• Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!

  • Microsoft MSN, Live, Hotmail, Outlook email users may not be receiving emails. We are working to resolve this issue. Please add support@steelsoldiers.com to your trusted contacts.

 

Truck info

msgjd

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
856
2,686
93
Location
upstate ny
Correct as above, truck is from 131st ENGR Vt Army National Guard. The "LE" stands for "light equipment" company.

Your truck is not from "just another guard unit." You should be proud to restore it to it's original markings.

This outfit was activated Oct61-Aug62 for the Berlin Crisis. It was activated again from May68-Sep69 for Vietnam. The 131st LE spent one month at Tuy Hoa and then moved to the central highlands near Cambodian border at Ban Me Thout for the remainder of its TDY. It was part of the 577th ENGR BN, 18th ENGR BDE. Over the decades, the 131st has fielded rock crushers, 5T & 10T tractors, all sizes of dump trucks, graders, scrapers, dozers, and many other combat-support vehicles.

The 131st was activated again in Nov90-May91 for defense/liberation of Kuwait and Saudi defense, and again Jul06-Jan08 during the current conflict.

Somewhere in my albums I have pics of M817's from the 131st's CS (combat support) company doing a fill job in the 1980's up at Ethan Allen Firing Range in Jerico (Vt) .. I also have many pics of M817's and 20-tons in the 1970's/80's of their attached 45th ENGR Co. Many of the 817's were still OD w/stars working alongside MERDC-painted 817's in 1976-78. The 131st (and 45th) received newer versions of equipment rather quickly. They started turning in their M39-series for the M809-series in the early-mid 1970's. By the mid-1980's they had turned in their M123's for CHET's. (M911's)

I personally know a few of its Vietnam-era members, one of which was with the unit in Vietnam. My son was also a member for a time.


Campaign Credits:

Vietnam1593532131713.png

1593531924416.png
Counteroffensive, Phase V
Counteroffensive, Phase VI
Tet 69/Counteroffensive Summer-Fall 1969

Southwest Asia
Defense of Saudi Arabia
Liberation and Defense of Kuwait
Cease-Fire

War on Terrorism
Campaigns to be determined
 
Last edited:

w250guy

Member
33
21
8
Location
Stamford/vt
That is awesome thank you so much for the info! I’m even more excited now to make her pretty again!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

HDN

Well-known member
1,937
4,648
113
Location
Finger Lakes Region, NY
Thanks for the history lesson! I've heard many trucks from the northeast may have seen some combat in Vietnam.

Judging from the air cleaner on the passenger side fender, the truck looks like some flavor of M39A2.
 

fasttruck

Well-known member
1,265
622
113
Location
Mesa, AZ
The air cleaner is a non stock item liberated from a 5 ton. Deuces have the stock air cleaner under the hood in the right rear corner of the engine compartment.
 
  • Like
Reactions: HDN

fasttruck

Well-known member
1,265
622
113
Location
Mesa, AZ
5 tons have 10 stud piloted wheels and are a full 8 feet wide. And are stock with hydraulic power steering.
 
  • Like
Reactions: HDN

w250guy

Member
33
21
8
Location
Stamford/vt
Yes you are correct, I got the air filter housing off an m54, always liked the look of the big can on the fenders


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
  • Like
Reactions: HDN
Top
AdBlock Detected

We get it, advertisements are annoying!

Sure, ad-blocking software does a great job at blocking ads, but it also blocks useful features of our website like our supporting vendors. Their ads help keep Steel Soldiers going. Please consider disabling your ad blockers for the site. Thanks!

I've Disabled AdBlock
No Thanks