Vietnam Vets:What knife or knives did you carry in Vietnam?

My grandfather carried a 6 inch plum brown SOG knife. He was a part of the Studies and observations group and he did have a college degree.

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palonej said:
Still get nightmares from that voice announcing the lottery numbers for the draft. Summer of 67 or 68??? In summer camp around 9 years old. All the counsellors, 18 or 19 years old, carried small transistor radios glued to their ears.
Scary stuff when people you look up to are scared silly.
Never forget that and a huge thank you to the vets.....it was THE war for me too.
Joe
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First Draft lottery was held December 1st 1969 for the 1970 year. Your probably remembering either July 1970 or August 1971. My lottery, 1972 happened in February. That was the last one.
 
My dad did 3 cruises in the Navy, he gave me both of his knives. (the bottom two, a family friend gave me the other one)
 
I was in the Army during the Vietnam War, I was never over seas, but I was stations at an overseas replacement base and serviced with many Vietnam Veteran duraing my short time in the service. I was into knives even then.
The original SOGs knives and Randall knives were rare. The SOG knives were owned by only a small group the SOG MAV.
The Randall knives were owned by officers or second or third gen military who knew what they were, some were gifts from family or knives past down from other military veterans.
The average enlisted GI made a $100 to $200 a month at time. They was a few GI that had as you might guess KaBars the common military Air Force survial knife.
The most common knife I would see with veterans were the Bucks, Schrade and a few Puma that were available at the PX.
The PX sold these knives at a deep discounts Buck 119, 110 would sell out in no time. The other Buck fixed blades were popular to I had a 118 personal. Schrade fixed blades were popular the OT 150 was a bargain, seldom do you see any thing written about this knife in Vietnam, it was there.
More than one GI toll me stories of trading off his Gerber mark II. The Mark II was a special purpose knife.
not and every day tool. A very good friend who was a captian in Vietnam traded his Gerber Mark II for a Puma White Hunter. I ask to see it he laugh and said it was his pribar and hammered on many times, open crates and cut heavy bands, he left it in Vietnam with a friend.
 
I like to elaborate on " Mike L. "Post about knives and watches of Vietnam era
In several special groups, many were veteran of Vietnam, most were career types
Special Forces, Navy and Army Intelligence groups, CIA, CIA contractor, Embassy Types,
Most of my early Randall knife information came from this group.
A standard was a Randall knife, Rolex or Omaga watch, and a highin handgun, Browning HP was very popular.
The handgun choise was all ways a debate,
No debate on the knife and watch, Why, the were quality and usefull tools.
My first job after military/college, "my boss came out of one of the above groups", toll me you need a Randall knife and a Rolex watch. Why i ask ? Answer..." Quick cash .. there not a Pawn Shop in the world that won't take a Randall or a Rolex.
He had pawn his all over the world,
ATM are a recent thing
Two month after starting my new job my boss sent me to Orlando, go see Randall while you are there.
 
My father was in the 101st ABN, Nov 1969 to late 1970.
My mother mailed him a Kabar brand hunting knife. When he left, he gave it to a buddy to send in the mail back to him. The guy never sent it, or it was lost in the mail. My dad never heard from the guy again either.
 
101st Abn 59-61. Lusted after and acquired a Randall #1. Buddy hounded me unmercifully for it. Sold it to him, took profit and got a Randall #2. Carried it in Germany with VII Corps LRP Co. SF in 62. VN in 63, 67, 71 and that Randall went with me. Still have it today. Looks a bit battered. Had an african black wood handle. Nickle silver double hilt and duralumin butt cap.
SS blade. Only used once and it worked fine. Normally used a demo knife or TL29 for routine chores. The #1 was for special tasks, but it was always on my gear. Had to do it over again, would use one with 6" blade vs 8". Used the Aircrew Survival knife and it worked ok. Still have both. They are over 50 years old now. Sheaths are still functional, but dyed black. Carried them all over; Europe, Asia, Africa, deserts, arctic, tropics. That demo knife was probably the best/most useful tool. Killed a trapped doe with it on a SF survival exercise once. Lost it in Alaska somewhere in the 70's. Lots of old memories brought back by this thread. Thanks, guys.
 
In the USMCR at the time and were told we were to be activated ( never happened) and looked at the Randall's but just way too expensive for an enlisted Marine but had heard great things about them from returning Marines. I decided that the issued bayonet would have to work.
 
Well, since the thread is back...

My dad was a USAF instrument tech stationed at Tachikawa Airfield Japan 1967-1969 (and then Florida afterward) IIRC. For some reason while he was there he traded around for a USN Mk 2. He went on to write a fictional book about a group of USAF instrument techs in Japan that occasionally went to Vietnam to scavenge for parts, though I've never seen a reference to anything like that happening in real life. He later went on to carry that Mk 2 on field exercises with a Marine Reserve unit occasionally working with STA platoon (after leaving the Air Force he joined the Navy, then decided to join the Marine Reserves as a hospital corpsman). He continued to carry that knife under the seat of the family vehicle until the vehicle was broken in to and the knife stolen. I bought him a replacement USMC Kabar in a leather scabbard that he never carried (I'm guessing he felt it was too nice and I know he didn't care for the leather scabbard). I eventually found another USN Mk 2 at a surplus store near Monterey California, bought it, gave it to him, and he took it to the field a few more times before before retiring. Having since passed away I now have both knives in my safe.
 
