Hi!
I have the Dragon 1968 Khe Sanh and 1968 Tet Offensive Marines (kits 3305 and 3307). How similar were the US Marine uniforms and webbing compared to the US army uniforms? I want to incorporate a vehicle into a 'nam era diorama and I would much rather build an M113 ACAV than an LVTP 5. I suspect the only time an LVTP 5 could look even slightly pretty would be on a “hot” beach-head!
Thanks!
Uniforms and gear were basically the same between the Army and USMC. The problem is the flak vets though. The Army rarely, with the exceprion of tankers, wore the flak vests. To me, the LVTP-5 looks pretty cool. I put an interior in mine and it looks really great. If you want another USMC vehicle, you could use an M48A3 tank, M50 Ontos, M151A1 MUTT jeep, M249 Mechanical Mule, etc…
What vehicles were used around Khe Sanh? More importantly, are they avaiable in kit form.
Alternativley, I could build a Hue diorama. I’ve seen photos of m48s. Apart from the Tamiya kit, does anyone else make an M48 in 1968 USMC spec? What other vehicles could I consider for a Hue diorama?
Thanks
PS. This is a classic case of Dragon box art tempting cash out the wallet before a decent plan was thought through!
Any of the vehicles I listed above would work for Hue too. Tamiya’s is the only M48A3 kit. It is a really good kit too. The only major corrections it needs to make it better are to add about 1.5 mm to the turret height and lower the suspension by 3 mm. I can send you a full tweaks list if interested. It will look great straight OOB too.
The Mule was probably very likely seen at Khe Sanh, possibly the Ontos, though I guess there were only around 176 of those ever made. I’m not real certain about full armor there, but there was artillery. I knew a guy who was with the 5th SFG and was based at Khe Sanh during the seige. He was also with the relief element that went to rescue the SF guys at Lang Vei. That’s another, less known element of the seige, the presence of Army SF soldiers. Something to consider, when planning a dio.
How much work is required to make the Academy M151A1 MUTT a 1968 USMC vehicle? I Have the IDF Mutt and it’s a pretty decent kit. Much better than the old Tamiya one!
Basically just build it up as a standard M151A1, without the IDF specific parts. On the rear tire openings, the rear profile should be a straight line, sand down the square block that makes the opening angled at the bottom. Other than that, put USMC decals on it and you are good.
The M38 was probably more prevalent at that time, especially with the Marines. Skybow has a kit.
I beg to differ. The M38A1 was a Korean war/ '50s era jeep. It was produceed from '52-'60. The M151 was produced from '60 through the late '70s to early '80s. The A1 version was introduced in '64. The M38 was an intrim vehicle that did not stay in service long. The M151 quickly replaced older M38 and WWII era Willis jeeps. The USMC had completely converted to M151s by '68.
I stand corrected.