Vietm Gun Trucks

That last photo is Mike on the Ace---The 3/4 ton Daughter of Darkness is a rename of my old truck Malfunction------These photos are from Operation Lam Son 719---1971----Our own member Ugly Ranger was there-----------------Driver

Here's are the 40mm shells for the 40mm BOFOR used in WWII.

Now all I need is the gun!

Sheps---I see KS in your profile---I got mail from someone at the KS military museum that ask about building a duce gun truck---that around you? Just which or where in Kansas I don't know--------Driver

These photos are from Paul Bader--He ws with the 57th trans---Driver

Driver 523,

That is the Military Heritage Museum in St Joseph, Mo. (about 40 miles away). It is a privately owned museum. He has an M725 Ambulance, a couple of Jeeps, a Huey (shell) and tons of uniforms. I talked with him about restoring these vehicles (all of which are either in process, or not restored yet). He tried to get me to restore his huey (since I repaired avionics equipment in the Navy. It would have been fun, but I just didn't have the time or make that drive each day.

Driver523,

Also, there is the Topeka Air museum, KS, that may also be where you heard from them.

Shep---I just went to the other puter and looked back through my emails--It was Robert Wilson from the Kansas Museum of Military History, He ask about info on the Gathering in Aug. at Pigeon Forge, it sounded like they were in hopes of getting the duce gun truck built and bringing it to the Gathering-----any and all are welcome at the Gathering, bring a MV or not---but we have a great time------Driver

Larry, (driver). The Proud American crew will be back for sure. The Proud will be more correct as we have worked a trade with AMG on this site for an M54 to replace the M813.
Also...Sammy brought down some windshield and door armor and is sending the specs of the gunbox used on Satan's Little Angel, then Proud, then Ace of Spades.
Dang...3 Guntrucks with the same bumper #!!!

Hey buddy---hows it goin?----Yeah--been talkin to Sammy and Ug---Thats a great truck you have and a huge Thanks to you and yer group for presurving our history---glad to hear ole Calvin made it too---I'm only hearing good things about you guys---Maybe--just maybe you can get some movies of that goer doin burnouts for us----Thanks again---this Gathering just may be bigger yet---Driver

If you can't get ahold of Sammy an you need the measurments quick let me know--I still have all that stuff---and---That 316 bumper number was also a cargo truck that was drivin by John Mattox of the 523rd in 70----Driver

Here's some photos that belong to Richard Cornell---Richard was on Mighty Mini----Oh yeah--Ho Chi's Hearse was one of my favorite names for a gun truck---enjoy-------Driver

These photos are from the album of Leigh Buckner----Enjoy------Driver

These photos are from the album of Claude Roberson, he was with the 57th trans and then the 523rd, 19 years old and NCOIC of the Ace of Spades (19 and in charge of that much fire power as were others), thats him with the tankers helmet, also--on born loser look at the door armor---RPG hit-----Driver---PS--notice the slanted armor on The Rebel--its been renamed from Assassin----------

These photos came out of the museum at Fort Eustis so I don't know just who took them, but on the Abortion photo I'll take a guess it came from John Rea----here ya go---Driver

Someone correct me if I am wrong (getting old you know) but when I was in NAM (69-70) there were no "official specs for a gun truck". The ones I saw the most had one or two 50 cal guns but the individuals would mount anything they could scrounge, barter for, or steal to make their own gun truck.

Bulldawg--yer right on--the only thing is most that armor---when you see armor with those gun ports in it and the two by two holes around the edge it had to be a kit--reason being---all the 3x4 panels had the gun ports just off center--cept--the 3 x 4 foot sheet hung on the outside of the door and that just happened to have that hole just right for the mirror, then there is the hinge system to hang that particular sheet-its cast-so it wasn't "made" in the motor pool and the same with the armored windshield--it also had a cast hinge system, and if thats not enough just try and imagine that all those trans units just happen to make em all the same---but some trucks had regular steel sheets scounged up as you say and as for the weapons yer right on again, steal, beg, and barter, even build guns out of old parts that were being back hauled to property disposal, later on though we got what we needed, I was on Match Box in 70 and by that time we got what we had to have---also---alot of trucks were single walled, the trucks we had at the 523rd were all double walled------Driver

I'm sure you are correct bulldawg...wasnt there but that's what i get from talking from those who were.
They armored with anything they could find and armed with what they could get.

Some of the fellers who built and armored the Guntrucks kept their own specs and they are available to guys like me that want to build replicas of the originals.

By the way...thank you for serving Sir!

Come on officer!!!
If the 50cals were real..do you think you could have stopped me??

I like that Larry------Driver

Here's a couple pics of the hinges I was talking about---always wondered in there was a manufacturers mark on the bottom under all that paint, these photos are from the Eve, I got them when Sammy was building Ace----Driver

Here's some more photos--The Cold sweat photo came from Charlie Brown who helped build it and was the first NCOIC, The other photos are from Roy Tipton---the short box with no name is Brutis and the truck that Larry Dahl was awared the Medal of Honor after saving the lives of his crew by jumping on a grenade, I'll post more of Brutis later----Driver