Vietnam War USMC RECON Kit list

[congofal]

Oh and by the way the pads used with the P41 suspenders where M45 pads left over from WWII and Korea , not M56 pads , specially since you have to cut the pads off the M56 harness in order to use them and even then you need to modify them.

[Paladin101]

Yeah, you are correct about the 45 pads, I was wrong there, which is funny because I have them on my 41 suspenders.

ERDLs were coming out to recon teams in late 68 early 69. I know, have talked, and done extensive research on Recon teams in Vietnam and I can tell you for a fact that Tigerstripe, other than VNMC, was not widely or commonly used. And actually in 1968 there was a Marine Corps Order issued by the Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Leonard Chapman, against wearing unauthorized tiger stripe fatigues. It probably was used by a very select few of individuals, but it was very rare. One thing about Marines is that they have never gotten a ton of freedom in their equipment. You can't just go around using whatever you want.

There is commonly confusion between the special reconnaissance forces from all services during Vietnam as to who they actually are due to photos being misidentified and undocumented. Many times people have seen images of LRRPs (who commonly wore tiger stipe fatigues) and assumed they were USMC Recon.

As for the belts, the stitching is different and can be vertical instead of horizontal, the 61 had snaps on it for attachments(as you mentioned), and the 56 had a different hook, they were round and the 61 was rectangular.

The thing about your list is that you have a gigantic cross section of gear used by everyone. Yes, the gear was used in theater at the time, but not necessarily as common place by USMC Recon. Like I said, Yes there were probably rare cases of people using the gear, but generally when you do an impression of a historical unit you use what was commonplace, not what was rare. Otherwise you have an impressive collection.

[congofal]

[Paladin101]

[congofal]

[congofal]

[Paladin101]

[congofal]

[Paladin101]

[congofal]

[Paladin101]

[congofal]

[Paladin101]

Really, FRA huh? What's his name, because I personally know several members of the FRA leadership, including the standing president. He was a Vietnam vet and literally knows everyone who was in country. In fact he was the one that told me your list was as I said before, "extravagant". Yes the gear you listed was in use in theater at the time, but not necessarily by Force Recon teams. You literally have listed nearly every piece of issued gear at the time. Just because it was issued doesn't mean it was used and furthermore doesn't mean it was used by Force Recon on missions.

But it doesn't really make a difference, you will wear what you want to wear, plenty of other fakes get it wrong. But don't act like you are some sort of authority because you make a list of every piece of gear possibly used in Vietnam and say it's for USMC Force Recon. That's misleading and a lie

[congofal]

[Cap n pickles]