• Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!

  • Microsoft MSN, Live, Hotmail, Outlook email users may not be receiving emails. We are working to resolve this issue. Please add support@steelsoldiers.com to your trusted contacts.

Does anyone have a dragon stencil painted on their truck?

US6x4

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
1,233
2,242
113
Location
Wenatchee, WA
The passenger side of my M813A1 bed has this dragon stencil painted in black. Has anyone seen this or know what it represents? A unit? A shop? a rebuild facility?

CIMG8882.jpg
 
  • Wow
Reactions: HDN

WillWagner

The Person You Were Warned About As A Child
Super Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
8,527
2,727
113
Location
Monrovia, Ca.
We have an M901 at the Museum that has that same dragon on it. We lightly sanded it to bring the image out better and made a copy of it. I'll snap a pic next time i'm there.
 

MWMULES

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
In Memorial
5,580
349
83
Location
DESOTO, KANSAS
Chemical corps has used a dragon since the flame thrower days.

chem.jpg chem.png chemb.jpg chemd.jpg cheme.jpg
Also if there is a D on your right side bumper when looking at your truck could be a logo for D company ie Delta Dragons.
Red I have seen yours before, not this and it may be for a support Battalion support.png
Or a unit in 18th Air borne Corps17abcorps.jpg
71st Battlefield Surveillance Brigade 71st Battlefield Surveillance Brigade.jpg
 
Last edited:

74M35A2

Well-known member
4,145
330
83
Location
Livonia, MI
Thanks for the pic examples. If I build and mount a flame thrower on my 925a2 LWS (legal in civilian world, but against Geneva Convention rules in military use?), I'll now add a dragon.....somewhere.
 

red

Active member
1,988
25
38
Location
Eagle Mountain/Utah
Chemical corps has used a dragon since the flame thrower days.

View attachment 716280 View attachment 716281 View attachment 716282 View attachment 716283 View attachment 716284
Also if there is a D on your right side bumper when looking at your truck could be a logo for D company ie Delta Dragons.
Red I have seen yours before, not this and it may be for a support Battalion View attachment 716289
Or a unit in 18th Air borne CorpsView attachment 716290
71st Battlefield Surveillance Brigade View attachment 716291
Good find, who knows with the exact history on these trucks haha. Bumper numbers are for field artillery. 631 1/114, SV93. Truck was built in 1972 and DRMO'd in 2008 so 36 years of service as a wrecker.
 

Attachments

US6x4

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
1,233
2,242
113
Location
Wenatchee, WA
I replaced my driver's side seat cushion and the old cushion had a tag that was labeled 'HHC 1-161 INF (M)'
I could not find any dragon clues from this as it led to Washington State Army National Guard. However, looking at pictures of the front bumper letters I can sorta make out a '9-3P-34' or a '9-3-34'. I found that the 3rd Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment out of Fort Jackson, SC is nicknamed the 'Leyte Dragons'...this could be a lead!

Since this is a nickname, the dragon doesn't appear on any official flags or crests or decals that I've seen.
Is anyone familiar with Fort Jackson, or the 3/34th or the Leyte Dragons???
 
  • Like
Reactions: HDN

Ajax MD

Well-known member
1,569
1,414
113
Location
Mayo, MD
I replaced my driver's side seat cushion and the old cushion had a tag that was labeled 'HHC 1-161 INF (M)'
I could not find any dragon clues from this as it led to Washington State Army National Guard. However, looking at pictures of the front bumper letters I can sorta make out a '9-3P-34' or a '9-3-34'. I found that the 3rd Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment out of Fort Jackson, SC is nicknamed the 'Leyte Dragons'...this could be a lead!

Since this is a nickname, the dragon doesn't appear on any official flags or crests or decals that I've seen.
Is anyone familiar with Fort Jackson, or the 3/34th or the Leyte Dragons???
Some units have Facebook pages now. Maybe you could inquire there. This is really interesting and I'd love to know the origins.
 
  • Like
Reactions: HDN

WillWagner

The Person You Were Warned About As A Child
Super Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
8,527
2,727
113
Location
Monrovia, Ca.
The 3 M551s we have at the Museum all had a dragon on them. All were hand painted and different. The running Sheridan no longer has the dragon. All of the vehicles were recovered from NTC OPFOR, I believe at either 29 palms or Barstow, Ft Irwin.
 

Attachments

Last edited:
  • Wow
Reactions: HDN

US6x4

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
1,233
2,242
113
Location
Wenatchee, WA
Very interesting - thanks for posting up those pics Will. I don't believe my truck is a USMC truck since it has no fording kit or lockers so that probably rules out a 29 Palms origin. My coworker was stationed at 29 Palms so I may quiz him on their dragon symbol...
 
  • Like
Reactions: HDN

US6x4

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
1,233
2,242
113
Location
Wenatchee, WA
I've been working on restoring the dragon stencils on my truck.

20190521_193937.jpg 20190523_165257.jpg20190523_170648.jpg 20190524_165006.jpg

I used pin striping tape to outline the original with help from a large paint chip I saved from the pressure washer. Covered with this special massive masking tape and cut along the orange background with an exacto.
The side of the bed still needs a fresh dragon, but it first need some new 383 green background paint.
 
Last edited:

MWMULES

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
In Memorial
5,580
349
83
Location
DESOTO, KANSAS
Duh, don't know why I did think of this early, but A lot of Company level units have used it as part of their radio call signs. A, Alpha cpmpany = all Americain, B Bravo =brave heart, C Charlie = Cougar, D Delta= Dragon ect.
 

US6x4

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
1,233
2,242
113
Location
Wenatchee, WA
Duh, don't know why I did think of this early, but A lot of Company level units have used it as part of their radio call signs. A, Alpha cpmpany = all Americain, B Bravo =brave heart, C Charlie = Cougar, D Delta= Dragon ect.
With that being the case, it could be much harder to match up my truck to a specific unit...
 

Terracoma

Member
334
14
18
Location
Albuquerque, NM
Did the seller ever tell you if they bought the truck out of JBLM, by chance...?

If so, the 5th Battalion, 5th Air Defense Artillery Regiment of the 31st Air Defense Artillery Brigade is nicknamed the "Dragonslayers" and has had a presence at Fort Lewis (JBLM) for quite some time. The logo on challenge coins issued by 5-5 looks similar to the dragon that's painted on your fender. See below.


5thADAChalCoin.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: HDN

Terracoma

Member
334
14
18
Location
Albuquerque, NM
Bumper numbers are for field artillery. 631 1/114, SV93.
Only a year and four months late to the party, buuuut...... :oops:

1st Battalion, 114th Field Artillery Regiment of the 631st Field Artillery Brigade of the Mississippi ARNG... Web search indicates that 1/114 was based out of Greenwood. Deactivated on or around 30 September 2008, which jives with the "08 DRMO" on your hood. Insignias below are for 1/114 and the 631st, respectively.




114FARgt.jpg 631stFABde.jpeg
 
Last edited:
Top
AdBlock Detected

We get it, advertisements are annoying!

Sure, ad-blocking software does a great job at blocking ads, but it also blocks useful features of our website like our supporting vendors. Their ads help keep Steel Soldiers going. Please consider disabling your ad blockers for the site. Thanks!

I've Disabled AdBlock
No Thanks