Can anyone help me with the history of my 1966 M109A3.

[KaiserM109]

I've been going over my M109A3 deuce looking for any papers that might tell me something about it's history. The first thing I noticed is a small tag rivited to the panel between the driver's door and the seat. Can anyone tell me what it means?

It looks like my truck is a 2 war veteran. Other things that we found was a paper inside a plastic wrapper taped to the inside of the back door (yes, some deuces have back doors). It indicates that it came back from Iraq in 2002 or later.

On the bumper just inside the left bumper number was glued another sticker that seems to indicate that it passed through Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.

The 39th Inf. Bde. is a National Guard unit from Arkansas. Their patch is a Bowie knife and there is a sticker with their patch on the driver's windshield. I'm going to preserve that!! I did a little research about the 39th Inf. Bde. and found out that it was part of 7th Inf, 5th corps in Iraq deployed in the north against the Serian border.

This truck is a '66 model. The 39th Bde. was reconstituted in 1967 and deployed as part of the 4th Inf. Div., so it probably went to and returned from Viet Nam as well.

 

[Recovry4x4]

The MWO tag is for seat belts.

 

[maddawg308]

Yup. Congrats! In 1990, your deuce got upgraded to 1966 safety standards!

 

[KaiserM109]

That would explain why the "Thou shalt wear seat belts" decal is so shinny and new looking.

 

[jasonjc]

Whats the bumper number on your truck??? Mine had some keys in it but not for mine.

 

[KaiserM109]

B-32. I have 2 government padlocks on a chain to lock the steering wheel, but no keys. What is your bumper number? What year is your truck? Aren't the markings from your truck 39th Inf. Bde.?

I have been doing some research on the 39th Inf. Bde. You will probably be interested to know that the 39th Inf. Bde. is the Arkansas National Guard and they have a pretty distinguished history in both Viet Nam and Iraq. I have emailed them for information. I'll let you know what I find out.

 

[jasonjc]

I have the keys for B-43. Mine is B-30 , it's a 1971. I would like to know what you find out on the unit history. I think the unit is out of Heber Springs , AR That my truck came from 39 BDE 39th SPT B company.

 

[KaiserM109]

In my earlier research I must have been confusing the Arkansas unit with another. I just rec'd this email:

Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE

Arlyn -

The 39th Infantry Brigade, Arkansas National Guard, never served in Vietnam.
Two of the regiments that are continued in today's 39th served in WWII, but
neither served in Korea or Vietnam. The 39th did serve in Operation Iraqi
Freedom.

Steve Rucker
Director
Arkansas National Guard Museum

 

[nattieleather]

I think there was only one Army National Guard unit that served in Vietnam.....hence why many young men avoided being drafted by joining the Guard.

39 BDE 39th SPT B company. 39th Brigade, 39th Support Battalion, Bravo Company. 30th and 32nd vehicle in the order of march.

 

[KaiserM109]

I believe that there were several National Guard units from Oklahoma in the 1/11th and 1/84 Artillery. Just like in Iraq, the Guard units caught it coming and going. Several guys in HHB, 1/11th got their service time extended beyond the 6 years in order to deploy them. From what I have read, jet jockeys really caught it on time extensions.

There were 3 designations for your type of service, RA for Regular Army, US for draftees and NG for National Guard. Before your SSN were used, we had an 8 digit service number and those 2 letters prefixed it. "Sir!" followed it. That's kind of an inside joke from basic training.

In 1969 the NG units were some of the best trained units there and we relied heavily upon their experience. Read Steel My Soldiers' Hearts by Col. Hackworth and watch for references to C Battery, 1/11th.

 

[No.2Diesel]

NG was also slang for "not going"

 

[KaiserM109]

More from the 39th:

Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE

Arlyn -

I suspect the vehicle was from Company B, 39th Support Battalion. It could
have been a telecommunications repair van - part of Company B's mission. It
should have returned from Iraq in the spring of 2005.

Here is a link to the 39th Iraq history
http://www.first-team.us/journals/39th_bde/

Steve

 

[DDoyle]

Re: RE: Can anyone help me with the history of my 1966 M109A

There were 3 designations for your type of service, RA for Regular Army, US for draftees and NG for National Guard. Before your SSN were used, we had an 8 digit service number and those 2 letters prefixed it.quote]

You left out one - the obscure FR prefix - Federal Reserve

Regards,
David Doyle

 

[BKubu]

RE: Re: RE: Can anyone help me with the history of my 1966 M

This is very cool. I've had trucks that I suspected had been to the Gulf for the first war and others that I believe to have been there (inverted Vs on doors). However, I have never had this much info on prior deployments. Congratulations!

 

[bottleworks]

Re: RE: Re: RE: Can anyone help me with the history of my 19

This is very cool. I've had trucks that I suspected had been to the Gulf for the first war and others that I believe to have been there (inverted Vs on doors). However, I have never had this much info on prior deployments. Congratulations!

Agreed! As far as I know, mine never left the US. Hopefully you can save that shipping label somehow.

 

[Arkansassoldier]

RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: Can anyone help me with the history of m

I am a member of the 39th from Arkansas. We are currently on our second deployment (the entire BDE)to Iraq as part of OIF. B co 2nd of 153 IN deployed to Kuwait after Desert Storm for Operation Overwatch on the Iraq/Kuwait Border. I dont know the dates but it was about 2000 .They mobolized from Ft. Carson. In 2001 our whole Batallion 2-153 IN was activated, we trained at Ft. Carson and deployed to the Siani in Egypt from Jan.2002 to July 2002. Our 1st deployment to Iraq, we were activated in 2003 and spent 6 months training at Ft. Hood Texas and deployed to Iraq in April 2004 with the 1st Cav. Division for a year. This time we trained at Camp Shelby MS. and came here in April this year. The 39th served also in WW2. It wasnt activated for Vietnam. But over the years I have served with several Vietnam Vets in the 39th. Some of the 39th soldier from the 5-206 Field Artillery served in Desert Storm filling in the 142nd Field Artillery Brigade from the Arkansas Army National Guard also. Thanks for your Interest and support.

 

[KaiserM109]

RE: Re: RE: Re: RE: Can anyone help me with the history of m

Arkansassoldier,
Thank you for serving. A part of me really hurts when I read about casualties in Iraq. I think in many respects you guys have it worse than we did in Nam.

When I was in the 1/11th Field Artillery a lot of our guys were NG. They were some of the best trained cannon cockers we had and the most serious. Read Col. Hackworth's book Steel My Soldiers Hearts and watch for references to C Bat., 1/11th. He rips everybody a new posterior orifice except C Bat, 1/11th. Most of that battery was NG.

My M109A3, the one in my avatar, shows signs of being well maintained. Its biggest problem is that it is 42 years old and low priority things like the rubber around the windshield are in bad shape. I plan to soak off the Bowie Knife emblem on the driver’s windshield and save it.

When money permits, I plan to sand blast it and paint it up like it looked in 1966. I was going to put bumper numbers from my old unit, 15th Combat Engineers, 9 ID, but I think now I’ll put its real ones back on. If you can get me a new Bowie Knife decal, I would appreciate it. I will put it on when I restore the truck.

Thanks for responding and thanks again for the service you are providing. Maybe someday we’ll meet.

Arlyn
PS just to clarify it, I was in 15th CEB for 12 mo and 1/11th for 2 wks short of 6 mo. I spent those 2 weeks plus 10 more in hospitals when a muzzle blast from a 155mm from the 1/84th rattled my brains.