Gun Truck Radio Call Signs

[historyfanatics]

I was able to find out from the vets that the original radio call sign for The Widow Maker was Gladiator 23 (or 24, 25, depending on the truck number).

The "Gladiator" part comes from she was with "G" Battery, 65th Artillery.

How did Transportation units come up with their radio call signs?

Also, what were the radio call signs for other gun trucks?

 

[rorybellows]

within the platoon, each gunner had our own call sign. but usually, as something of urgent importance was needed to be conveyed, it usually was the truck or "gun" number followed by the message. we'd usually get into some trouble with different f.o.b.'s security attachment, with all the chatter that we usually were doing.

man, those headsets made target aquisition (sp.) and useless chatter for that, so much more easier to do.

mine was the russian, i dont know why, as im not russian.

 

[SMOKEWAGON66]

Im not sure about past crews' call signs, but when I was in Iraq as a gunner, i was assigned to the 66th Trans Co . We were attached to the 524th Combat Support Battalion. I have no idea who they were really or where they were from because we were just thrown in with a grab bag of units. The 66th's name was "Road Kings" and our motto was "Raise up!" . In Iraq, our guns were just called RoadKing 17,27,37, or 47 depending on which platoon Sergeant had control over the mission. If it was the Plt Ldr it was RoadKing 16, 26, etc. The CC's gun would take the designation above, and each subsequent gun would take either Scout, Gun 1, Gun 2 , etc. Since everyone in the truck had headset commo on the SINCGARS, the driver was "Gun 1 Delta" the TC was "Gun 1 Tango Charlie" and the gunner was "Gun 1 Golf", etc . As a gunner with commo on a headset it was very helpful when being engaged. I remember one time near Balad airbase, I was trying to engage enemy forces who were firing on us, but i didnt have line of sight, but with the headset on, i was able to direct an Apache gunship to the target. That to me, that was just awesome.

 

[rorybellows]

haha raise up. were you in third plt? thats what third in our co, was. ditto on the not knowing who you fell under. they were just some little po' dunk unit like us. 3rd somethin rather. their patch was a circle with a arrow going from low. rt. to upper. lt. we just called them the leaning ****house.

it was always a treat to see them choppers ****in something up. the big russian gun copter, the hind i think. saw that bowin' someone or something back to the stone age once. i'd hate to be anywhere near the target of that hellfire


ooh, love that 240. i only got it a few times, i was mainly a ma deuce guy. a little mark 19 here and there and if desperate, the 249. bleh

 

[Driver523]

You guys will love this one-----Came out of Lonnie Garretts album----An individual would then have his number after the prefix----Driver

 

[SMOKEWAGON66]

haha raise up. were you in third plt? thats what third in our co, was. ditto on the not knowing who you fell under. they were just some little po' dunk unit like us. 3rd somethin rather. their patch was a circle with a arrow going from low. rt. to upper. lt. we just called them the leaning ****house.

it was always a treat to see them choppers ****in something up. the big russian gun copter, the hind i think. saw that bowin' someone or something back to the stone age once. i'd hate to be anywhere near the target of that hellfire


ooh, love that 240. i only got it a few times, i was mainly a ma deuce guy. a little mark 19 here and there and if desperate, the 249. bleh

HAHA the leaning sh*thouse....i think that was the 18th Corps support brigade but i could be mistaken. When were you there? What FOB were you on? My 2nd tour was Aug 06 thru Nov 07 at Q-West. I was in first platoon of the 66th, 1st squad known as LOTT's Lizards... a lil play on words "lot lizard" since my Sqd ldr's name was Ssgt Lott lol....My nickname was either "devilman" "FIXXXER" or "the FIX" ppl thought i was crazy, and when i was around my usual driver, Sgt Jim Insana, i was..or we were

..that 240 was just there on the table one day so i took a pic with it...i rarely used one either...my gun is behind me...an M1114 with my Ma-Deuce on top. Numbers were 524CSB on the left, and 66 109 on the right (as you looked at it) Our radio freq on the shield was 852. i gunned 95% of the time with a 50...couple times with a 240, and once with my SAW... without a pole mount at all..just standing in the turret holding it lol..i gunned a while in an M1117 ASV but i was too big for the gunner basket and it hurt my knees so i decided to stick with HMMWV's..although the AC in the ASV was awesome...

 

[minigunner64th]

haha raise up. were you in third plt? thats what third in our co, was. ditto on the not knowing who you fell under. they were just some little po' dunk unit like us. 3rd somethin rather. their patch was a circle with a arrow going from low. rt. to upper. lt. we just called them the leaning ****house.

it was always a treat to see them choppers ****in something up. the big russian gun copter, the hind i think. saw that bowin' someone or something back to the stone age once. i'd hate to be anywhere near the target of that hellfire


ooh, love that 240. i only got it a few times, i was mainly a ma deuce guy. a little mark 19 here and there and if desperate, the 249. bleh

We had the leaning ****house in Viet Nam, too. Was 1st Logistics Command. Was the largest unit in Nam.