Inter-Service Borrowing

[Detachment Charlie]

A thread in the Rifle Country regarding the Marines on Guadalcanal and their borrowing of new M-1s from the Army and replacing them with "previously owned" `03s, reminded me of a another tale of "inter-service borrowing" --
Back in late `68 or `69 (Ah, the good ole days), some were puzzled by all of SeaBee activity at Cam Rahn Bay. Almost overnight, a new chow hall was built. Nobody seemed too sure who had ordered it built, but the Seabees did their usual fine and fast work...especially fast.
The reason for this, was the word of a IG inspection centering on the unusually high attrition of Air Force vehicles, especially those A/F blue 4-door Dodge Pick-Ups. A bunch had just dissappeared. Strangely, the SeaBees had obtained a flock of Navy gray 4-door Dodge pick-ups about the same time the Air Force misplaced theirs.

Back to the Chow Hall construction. Upon hearing of the IG's upcoming visit, the decision was made to build a new chow hall. It's most unusual feature was a "basement." At least the foundation was excavated for a basement and "allegedly" filled with several 4-door pick-ups, then paved over.
Just to help keep guns in the story....I'm pretty sure there were some unauthorized M-3 grease guns that nobody wanted to get caught with that are part of that Chow Hall foundation.

 

[Phil Ca]

A great story!! We had a big deal about concrete and plywood when i was in the RVN, circa 65/66 with the First ID. I was reaonably handy with a hammer and saw and I was into building small shelves to keep the ammo boxes off the ground in our bunkers. The problem always was the lack of decent building material. Our CO managed a trade of something for several sacks of concrete and a bunch of plywood. The problem was he kept all of it for himself and a few select officers and NCO's

As for the M3A1 SMG's. I obtained one from an entrepeneur who sold it to me for 45 bucks with a passel of magazines, ammo and a mag bag. I had converted my M14 to full auto, had a .38 revolver and with my sub-gun and grenade stash was ready for what ever came up. I was able to fire it in our test fire pit and it worked like a charm. The only other SMG in the unit belonged to a 2nd LT who had a Swedish K with one magazine and a box or two of 9mm. I thought my .45 was a better deal since I had 6 loaded mags ready to go and a couple of spares just in case.

When I was due to rotate back to CONUS, I sold my SMG for 60 bucks and thought that was a reasonable deal.