M67 and M18A1 Lessons Learned

[2/502nd Grunt]

Russell here...bored here on a rainy cold day in WV and thought Id see if I could get some responses on a couple of Combat related lessons they DID NOT teach us in Bootcamp and AIT that possibly save lives...after reading 82redlegs texts...the Division had a lot of lessons learned... none that pertained to the M67 and M18A1...I’ll see if some of you can remember anything that might save lives using these items...I’ll tell ya my experiences after I hear some of yours.... Russell

[tanklizard]

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[jeffdoorgunnr]

being on a large army airfield not exposed or used claymores or grenades much. Our aero scout outfit used to make home-made bombs that were filled up m-60 ammo cans. they almost always put some hand grenades and or a claymore or two in them. I knew a gunner who pulled the pin on a white phosphorus grenade that had a short fuse{or he was too slow} and it went off close enough to him that he wound up with a pock marked face...…..

[101combatvet]

I carried my M67s in my cargo pocket, I think I taped them.

[2/502nd Grunt]

Jeff you were sittin in a bomb everytime you climbed up in that cubbyhole with the 60 in your lap... And Willie Petes had 4 second delay fuses....fragmentation grenades 4 second fuses also...which comes to one of my points with frags...if your gonna throw “cookoffs” DONT COUNT TOO slow.... Also when digging in ..in your NDP take notice of close large trees in front before it gets dark...some nights you couldn’t see Your hand in front of your face...frags have been known to hit trees and bounce back in your hole...also ALWAYS holler “FRAG OUT” when ones thrown....I had a squad leader who got a Purple Heart after one I threw slightly in front of his position...luckily it was a small piece of shrapnel... And yes 101 I forgot about taping spoons on ones we carried most of time on our person or ruck... Once them spoons fly for what ever reason the pin comes out...you GOT 4 SECONDS!!! Russell

[2/502nd Grunt]

And a lil about claymores...I usually humped 2...One booby trapped (mechanical ambush) and one not.. dont think I ever got on ground and used the sights like Pvt. Murphy...I could take an hour on this subject...but one we didnt learn in training is that 100 ft lamp cord or however long is something that should be looked at...I had 3 set out one night on Comeback....we were surrounded and had 3 ground attacks the first night...they brought two or three steel pots of frags during the night..my position was a small ravine below me...when I needed my claymores most ...I started layin on the clackers!!! NUTHIN!!!!! Bout s..t my pants rest of night...thought maybe dinks got to em and pulled and cut caps....dint know I survived the night and while assessing the damage and carnage first light...found all the frags I threw did a damn damn on lamp cords!!!!!! This is one #1 friggin thing they should address....more on claymores later Russell

[Herman Hum]

This is one #1 friggin thing they should address.

How would you address the issue?
Except for making the cords out of titanium, what else could have been done?

[2/502nd Grunt]

Well sir...I sure haven’t come up with an answer after 50 years of what could be done....just that they should at least let you know that them cords are vulnerable....put yourself in my place hittin them clackers while under attack and NUTHIN!!!! And finding out at light that your claymore cords been severed in dozens of places from grenades...my point is...They could TELL you...as what my post is about could save lives.... Russell

[jeffdoorgunnr]

Jeff you were sittin in a bomb everytime you climbed up in that cubbyhole with the 60 in your lap... And Willie Petes had 4 second delay fuses....fragmentation grenades 4 second fuses also...which comes to one of my points with frags...if your gonna throw “cookoffs” DONT COUNT TOO slow.... Also when digging in ..in your NDP take notice of close large trees in front before it gets dark...some nights you couldn’t see Your hand in front of your face...frags have been known to hit trees and bounce back in your hole...also ALWAYS holler “FRAG OUT” when ones thrown....I had a squad leader who got a Purple Heart after one I threw slightly in front of his position...luckily it was a small piece of shrapnel... And yes 101 I forgot about taping spoons on ones we carried most of time on our person or ruck... Once them spoons fly for what ever reason the pin comes out...you GOT 4 SECONDS!!! Russell

All valid lessons learned I am sure. Sadly lessons are usually learned by experience, which at times is not always good.

[Greybriar]

A couple of things I learned during my 1968-69 tour in Vietnam:
1. Carry your hand grenades in a canteen cover attached to your pistol belt to protect them (and you!).
2. The C-4 explosive contained in the Claymore mine was very good to heat water for coffee as it burned hot and fast.

[2/502nd Grunt]

Very true gunner...I saw an MA put 3 guys on medovac...cause someone done something stupid like “forgot where he set it!”

[2/502nd Grunt]

The photo is a piece of 12-2 or 14-2 ...12 to 14 inches electrical wire I used on my MA’s for a trigger device...the spoons or clothes pins trick dint work for me....send another pic of wire later...

[SRV Ron]

In 67, We always carried grenades on the web belt with the following rule, the strap that held the grenade in place MUST go through the pin ring. That was done to prevent something, such as the bamboo brush from pulling the pin. One guy learned that lesson the hard way when the pin got pulled while traveling through such brush. He died an hour later on the dust off with half of his side missing. No amount of morphine could kill that pain. Two other guys were hit by the shrapnel.

[2/502nd Grunt]

All valid lessons learned I am sure. Sadly lessons are usually learned by experience, which at times is not always good.

Yes Ron as Jeffs quote lessons learned is not always good...and yes Greybriar seems like iffin we run low on heat tabs...seemed like someone had some C-4 with em....

[2/502nd Grunt]

This snowbird came back from a long winter stay in the deep south..Anyway...was this trigger device used anywhere else or was it an Oh-Deuce thing...