This Is Fascinating and Infuriating

[TedKennedy]

I think some folks are confused about the facts surrounding this event. It may be that this is the one time Mac was actually the good guy.

The powder issue was 180 degrees from what some have stated- the ultimate bad guy here is greed, sloth, bureaucracy.

 

[JD8]

But, but, the M-16 is the wonder rifle! Just ask all the armchair experts here who never had to deal with the problems. Seriously I know a few other vets that would not own one if it was gold plated. The new ones maybe be great, but it is hard to get past the experience. I am lucky I never carried one in Vietnam.

Yep, that makes total sense. Given we are talking about 50 years ago and I'm sure the rifles and ammo are the exact same. Nevermind they have been widely used in wars since then.

 

[HillsideDesolate]

But, but, the M-16 is the wonder rifle! Just ask all the armchair experts here who never had to deal with the problems. Seriously I know a few other vets that would not own one if it was gold plated. The new ones maybe be great, but it is hard to get past the experience. I am lucky I never carried one in Vietnam.

You would have to be in Vietnam to carry one in Vietnam, so I guess you lucked out

 

[RickN]

You would have to be in Vietnam to carry one in Vietnam, so I guess you lucked out

You are right, I am a Vietnam era vet but was in the Coast Guard. We got the equipment used from the other branches. C-130s were ex air force, rifles ex Army.

 

[JD8]

I knew a bit about this, but in this video, W goes into great detail about the AR-15, XM-16, and the absolute criminal way US GIs were subjected to faulty ordnance.

2/3s the way through, will get through the rest tomorrow. Fascinating. Thanks or the link.

 

[Johnny]

You got the infuriating part right. People should hang for that type of behavior.

 

[Dmc707]

I had some Marine buddies in college who were Nam vets. They all told me they "lost" their issued M-16s as far as they could throw them into the rice paddies and got their M-14s back.

Did those guys' gloss over the fact that they are accountable for that equipment?

Love hearing the fantastical stories from dudes claiming they pulled stunts like that and just picked up an AK - because AK's were evidently lying on the ground on vietnam so thick you couldnt even go to the latrine without tripping over 2 or 3 of them

sigh -- the last fish i caught was thiiiiiiiiiiiiis big too