The unOFFICIAL 2011/20012 Veteran's Group Build

1SG Davis

Stik & Rob,

Thanks for the input.  Should be able to make some pallets and chock block out of balsa.  I’m thinking of putting this one on a small base simulating a motor pool with the power pack set just to the side.  I plan to paint this one in the MERDC Summer US & Europe verdant using the silly putty method.  Rob, did any of the A3’s have the non-slip texture paint on the horizontal surfaces similar to what is on today’s M-1A1/2’s?  The reference shots I have of A3’s at Drum & Devens seem to say no.

I should have known better on the K/E etc. designators with the 19 series.   Nowadays I tend to just associate tankers in general w/19K, forgetting that there ever was anything else.  Nice background details in your post explaining what some of the alphabet soup actually means. 

Slow progress working the build this weekend working the hull waiting for filler to cure.  The nice weather has side tracked me too.

Gary

Non-slip on M60A3TTS was sometimes seen. I think it may have been when the tank came into service and whether it was an original build M60A3TTS or a tank rebuilt into an M60A3TTS. For instance, in my four tank platoon, only one tank had the non-slip. It was my platoon sergeant's tank. He said he had it because he was special, I told him it was because he was old and they didn't want him to fall and break a hip.

His tank was newer than the other tanks. He'd been in the platoon long before I arrived and had been the defacto platoon leader for years and thus had the best tank in the platoon.

I've seen National Guard pristine M60A3TTS tanks with the non-slip.

Here is a Polaroid shot of my old M60A3TTS when I was 2nd Platoon Leader, A Company, 5th Battalion, 77th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 8th ID(M). It was taken in the fall of 1988 during REFORGER Certain Challenge. You can see my pack resting on the back deck. Our brakes failed and we almost went through a gasthaus. You have to pull the pack to fix the brakes on old 48/60 series tanks.

Hey guys Still havent come up with a ship model yet but i've been looking in ever so often .

With a little sanding work, I think wood can look just fine. After Rob mentioned it, I do now recall the wood blocks being used for that. IIRC they were large pieces, like 6"x 6" and not exactly the stuff you use to build a house, but more like railway ties. I did not have to go thru too many packs being pulled on my tracks, so my memory there is hazy.

Stik, I have to disagree about the use of wood. 1SG, I think it's better to use styrene and scrape a little grain into it with a razor saw, or not. Wood, in particular balsa. has too big a grain IMO.

I remember riding in one of those little open trucks at an air show. It had a stencil on the dash; "sudden turns mean sudden death".

Rob,  nice resurrection and progress on the 998. I have a few kits of that sort that have been in suspended animation for awhile in my collection too.

Top, large fireplace type matches are perfect for scale wood blocks. I used a couple for a joke in progress shot on my jeep build last weekend. Since somebody replied I had left it parked in a bad area and had no tires when I came back.

I'm making good progress on my Duck Hunters track so far. the hull is almost done. I'll get some pics up here this evening.

Stik & Rob,

Thanks for the input.  Should be able to make some pallets and chock block out of balsa.  I’m thinking of putting this one on a small base simulating a motor pool with the power pack set just to the side.  I plan to paint this one in the MERDC Summer US & Europe verdant using the silly putty method.  Rob, did any of the A3’s have the non-slip texture paint on the horizontal surfaces similar to what is on today’s M-1A1/2’s?  The reference shots I have of A3’s at Drum & Devens seem to say no.

I should have known better on the K/E etc. designators with the 19 series.   Nowadays I tend to just associate tankers in general w/19K, forgetting that there ever was anything else.  Nice background details in your post explaining what some of the alphabet soup actually means. 

Slow progress working the build this weekend working the hull waiting for filler to cure.  The nice weather has side tracked me too.

Gary

Here's a photo of my M998 that I had already started. This is the Academy kit I bought in 1995, tinkered with a little and stuffed back into a box until stumbling across it in late summer. At the time, it was the only 2 door soft top kit available and was the same type I had as a BMO of an armor battalion.

While my truck had full canvas troop cover and such, when we went to the NTC or into the field at hood, we took the canvas off and left the doors at the motor pool. We left the roof on so we didn't get sunbaked and the radios could stay cooler or drier in the sun or rain.

