Tuesday, January 7, 2014

10 September 1967: 6 marines killed attempting to clear jams in M16's

 4-15 September 1967

"Nine Marines died in action today, six of them in the rice paddies just in front of the enemy fortifications. They were found with their MI6 rifles broken down in an attempt to remove cartridges jammed in the chambers. They had powder-burned bullet holes in their heads. "

-Commanding Officer, Company H, 3d Battalion, 5th Marines. Operation SwIFT, 4-15 September 1967, Vietnam

"Nine Marines died in action today, six of them in the rice paddies just in front of the enemy fortifications. They were found with their MI 6 rifles broken down in an attempt to remove cartridges jammed in the chambers. They had powder-burned bullet holes in their heads. "
-Commanding Officer, Company H, 3d Battalion, 5th Marines. Operation SwIFT, 4-15 September 1967, Vietnam
- See more at: http://www.mca-marines.org/gazette/m249-light-machinegun-automatic-rifle-role#sthash.blFzcU7R.dpuf
"Nine Marines died in action today, six of them in the rice paddies just in front of the enemy fortifications. They were found with their MI 6 rifles broken down in an attempt to remove cartridges jammed in the chambers. They had powder-burned bullet holes in their heads. "
-Commanding Officer, Company H, 3d Battalion, 5th Marines. Operation SwIFT, 4-15 September 1967, Vietnam
- See more at: http://www.mca-marines.org/gazette/m249-light-machinegun-automatic-rifle-role#sthash.blFzcU7R.dpuf
http://www.combatwife.net/swift18.jpg

3 comments:

  1. I built a retro "bang oh shit" a few year back. The only issue I had was getting a circa pistol grip. I found an original but the finish was brown/worn. It works fine. With the standard ball propellant there will be no issues. The substitution of propellant/flash retardant was criminal.

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  2. the first time I saw an m16 I thought its not a rifle but a toy.and then I saw the "bolt assist"which seemed like an open admission of its poor design. and the round will not go thru brush the low mass and high velocity makes it richchet at the first leaf.then years later I saw a reference to the number of bullets it took to kill one enemy in ww2 was 5000 and with the m16 its 25000in veit nam so there gos the carry more bullets crap.some weany in the rear was scared of the mi/m14 and approved this pos just my opinion thre tours in nam southeast asia as a force recon marine your friend truckwilkins

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    Replies
    1. Good man and those who had the M14 in earlier years didn't know how lucky they were.

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