What+the+Soldiers+carried+AJV

The soldiers in the Vietnam War were not only protecting their country but they had to protect themselves too. These men also had to carry at lest 100 pounds of gear in the battlefield. Soldiers in the Army dressed in uniform that consisted of a multiplicity of clothing items. These included a khaki short-sleeved shirt, trousers, a cap with their rank and insignia, black shoes, and a belt with a black buckle. Some of the soldiers carried with them, an extra pair of socks in case they got old or wet. Every soldier had a pack that they carried with them at all times consisting of a steel pot, ammunition belt(s), water jugs, regular canteens, and a few two-quart containers for extra water. A good portion of the soldiers had a poncho with a poncho liner incase of heavy rainfall. Along with the gear each soldier had to have weapon with them including: grenades, C4 (a plastic explosive), and various guns. Soldiers were allowed to carry personal thing too such as pencil, paper, mosquito repellant, a lighter, and a hunting knife. They put these objects into an ammo box. This was used because it was very durable and waterproof. I could also be put at the bottom of the pack to help stand it up straight on the ground. Sometimes the men would bring cameras, but it was aid that too much of a load and the film would get ruined because of unfavorable conditions. The soldiers in each battalion carried things for the entire group including: mortar shells, gun ammunition, claymore mines, and starlight scopes. The grenades were the one dangerous weapon because if you were walking through the forest and a little twig pulled the pin you were dead. A major job in the battalions was the radioman. Each radioman had to carry a twenty-one pound radio and a three-pound hand set. They would carry, roughly, nine magazines of ammunition; a rifle, eight or nine smoke grenades, and star clusters. Star clusters were tubes that you would take the cap off of, put it on the end, and stick it into the ground. The tube would then send up a flair into the sky. The men thought that the card, the ace of spades was a sign of bad luck to the Vietnamese. They would sometimes take this card and stick it under a rubber band around their helmets. The soldier’s helmets served as a multiplicity of useful devices. They could use it as a washbin, cooking pot, a chair, butt armor (when in a helicopter), and head protection. Sometimes instead of helmets soldiers would wear bonnie hats, or caps made from cloth that were more comfortable than helmets but no protective at all. These hats were sometimes restricted and they were forced to wear helmets. This was done because if an AK-47 round was going to hit you in the head the helmet was more likely to save your life. . The multiplicity of tools and equipment these soldiers had to carry was very important in the field of battle and for themselves. These soldiers had to know how to use their equipment or they might die.