Here's a more recent photo after doing some work this weekend.

Oh, I've been having trouble finding Academy kit #13405 (the newer Hummer boxing), and after this weeks' Squadron order, I won't be buying anything again any time soon...

If one of you has a spare to trade away, shoot me a PM! I'd love to be able to do that variant (along with all the others I've already got).

Alright...turns out I've got an Academy 1362 M998 in the armor room, that will be the starting point for the M1037. I also have a Concord book about the Humvee in Iraq which gives a good breakdown of all of the different variants. Hopefully I can figure out which of these two boxes is more accurate (and what the differences are between them?). Will post up some pics of each when I get home from vacation.

stikpusher

Chopper, welcome aboard Which M60 kits are those you will be building? Company and scale? I will add you to the roster here after this post, but if you could please update me regarding the builds.

Top, I cant speak for an M60 getting the packpulled,but IIRC, on our Mech Infantry battalion stuff, the packs would be pulled in the bay, when it was done in the motor pool, and placed on some kind of pallet. If we were in the field and the pack had to be pulled it would be placed on the vehicle tarp, IIRC.

Hey Stickpusher

Both kits will be 1/35 Tamiya kits. Some AM stuff to include tracks. Will have pics coming soon.

CSM, we sat them on the back deck when we pulled the pack back in the field. Mid 1989 would have been the last year I pulled an M60A3TTS pack. In the motor pool, we often used large chock blocks under the pack so it didn't mess up the concrete and could get drip pans under it..

The M48/60 MOS was 19E; 19K is M1, but you don't set the pack on the back deck of an Abrams. M551 Sheridan MOS was an ASI to the 19E, 19D or 19K MOS.

When I went to OBC in 87, they still broke the class into an M60 and an M1 track based on your unit of assignment. Although my battalion I joined in Germany still had the A3, everyone going to Germany or Fort Hood went through M1 training. Everyone staying stateside (less Hood) or Korea went A3. Anyone going to Bragg or NTC went through Tank Commander certification Course (TC3) for the Sheridan. Anyone going to an ACR (2nd, 3rd or 11th) went to Bradley Commander's Cert. Course (BC3). BC3 was also incorporated into the Cavalry Leader Course I took after my advance course. As armor officers we were also trained on the M3 Bradley and M901 ITVs, but BC3 was much more intensive than the M3 training we got during the Cav Weapons phase of OBC.

Yes, a vet's a vet, but it is a lot easier to explain that I was an M1A1 tank platoon leader during the Gulf War than some of the alphabet soup MOSs out there.

Chopper, welcome aboard Which M60 kits are those you will be building? Company and scale? I will add you to the roster here after this post, but if you could please update me regarding the builds.

Top, I cant speak for an M60 getting the packpulled,but IIRC, on our Mech Infantry battalion stuff, the packs would be pulled in the bay, when it was done in the motor pool, and placed on some kind of pallet. If we were in the field and the pack had to be pulled it would be placed on the vehicle tarp, IIRC.

Stik,

I've pushhed off the dock with my build too.

Got going on the M60A3 early this morning, It took much longer than I thought it would to get the powerpack cover and grills off while keeping everything that needed to say in one piece.  Trimmed the lower hull to get the engine bay together and the mated the upper and lower hull and got the side pieces in for the engine bay.  It took a lot of filler to take up the space between gaps in the resin pieces but I think I've got it roughed out pretty well.

Lots of sanding and filling to do on the hull over the weekend.

Now for some 19K ?'s

When pulling the powerpack in the motorpool what would it sit on once out?  most of the pictures I've found (not many) show it sitting on a tarp on the ground.  Next what would the engine cover sit on?  Just the ground or maybe some 4x4's or crates?  Does anyone have some shots of the empty engine bay.  I've found a few on Prime portal but would like to get somemore if they exist.  Nothing in my M-60 in action or M-88 walk around.  Not too much in Hunnicutt's book either (surprisingly)

Maybe some more progress to post at the end of the weekend.

