath (on my body armor) just let go, and fell off. (with the knife I had just used in it) Of course we couldn't stop, so Haji gets the blade... I emailed Blackhawk, and Michael Janich emails me back. They don't put locktite in the screws of the sheath so the end user can change over to left hand if they want. From now on they will. He sent me a new knife.[/
Back in the day, I (like a lot of guys) kept a Gerber II on my web gear, off side, upside down.
I tried to go all out once ordering an expensive hand made knife from Mike Irie online while in Iraq. It came in the mail, and God was it beautiful. Fit my hand well, good long recurve fighting blade. I loved it. Took it on a couple missions, but after getting a nick in the handle, I got scared, and left it in the tent... It did come in a crappy sheath. Ended up sending it home... Sad thing was I got blowed up later in the deployment, couldn't work when I got back, and sold it on Ebay. Now I'd pay through the nose to have it back...
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Then I ordered another... This time the MOD Mark V ATAK, from the Bkaclhawk website... (hey, Blackhawk was big back then) D2 tool steel, so it was gonna be tough. First off. The handle was, and is the most comfortable knife handle I've ever had in my hand. I just want to walk around with the damn thing in my hand all day. The little prongs on the hilt for prying, and "combat" are gimmicky, but they never really got in the way. The blade was tough as hell, and I used it a lot, though more as a utility knife than anything else. I just didn't see a lot of "hand to hand" combat, though I did shoot people. I will say that the company did stand behind their product. I was in my 40s on my last deployment. Done with tanks, and Infantry... I was a section sgt of a transportation unit. (88M... yes, a truck driver)
So on one mission I had a pallet of water leaning way over the side of my trailer, and my driver couldn't see the gun truck behind us in the mirror. I had to climb out of the truck, onto the trailer, and cut it loose, as we ran down MSR Tampa. When I was coming around the catwalk behind the cab to get back on the truck, the knife sheath (on my body armor) just let go, and fell off. (with the knife I had just used in it) Of course we couldn't stop, so Haji gets the blade... I emailed Blackhawk, and Michael Janich emails me back. They don't put locktite in the screws of the sheath so the end user can change over to left hand if they want. From now on they will. He sent me a new knife.
View attachment 859126
This one I carried around a lot. I picked it up at the PX after I lost the Mark V. I never got a Kabar before because they were a Marine thing, and I was Army, but I needed a fixed blade... Guess what? This one said U.S. Army on the sheath. I took the little retaining strap off the sheath, then stuck the blade into my right pants pocket, and with the belt loop through the sheath my DCU blouse would cover the handle. Nobody could see I was walking around with a 7" long fixed blade. When I sit down, the sheath could bend since the handle wasn't strapped to it. The TCNs wouldn't be afraid of your weapon because they knew you wouldn't shoot them, but you whip out that blade...they'd quit stealing ****. I can still carry like that today with jeans, and a big T-shirt if I want.
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These days, for my fighting knife, I have went back to my roots and gone to a smaller dedicated dagger style fighting knife. I keep a Boker Applegate Fairbairn on my 1st line belt in a custom Kydex sheath I had a guy make for me. Being older, and half crippled... I doubt I'll ever need it, but hey...
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I still do love the feel of that handle on the Mark V though. Nothing like it. Very tempted to cut off the little wings, and get a custom sheath made for it...
Wellcome master gunny
I think he would just be a "Top?"Sorry Army guy here
I know this is a knife thread, but any chance we could get a pic of the HiPower?Two tours in Vietnam as an enlisted man and NCO (Army). Personal weapons, including knives, were generally prohibited unless specifically authorized by the commanding officer. Our bags were closely searched before going to Vietnam and again before leaving Vietnam. Any unauthorized items were confiscated. I carried a folding pocket knife, which was allowed.
In Vietnam there was an active trade in knives and handguns among the troops. I had a "off the books" M1911A1 during my first tour, and a captured Belgian FN Hi Power during my second tour. Gave the .45 to a buddy when I went home the first time. I was allowed to register the Hi Power as a war trophy and take it home.
There were a few exceptions, such as Special Forces troops and some officers. In those cases the individual's travel orders had to contain authorization for personal weapons (pistols, knives).
Interestingly, when I left Vietnam the second time I was on emergency leave due to my mother's death. I went straight from the field in jungle fatigues, muddy boots, carrying my rucksack. Somewhere along the way I remembered that I had a Claymore mine, detonator, and 3 frag grenades in my ruck. Got to McChord AFB, reported to the Security Police and was allowed to turn in the ordnance without any problems. Had it been discovered otherwise I would probably have been court martialed.
I think he would just be a "Top?"
And there's nothin wrong with that!