NapalmCheese said:
He continued to carry that knife under the seat of the family vehicle until the vehicle was broken in to and the knife stolen.
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My old man was a brown water sailor in Vietnam and brought back his/a bayonet and did exactly the same thing that thing has lived under the seat of every car he's had since then. When I was a boy scout he'd use it when we camped then back under the seat :)
 
My dad was drafted, but served stateside on account of knowing how to type, so he doesn't have much in the way of stories. Come to think of it, he rarely acknowledges being a veteran, and I've never questioned it. I know that I had a great uncle who fought in WWII, and it was not a subject to be discussed with us kids. I did end up with a bayonet that was brought back from Europe, that I don't know anything about.

Despite not having any Vietnam-era knives or interesting stories, my fascination with knives came about due to my mom's cousin, who served in Vietnam and ended up living in SE Asia, getting married to a local girl, and coming home to visit from time to time, with knives for me and a couple of cousins around my age. Sadly, they were all more or less junk, but I do still have a Buck knock-off that I subject to ridiculous abuse in the garage and garden.
 
RickJ said:
I am a vet from Iraq and Afghanistan, and just so the Vietnam vets know, I spent 4 years doing POW/MIA Search and Recovery in Vietnam from 1992-1996 with the Central Identification Lab out of Hawaii. I have always thought about what the guys would have carried to Vietnam back then.

Please list all knives, multi purpose knives like Vic SAKS what ever you took over with you, pics would be great if you have them. Last, I want to say a big thanks to the Vietnam Vets for all they did for us.
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Rick, I was the Ops Officer and Senior Team Leader at CILHI 1990-1993. In 1990 we had Four officers (Cdr - LTC, XO - CPT, Ops Officer/Team Leader - CPT, and Forensic Odontologist - MAJ), and three Search and Recovery Teams of six NCOs each authorized. The entire military/civilian strength was only about 40 pax. Cdr and I grew it to 13 Search and Recovery Teams and a much larger support staff including a proper S3 starting with 25 SecDef directed military overstrength positions. Other than being a Rifle Platoon Leader, that CILHI assignment was the best assignment I had in 23 years of service.

Were you one of the authorized overstrength we pulled from 25th ID?
 
leghog said:
Rick, I was the Ops Officer and Senior Team Leader at CILHI 1990-1993. In 1990 we had Four officers (Cdr - LTC, XO - CPT, Ops Officer/Team Leader - CPT, and Forensic Odontologist - MAJ), and three Search and Recovery Teams of six NCOs each authorized. The entire military/civilian strength was only about 40 pax. Cdr and I grew it to 13 Search and Recovery Teams and a much larger support staff including a proper S3 starting with 25 SecDef directed military overstrength positions. Other than being a Rifle Platoon Leader, that CILHI assignment was the best assignment I had in 23 years of service.

Were you one of the authorized overstrength we pulled from 25th ID?
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When I PCS'd into Hawaii in 2004 all the enlisted CILHI were pulled form incoming troops to 25th ID. The only reason I know that is my old PA from Ft. Drum was assigned there and tried to get me to come over with him but I had already been assigned to 2-5 Inf. by the time he saw me and they were already on orders to Afghanistan.
 
Enlisted in 72 as my lottery # was way low and didn't want to end up a grunt in Nam. Ended up spending almost 3 yrs with 1/3rd Cav border patrol unit on the Czech border/Iron Curtain in Southern Germany (Bayreuth area). Was in commo so I carried the issue TL-29/pliers combo and a Puma folder-110 copy.--KV
 
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I carried a Gerber MKII much of the time until I dropped it out of a Slick. Then I got a faux K-Bar on the Black Market, but most of the time I just had my razor sharp bayonet.
 
kvaughn said:
Enlisted in 72 as my lottery # was way low and didn't want to end up a grunt in Nam. Ended up spending almost 3 yrs with 1/3rd Cav border patrol unit on the Czech border/Iron Curtain in Southern Germany (Bayreuth area). Was in commo so I carried the issue TL-29/pliers combo and a Puma folder-110 copy.--KV
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I was also in the 72 lottery. The truth is nobody from that last lottery actually got drafted. But I know three other guys who like you enlisted for the same reasons. Two of them made carriers out of their enlistment and now after retirement both of them have civilian jobs supporting the Army. Go figure. My number was up in the last third, I still ended up enlisting in the Air Force in 1974, can you say recession?
 
leghog said:
Rick, I was the Ops Officer and Senior Team Leader at CILHI 1990-1993. In 1990 we had Four officers (Cdr - LTC, XO - CPT, Ops Officer/Team Leader - CPT, and Forensic Odontologist - MAJ), and three Search and Recovery Teams of six NCOs each authorized. The entire military/civilian strength was only about 40 pax. Cdr and I grew it to 13 Search and Recovery Teams and a much larger support staff including a proper S3 starting with 25 SecDef directed military overstrength positions. Other than being a Rifle Platoon Leader, that CILHI assignment was the best assignment I had in 23 years of service.

Were you one of the authorized overstrength we pulled from 25th ID?
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I was a volunteer from 25th ID not DA Selected, That came in during that time. I was on E Team at CILHI from late 92-96 and did if I remember correctly 17 JFA's and as a young NCO went on 3 Investigation trips. I went to Laos 3 times and Vietnam the rest. I was on the big build up CILHI had in late 92. I remember a Captain that was there when I arrived, just can't remember the name that had a thing with a old C-Rations he was holding for a special event, was that you? That Captain left around 1993.
 
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