Hope everyone had a good turkey day,

Gary

Perfect timing. I just got done ordering every vehicle/aircraft I ever served on/in during 14 years active duty in the U.S. Army. The pile is big but I guess I'll start at the beginning. Basic training at Ft Knox in 1983 on the M60A1 so that's where I'll start.

Actually count me in with 2 builds at once: M60A1 and M60A3 going on at the same time. I spent 5 years on an M60A3 after basic so I might as well build both.

Will get some pics up soon. Thanks

Deatillio and Mikey, your builds are added to the roster. Both sound good to me.

Ok, can you put me down for the Italeri 1:72 C-47 skytrain. Ill be converting this into the RNZAF VIP aircraft 51. Dad worked on this aircraft. and chances are my pop flew in it. 

This aircraft was babied by the ground crew. And when she was retired (into the museum) she was the youngest (in hours) C-47 flying.

When i post finished pics ill post a wee essay with a bit of her history and my family's involvement.

I settled on making a go with the 1/35 AAV, it was given to me by a buddy that received recruiting orders and figured he would not have time for the hobby on the streets.  I blew the dust off my AAVP7A1 and reopened the box — and was reminded why it was set aside, but an honest go will be made.  It is the 1/35 Mini Hobby Models kit, which appears to be a poor copy of Tamiya’s kit.  I have to buy some track to replace the rubber ones provided and some PE to add some external detail.  I am on the hunt for each.

Well I am up n running with my Vulcan track, but no pics to show yet. Anybody else?

daddy1

I'll see what I come up with. 

BTW scorpiomikey- Think about how many people it takes too support just one combat soldier, No fighter pilot would ever get off the ground without some mechanic keeping it flying , etc. All vets are vets.

Good to hear it... I'll add you to the roster with a TBA...

And yes in wartime there is a LOT of tail to tooth. And serving in war or peace means putting your life on the line. Many die in peacetime "training accidents". They are just as dead in the service of their country as anyone who falls due to hostile action. Daddy1 said it right, all vets are vets....

I'll see what I come up with. 

BTW scorpiomikey- Think about how many people it takes too support just one combat soldier, No fighter pilot would ever get off the ground without some mechanic keeping it flying , etc. All vets are vets.

Deattilio, you are added to the roster! Welcome aboard Any and all of those builds would be great. And to put in my 2 cents I suggest both Amtracks Everybody uses HMMWVs but those armored swimmers are a very unique beast That is so cool you get to work on that LVTA-5 as part of your duties. Some real connection with history there...

For those across the international dateline, Friday is here already and this GB may now be considered operational. I still have a bit over 12 hours to go here in California

Awesome, can you pop me on the list as a TBA?

Count me in, I have three potential subjects for this build I must narrow down.  By far the easiest would be a 1/72 HMMWV in the colors of the one I used as my runabout aboard FOB Fallujah in 2004.  It had the armored side doors and a Kevlar blanket in the bed but was otherwise stock since it never left the camp.  I painted the yellow arrowhead and attached a horseshoe to it as well as to each of the AAV’s in my platoon.
                Second would be a 1/35 AAVP7A1 that I have already started, all that has been completed is the upper deck and lower hull have been joined and set aside.  It would be of “P9 – LOWRIDER” the AAV I was assigned as Vehicle Commander/Data Collector aboard while with the Amphibious Vehicle Test Branch from 1997-1999.  The starboard track shroud was MERDEC, her EAAK was a patchwork of colors and rust, the hatches were chevy orange, the tac numbers were in red and for a short time she had a red and white “umbrella” mounted just aft of the troop commander’s hatch that sent telemetry data to the Test Branch while we were running the vehicle aboard Camp Pendleton.  I still have the data plate; it was gifted to me as a souvenir when I left AVTB because she was due to undergo the RAM/RS modification.
                Final contestant is the LVTA5 Modified I am still tinkering with when time at work allows – typically after hours and on weekends.  The vehicle starred in “Flags of Our Fathers” and I have had the privileged opportunity to drive her around the ramp and on beach runs with AAVP7’s in trace.  I have her stripped down currently and am working on cleaning her back to running order – and eventually back to a proper paint scheme as the LVTA5 Modified was the product of 1949 rebuild and never wore the colorful markings of the 2D Armored Amphibian Tractor Battalion at Iwo Jima.
                I will settle the coin toss mid January when I can actually return to the hobby desk as I will be finished with school and my weekends are no longer consumed with writing papers and taking tests.  Below are pictures of “my” vehicles.


