Big Field Artillery

[Aughnanure]

I may have posted this before, if so, sorry.

During infantry training, we were taken to a general display of military equipment including artillery,
we were being given a demo (non-firing) of the 9-inch field guns and the somewhat loudmouthed Bombardier giving the spiel said:
"We fire these with our ordinary shoulder lanyard (demonstrates the action) but the Yanks use a 6 foot lanyard,' an do you know why?"

Voice from the ranks: "Because they're not stupid".

Twas time to move on

[Niner]

Good laugh there, Eoin.

I posted your story on a couple of artillery facebook sites I follow. I was officially attached to the 2nd of the 4th in the 9th Division and later the 2nd of the 320th of the 101st, although I spent all my time with the infantry when I was in Vietnam. Both are getting a kick out of it.

[Niner Delta]

That 9 inch (228.6mm) howitzer is bigger than anything we had, our biggest was the 8 inch (203mm) self-propelled.
Next was the 175mm (6.8 inch) self-propelled, neither in a towed version. Never figured out why one was in
inches and the other in mm. I went to Nam as crew chief (after Shake-n-Bake school) on a 105mm (4 inch)
howitzer and after a couple of months, like Niner, went out with infantry on FO team for rest of time.
C Btry, 1/11th Arty and then D Co, 6/31st Inf. Niner was in C Co.

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[Niner]

Vern I was in D Battery 2/4th. It was the main support for the 6/31st infantry after the 1/11th. I was in A Co. 6th of the 31st infantry from D battery 2/4th artillery and then HHC 3rd of the 506 infantry from 2nd of the 320th Artillery...some battery... I was never there.. maybe D again. Kinda hard to keep the batteries and companies and letters sorted out some times. It was also hard collecting your pay sometimes.

[Niner Delta]

Well, at least I got the country right.....

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