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Posts:
1
Registered:
7/26/09
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(1 of 7)
Question about Vietnam era military base
Jul 26, 2009 11:30 AM
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I’m a fiction writer doing some research for a piece and was hoping some Vietnam era vets or experts could help. The opening of the story involves an accidental killing at a military base in the late 60s or very early 70s. For various reasons not worth getting into here, there are two people present--one accidentally kills the other with a rifle (he hadn’t realized it was loaded--in my mind, he was taking it apart to clean). What I’m concerned about is how to make it realistic that these two could be alone in the room handling rifles. Where could they be, and why would they be there? And where would the rest of the soldiers/recruits be? (It doesn’t matter if they’re Army or Marines, and they could be in basic training, more advanced training or simply soldiers on base). Thanks in advance for the help.
Best,
Daniel
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Posts:
203
From:
Pound Va
Registered:
11/15/08
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(2 of 7)
Re: Question about Vietnam era military base
Aug 12, 2009 6:44 PM
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It would be pretty hard to have a accident that way.
In both basic and AIT they made you clear your weapon before you left the firing range.
They'd do this by making the whole platoon stick their M16's in the air, pull the changing handle back, and pull the trigger, this is after everyone individually was already told to clear their weapon several times, and you were supposed to already have cleaned you weapon before this final check also..
One time, the platoon that was at the range in the morning was going thru this final clearing, and my platoon was there for the afternoon session. One M16 fired, and the guy who did it wouldn't admit to it. The drill sargents went thru the ranks smelling barrels until they found him.
They also took up unused ammo before you left the range.
Once you were out into the regular Army, the firearms were locked up in the arms room, you only were armed when you were at the range, or going to or from it.Any ammo found in the barracks would result in at least a Article 15.
Of course in a combat area, all that would all be different.
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Posts:
1
Registered:
8/23/09
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(3 of 7)
Re: Question about Vietnam era military base
Aug 23, 2009 9:51 AM
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How about this. It's Pvt. Smiths birthday and his buddies want to give him a party. They gather in thier bunker, drink hot beer from old rusted Black Lable cans... even put a candle ina c-ration cake. Smoke a little OJ and celebrate. Gift giving time comes around and our birthdayboy recieves hand made gifts... made from 'rubbers' and c ration can. It's procdeure to clear your weapon when you go into your bunker. Pull the magazine and eject any rounds in the chamber.
Pvt. Jones has no present for Pvt.Smith and in a humorus jester picks up his M-16 and says 'I have your present right here" aims the rifle and pulls the trigger. Private Smith takes the round thru the head. Jones had not 'cleared' his weapon.
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Posts:
2
From:
Colorado
Registered:
8/24/09
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(4 of 7)
Re: Question about Vietnam era military base
Aug 24, 2009 4:58 PM
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It is a possibility that the two were handiling rifles in the arms room where one of them accidentaly found a loaded rifle and shot it. He could have been cleaning it when it went off.
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Posts:
1
From:
Texas
Registered:
10/23/09
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(5 of 7)
Re: Question about Vietnam era military base
Oct 23, 2009 3:43 PM
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If it were not done with malice, it could have been a Newbie's mistake while clearing his M-16. I have seen a kid 'clear' his weapon, taking out his clip, pulling the bolt back to remove the chambered round, moving the bolt forward again and, while his muzzle was pointed to the sky, pulled the trigger and discharged a round. This could happen because the bolt did not engage the chambered round due to a dirty bolt, dirty round, lack of lubrication, and/or not paying close attention to what he was doing.
The early M-16's especially were extremely sensitive to being fouled by lack of cleaning, lack of frequent lubrication, and just being generally crappy due to manufacturing tolerances that were too tight to yield a serviceable weapon being used in a dirty, and often wet, environment. These early M-16's scored high on accuracy (in the lab) but low on reliability.
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Posts:
2
From:
Oregon
Registered:
11/8/09
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(6 of 7)
Re: Question about Vietnam era military base
Nov 8, 2009 7:20 PM
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Here is how it could happen in an Army base in Viet Nam. Two guys could be in the company barracks together if they were in the rear, waiting to be taken out to where their platoons are working. They could be new to the unit or coming back from R 'n R. Everyone else is in the field, the orderly room, the commo bunker, or the supply room. One could pick up a rifle from a bunk that the other has just thrown down there. The first guy had pulled out the magazine, but didn't clear the round from the chamber. The man who now has the rifile has a loaded weapon and doesn't realize it. After that, it is up to you.
This came to mind because we had a guy who blew off the top of his head with an M-16 while he was waiting for a lift out the field on his first day with the unit. They called it a suicide, but I always felt that it might have been an accident.
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Posts:
2
From:
Oregon
Registered:
11/8/09
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(7 of 7)
Re: Question about Vietnam era military base
Nov 8, 2009 7:26 PM
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This is true. We came off the M-14 Automatic Fire range once. Our rifles where supposed to be empty. They called us to port arms, with our rifles pointed up and to our left. Then they had us pull the triggers of our rifles. One guy fired off a whole magazine on full automatic. All of us trainees thought it was funny, but the cadre didn't.
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