My runabout aboard FOB Fallujah – with my tractor behind


My tractor while at AVTB minus EAAK


My ongoing project - an old tractor

dupes

Huh...don't think I can come up with 5 builds! Other than a couple of HMMWWV variants and a deuce and a half, they don't make kits of what I used. Unless someone makes a 1/35 scale desk set I'm not aware of...

How about this set dupes? you can exchange the steel pots for k-pots and paint the jungle fatigues as BDUs...

Daddy1/Howard, it sounds like you could bring some great subjects to the table and your participation here would be most welcome for 6 degrees of seperation, my friends father flew F-86Fs in the Korean War with the 18th FBW/67th FS. different time period I know, but the same unit. Long proud history.

OK Sub, I will put you down as a maybe. Have you seen the Dragon Orange Box kit that comes with both the Ohio Calss SSBN and the Los Angeles Class SSN? The DE would be a go for Wife's Grandpa, but the aerospace engineer aspect would not qualify.

Well, I could fulfill your "floaty things" for you if I feel up to it. Served on two types of subs (Ohio and LA class) and am currently on a sub tender.

Also, if family members are allowed, I have been wanting to build a Destroyer Escort for my wife's grandpa who was on one in WW2. And for "wingy things" my dad was an aerospace engineer and was heavily involved in the design of several militray aircraft. Not technically in the military, but considering he worked in survivability, I bet a lot of pilots have him to thank for making it home alive! I would like to make something for him too.

So, put me as a "maybe."

Scorpiomikey

Hey stik. My pop was a WO/Gunner on Avengers Briefly at the end of ww2 (joined late 45) with the RNZAF.

The avengers we had were NMF at that stage (Some possibly had bumble bee stripes on the belly)

Would i be able to enter with one if i can find an appropriate kit? He never saw combat. But i still consider him the family veteran.

The only other person in my family who has a direct link to the airforce (that i know well) is my father. He was a flight engineer on C-47's and a grease monkey. Again, never officially saw combat.

Am i elligable to enter?

Mikey, either build would be fine. Combat veteran is not the theme, service veteran is...

stikpusher

 

Lots of ground stuff here so far... where's our flying and sailing things?

 

 Not sure if I'll be able to join in this group. Got a Trumpeter C-47 on the bench in it's  early stages and it's hard to find a lot of bench time at the moment. But, I've got a couple inspiration pics for us winged thing builders.  

I built these some 20 years ago and they could use a bit of "restoration", but they're still dear to me. 

 As an old SAC brat , The B-58 Hustler was the bird my dad was involved with from test phase at CarswellAFB  till retirement of this hot rod in 1969. So It's connected to me and my dad, The bird I grew up around.

 Have actually worked on the fuel system of this Phantom while assigned to the 18th TFW ,Fighting Cocks.

Brig.Gen. Ret. scored I believe 3 of his 6 Migs in this F-4D. Three other kills were with a couple other crews. Here is as it looked in the mid-1970s.

The smudges on the sides are from over handling. Interestingly enough, When working on top of the aircraft, instead of climbing down to go to the other wing, you climbed over the fuselage. Often  the sides of the real F-4s would be smudged from greasy,grubby work fatigues scrambling over the paint. Even boot scuffs and such.  

 I may still get throw my hat in the ring. See what I have in my stash.

 Howard

Hey stik. My pop was a WO/Gunner on Avengers Briefly at the end of ww2 (joined late 45) with the RNZAF.

The avengers we had were NMF at that stage (Some possibly had bumble bee stripes on the belly)

Would i be able to enter with one if i can find an appropriate kit? He never saw combat. But i still consider him the family veteran.

The only other person in my family who has a direct link to the airforce (that i know well) is my father. He was a flight engineer on C-47's and a grease monkey. Again, never officially saw combat.

Am i elligable to enter?