V-100 Crew Member Vietnam 71-72

[V-100 Commando]

Just found this forum and it's great. I was the gunner on a V-100 in Vietnam stationed in Phu Bi 71-72. That's me in my avitar at the Bob Hope show at Camp Eagle. If I can help anyone with info let me know- what's left of my memory might have some useful information. I have a few print pictures of our old Vs and will see if I can get them scanned if anybody would be interested.
Great Site!
Jeff

 

[tbanks]

V 100

I would love to see the pics.

 

[littlebob]

Welcome aboard and after that picture info, we all love to see the pictures. The people on
the site are military and non-military, but all love the vehicles and the stories to be told by
the soldiers that were involved with them. I'm not former military.
Thank you for your service,
littlebob

 

[boomer]

Hi Jeff,
Glad that you're on this site too. Looking forward to seeing some photo's. I, for one, am definetly interested!
Boomer

 

[madsam]

Welcome.

 

[Crash_AF]

Ok ok... I didn't want to do it, but you forced me into it....



LOL Welcome to the site... most of us are picture junkies so get used to the above...

Later,
Joe

 

[M813rc]

Welcome aboard Jeff.

"Interested" doesn't even begin to describe how much I/we would like to see your pictures, trust me.

I am currently restoring one of your old warhorses-
http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?t=23235

Several other guys on here are doing so, or have done so.

So please post your pics, and share as many memories as you are willing to type, you definitely have an audience. Personal history on these vehicles and you folks who operated them is a rare and valuable commodity.

Thanks for being there.
Cheers

 

[vtdeucedriver]

Welcome Home.................................................Phu Bi, remember seeing any Gun Trucks with yellow noses???

 

[V-100 Commando]

Gun Trucks

Duece Driver-
I do remember those yellow nose gun trucks. In fact, there was a guy from one of those trucks (can't remember his name) that used to somehow get us great steaks for our bbq's. We were always jealous of those trucks because they had two 50's on them and we could only have one. We welded the 50 on our turrets and when we would fire them it would bend the armor.
You were once my neighbor- we move to California from Keene, New Hampshire.
Jeff

 

[V-100 Commando]

Picture Attempt

I'll try posting a picture and see if it works. If it does, it will be a picture of my buddy Todd Gordon from Minn. parked in front of the Citadel in Hue.
Jeff

 

[powerhouseduece]

Wow that turned out great!! please keep them coming....

 

[V-100 Commando]

Another Picture

Ok- that's seemed to work I'll try a picture of me as a 19 year old that looks like I'm 12. I'm standing in front of the "Iron Horse". Ron Noble from East Point Ga. was the driver and did the art work on the front.
Jeff

 

[V-100 Commando]

I'll Try My Worst One

Here is "Woodstock" "Iron Horse" and "The Good the Bad & the Ugly" resting in the motor pool. Mine "Catch 22" must have been on "REACT" duty. Sorry the picture's so bad, wish this one was the best one.

 

[V-100 Commando]

Yet Another One

This would be me in the turret getting ready to go out and Dave "Buck" Owens from West Virginia driving. He could drive and shift that thing like Mario Andretti. As you can see, we did the tire lettering in white like the musclecars, put some stripes on the rims, did the lug nuts silver, and we mixed some black in with the green when we painted them. You can take a car guy out of the country but......
I'll post more tomorrow, I'm tired from working on my 69 road runner all day.
Jeff

 

[Ozarker]

Sweet pics. Thanks for posting!

 

[cobmw]

Terrific pictures. What sort of missions did you go on with your V-100?

We are having a V-100 restored now. It should be done before spring. It will carry the two 50 calibers. Your photos are very helpful for us to get a better idea of some of the nose art found on these vehicles.

 

[Recovry4x4]

Welcome aboard, what a great resource for the V100 folks

 

[M813rc]

Jeff, those are great!
I've seen pictures of Catch 22 before, cool to now get details from someone who actually crewed it.
And little details, like the black in the paint (which explains why some of them look so dark) and the 'trim' on the wheels/tires, that you can provide from personal knowledge are invaluable.
I have wondered about one called The Vulture which has grey wheels and what look like rocket shipping tubes on the gun barrels (to make them look bigger? To protect the guns?), but without the input from you guys who were there, we can just guess. Thank you so very much for sharing with us.
I have sent that article to your home email.
Cheers

Edit: In looking at Iron Horse (with the little kid in front of it!) I now see tubes of some sort on the gun barrels Can you tell what kind and the purpose?

 

[V-100 Commando]

Run Flat Tires

Here's a picture of my friend Charlie McKellick from Levittown Pa. after he cut off the end of his thumb while we were mounting a new run flat tire on "Woodstock". That's Paul Mueller from Morton Grove Ill. and Charles "Chic" Daniel from Torrance Ca. (now retired LAPD Detective), I can't remember the Sgt. name- making fun of him.
We had the good fortune to have the Phu Bai airport right behind our MP compound and when we needed tires/parts/motors, we could "intercept" shipments at night before they headed to their rightful owners up north of us (sorry about that Quan Tre V-100s). We were stupid enough to dismount/mount those run flat tires ourselves without an inflation cage. Four or five of us would take off the old one with pry bars and then put the new one on. That's where Charlie lost the thumb when we dropped the new one on the rim with his thumb still on the bead. We would attach a long airhose on it and run behind the sandbags while it inflated waiting for the explosion. None of them ever did, but looking back, studipity can be painful.
Another note on the run flats- the V could do about 65-70 MPH, but... when you had them loaded down like we did, huge amounts of 50 & 60 ammo, m79 grenades w/launchers, LAWS, hand gernades, tools, C-rations, radios, and a bunch of other junk we probably didn't need,- those tires were like huge coil springs. Once it got to bouncing at that speed it was like a bucking bronco for a very eye opening experience. Kids don't try that at home.
Jeff

 

[vtdeucedriver]

Great stuff Jeff..........................you a NH native????? I attend a Military Vehicle rally in Weare NH every year in July/ (except the last 2 because I lived in TN) Welcome to the SS, keep telling us about the V-100.

By chance 18th MP unit????