Is it true that during the Vietnam War American troops would throw away their weapons if they found a fully functional AK 47 or AKM?
Originally Answered: Is it true that during the Vietnam War American troops would throw away their weapons if they found a fully functional AK-47 or AKM? No. This is a ridiculous myth.
Do American soldiers use AK-47?
Carried by American enemies and allies alike since 1947, it is the standard infantry weapon for 106 countries. There are an estimated 100 million AK-47s of a number of variations round the world. It’s a popular weapon among firearms enthusiasts, professional soldiers and terrorists alike.
Did the US use semi-automatic rifles in Vietnam?
The U.S. military’s principle semi-automatic rifle of the Second World War was still in limited service during early phase of America’s involvement in Vietnam. Early on, the U.S. military provided surplus Garands to South Vietnamese troops and rural defense forces.
How many weapons did the US have in the Vietnam War?
By 1969 the US Army had identified 40 rifle/carbine types, 22 machine gun types, 17 types of mortar, 20 recoilless rifle or rocket launcher types, nine types of antitank weapons, and 14 anti-aircraft artillery weapons used by ground troops on all sides. Also in use, primarily by anti-communist forces,…
What was it like for American soldiers returning home from Vietnam?
American soldiers returning home from Vietnam often faced scorn as the war they had fought in became increasingly unpopular. Twenty-one-year-old Steven A. Wowwk arrived as an infantryman in the Army’s First Cavalry Division in Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam in early January 1969 to fight in an escalating and increasingly unwinnable war.
How did the men who served in Vietnam differ from previous wars?
The men who served in Vietnam also tended to be younger than the U.S. soldiers who had fought in previous wars. The average age of American troops in Vietnam was nineteen, compared to an average age of twenty-six for U.S. soldiers in World War II (1939–45). During most of the Vietnam War,…