roll call of EXISTING Vietnam gun trucks

[Big Tom]

1968 in Vietnam

 

[Robo McDuff]

What always wonders me is that there is not much protection for the tires. I know weight is a problem and human protection is way more important, but some skirts might stop or deflect at least a few bullets making it possible to get the heck out of a mess.

 

[Gun Trucker]

Big Tom, do you happen to have the whole picture of that M51? Did it have a name? What company was it with?

 

[Big Tom]

That's all I got of the photo but it is the 70th engineer battalion B- company north of Pleiko 1968 I seen the photo a while back on vietnamwarhistoryorg
Big Tom

 

[Gun Trucker]

Okay, that's enough to go on. Thanks, I appreciate it. There weren't very many M51's used as gun trucks, maybe 25 or so.

 

[frank scholer]

FYI; for those of you in and around Colorado, the Denver auto show is from April 4 thru 8 and my group, the Military Vehicle Collectors of Colorado, had been asked to have a display of historic military vehicles as part of the show this year. This is a first and we are pleased to be able to bring out some interesting trucks. I am bringing my tribute gun truck, "Grim Reaper". I have been posting a number of photos so if you can make it to the show, you can see it in the flesh. I have been bringing it to a number of events recently, including the Ft Collins traveling wall weekend, the Veterans Day parade in Colorado Springs and the Army-Air Force football game at the academy last fall.

 

[73m819]

Okay, that's enough to go on. Thanks, I appreciate it. There weren't very many M51's used as gun trucks, maybe 25 or so.

I was in county out of prang rang from 1/66 to 8/68 in the USAFs Red Horse, the AFs version of the Armys combat engineers, we had a LOT of m51s, a few of these were used for convoy and job site protection, home made, had a double walled bed with sand bags in between, door armor that hung on it, the front window armor was hinged at the top like WW2 half tracks, just pull the rope and down it came, a plate sorta protected the fuel tanks, a few more things but old age has caused me to forget. Every truck was different, depended on what the shop could find, the plate WAS plate NOT armor steel, at first we had 60s on the bed, later a couple of 50s and other better the 60s were * found * . we did not name or paint them (nobody cared what they looked like, just if they were up to the job), nor have a named crew, used as needed, we found that a named crew was NEEDED for each truck not to long into there use. You never here about the early gun trucks and ones built on a m51 base. Thought I post this up as a point of interest since m51 based units was mentioned.

As a side note, we had about a dozen each of deuces and m54s , everything else was a lot of m51s and m52s (at least on the books), this does not count wreckers and other specialized trucks, so m51s was the only choice for the builds

RED HORSE = 554 CES or the penny short CES, this because our sister unit was the 555, the triple nickle CES, we were the first Red horse units

Rapid
Engineer
Deployable

Heavy
Operational
Repair
Squadron
Engineer

Wow this started out a short comment, sorry it turned into a book.

 

[Bluesguy2236]

Interested in getting a roll call of all the reproduction and tribute gun trucks that have been built in the USA by military vehicle enthusiasts. This would include all the ones patterned after real gun trucks that served in Vietnam, as well as ones that are original creations by their builders.

Please include all those built and under construction, from 1/4-ton to 5-ton.

I'll start the list, from the ones I have seen:

vehicle, repro or tribute, name, owner, location
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
M151 repro, Wolfman
M37 repro, Malfunction, New Jersey
M37 repro, Raider's Light Work, Mike Davidsen, Virginia
M35 tribute, Aces and Eights, John Tennis, New York
M35 tribute, Business As Usual, Kansas
M35 repro, Gamblers
M35 tribute, Grim Reaper
M35 tribute, Have Gun Will Travel, Texas
M35 tribute, I Dream of Charlie, England
M35 tribute, Iron Butterfly, Max Levell, England
M35 repro, Psychotic Reaction, Illinois
M35 tribute, Squatter Swatter, Florida?
M35 repro, The Gamblers, Michigan
M35 repro, The Widow Maker, Texas
M54 repro, Ace of Spades, Tennessee
M54 repro, Black Widow, Florida
M54 repro, Proud American, Larry Board, Georgia
M54 repro, Red Baron, Wayne Dobos, England
M54 repro, Satan's Lil' Angel, New Jersey
M54 repro, Uncle Meat, Michigan
M54 repro, The Untouchable, William Parker, New Jersey
M54 repro, Wild Thing, Indiana
M54 original, Eve of Destruction, US Army Transportation Museum, Virginia
M813 tribute, Proud American, Larry Board, Georgia


..

Hello, I was a gun trucker in Vietnam in late 69-thru 70 in An Khe. I am putting on a talk to Sun City Hilton Head Bluffton SC and would love to have a gun truck parked outside the conference hall will be sometime in February or March. I know it's asking to much but maybe a truck near Hilton Head SC would like to show off the 'baby' to a great group of senior vets many of which were in Vietnam. ...thanbks...Terry

 

[Major Asstyrd]

Old thread but want to say I would like to organize a gun truck display in April 2025 in California. Are there any in the West? Any projects planned? The Camp Plymouth Military Vehicle Show & Swap Meet every mid-April is the largest annual MV event west of the Mississippi. It is held in Plymouth, CA at Amador County Fairgrounds and the adjacent 49er Village RV Resort. This is historic, old west, gold rush country.

We always have two or three themed MV showcases on Friday and Saturday. One at the upcoming 2024 show - April 17 through 20, 2024 - will be Big Trucks & Service Vehicles. I am hoping that after we announce a Gun Truck Showcase for 2025 prior to and during the 2024 show, certain owners of big cargo or dump trucks on display or just attending as spectators might decide to convert their truck to a tribute or replica gun truck. I think there are very few in the West but don't know. The good thing about announcing a 2025 display this early is it gives people time to budget, shop for a truck, parts, guns, mounts, and accessories, including at our 2024 show. Heavy parts that are expensive to ship can often be brought to a show by a seller, so a buyer can pick them up to eliminate freight cost.

The event is camping oriented on both sides of the event, with many other people staying at area hotels or B&Bs. No admission or parking fee. No vendor fee but all sellers must rent a tent site at the fairgrounds, or a RV site or cabin at the 49er. It is inexpensive for a lot of space, compared to most militaria and parts shows.

I'd like to find one or two gun truck owners who will say they will bring them and grow it from there. Not talking about a truck or jeep with one machine gun. Anybody know of any that might be in range?

Event info on www.MVCCNews.net on the event page. This includes the tentative schedule of activities and campsite reservation form. More details to come in January.