[Pathfinder '65]

Just introducing myself to the camp.
I'm an OLD VN vet (1st Air Cav '65-'66) at 78.
I still like to shoot & do some .22 precision rifle matches & some military rifle matches.
I 'Snowbird in Bullhead City, AZ for 4 months in the winter, down from the Boise area.
I have recently been shooting some Swedish Mausers (M96 & M38's) with great enthusiasm!
It is amazing how accurate those rifles are! Just iron sights and cast bullet loads, but great, easy shooting fun for a 100Y range! Fortunately, AZ has a nice State range not far away towards Oatman.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone,
Denny

 

[Sgt Frank Rock]

Happy Thanksgiving………….Welcome aboard

 

[Venom6]

Hello, Denny, and welcome (from another relative newcomer). Great to hear you're still active at 78 (though I'm not too far behind you). Got '94 and '38 Swedes myself and enjoy their quality, accuracy, and mild recoil. Also pleased to hear you're into cast bullets. If you ever find yourself in NE Oregon please let me know. Would be happy to buy lunch and chat.

 

[IamElmerJFudd]

Welcome to Gunboards Forums and Happy Thanksgiving. Have a seat by the fire and we'll bring you out a plate.

 

[Pathfinder '65]

Thanks for the welcome guys!

 

[ammolab]

Enjoy the forum and enjoy those Swedes! Great shooters. I’m a 76 year old VN Vet myself (66-67 36th EVAC Hosp).
Welcome Home Soldier.

 

[curly1]

Welcome to the forums

 

[63H20]

Welcome home and to the forum.

 

[ITWORKEDOUT]

Welcome to the boards...you will see it gets addictive!!

 

[Quailridge]

Just introducing myself to the camp.
I'm an OLD VN vet (1st Air Cav '65-'66) at 78.
I still like to shoot & do some .22 precision rifle matches & some military rifle matches.
I 'Snowbird in Bullhead City, AZ for 4 months in the winter, down from the Boise area.
I have recently been shooting some Swedish Mausers (M96 & M38's) with great enthusiasm!
It is amazing how accurate those rifles are! Just iron sights and cast bullet loads, but great, easy shooting fun for a 100Y range! Fortunately, AZ has a nice State range not far away towards Oatman.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone,
Denny

78 YOA Eh? Glad to see some young blood joining up! Jeff

 

[pmanton]

Hi from Salome, AZ.

 

[Clyde]

Happy Thanksgiving and welcome home (and to the Boards) from another old Vietnam returnee. Age 79, in country 8/68-8/69.

 

[Sandlapper]

Hello and welcome, from SC, where we "winter" just fine at home.
M1 carbine addict here, but my deer stand overlooks my rifle range, so I get a bit rusty during deer season.
Always something going on at Gunboards, so I expect you will like it here.

 

[Steve-OH]

Welcome!

 

[wjneal]

Welcome to the boards and I agree on the Sweeds. I reload for them but use Sierra match king bullets as I have not gotten into casting. I was a REMF (73C20) in Vietnam December 1967 to December 1968, 25th Admin, 25th Inf Division. Mostly at Cu Chi but also spent some time at Dau Tieng and Tay Nin.

 

[Charles Lipscomb]

Welcome "Home" Denny!
I have a cousin named Denny also a veteran of Vietnam. He near.y lost a leg to mortar fire. But healed up nicely,,

 

[Pathfinder '65]

Charles, thanks for the welcome. Interesting, because the good doctors & nurses in our MASH unit saved my leg too.
I was the first man in to LZ Hereford. Huey that was dropping me off was getting shot up so I jumped at almost 20' off the ground into the buffalo grass directly onto a punji stake hidden there.
We did not have steel plated boots back then and it went thru the sole and my foot with the tip coming out at the ankle. Since turned out that we got contact a few minutes later, I was busy getting bad wounded onto the one or two ships that we could get in there with the rain that started, The punji stake had broken off at the sole of my boot, so 4-5" of it stayed in my foot. I didn't think that much about it with the fire fight and artillery coming down all around the perimeter that night until about 48 hours later. A medic had heard about it & crawled over to me. He slit my pant leg open, and I had all these bright red streaks going up my leg! I passed out on the flight back & woke up to the pretty smiling face of brunette nurse that had a six inch needle up that wound squirting anti-biotics up it.
She was TOO OLD for me though; she must have been 26-28!

 

[Charles Lipscomb]

What is it about legs?
My dad, US Army 1952-1955 broke his ankles in jump school.
Then later that year November 52 just before Thanksgiving he suffered wounds to his right thigh and capf from "missle fragments ", chicom artillery.
He was put on a heated train south. And had surgery in Japan.
But while on the train he still had on his winter clothing.
There were two GI's in the car as guards against attack, one white one black.
Neither guy had winter gear. And at each stop they took turns standing outside to stand guard.
Well dad was covered in blankets >n a heated car so he called one of them over to help get his cost off which he then offered to him. He protested at first but finally accepted i after dad assured him he'd get new gear , which he did.l Dad offered him his n wintermboots as well, but they were to large so dad told him to ask the otherr guy. Similar size, the guy was grateful for them..

Dad was offered disability and a ticket home but insisted on going back to hIs unit which he did shortly after.
I only saw his scars once. Nearly thirty years later they stood out. No impairment though.
BTW dad was a BAR man in the 2nd Infantry division.

 

[Clyde]

Charles Lipscomb asks "What is it about legs?", and respond "I don't know, but I sure know a lot of guys who got theirs torn up somehow". Heck - I am one, training accident, sort of. Blew out a knee on a field exercise (the one time in three years the whole division including the SJA Section went under canvas) as a JAG in1976. I think '76, maybe '75.

 

[mp40gunner]

My dad was 220th Aviation with 1st Cav at Phu Bai in 65 and 66. He still shoots as well at 79