If anybody else is interested, I found the answer as to when “Marine Corps green” was first used on vehicles at the library. This color (which is available in Testors ModelMaster series) was first used during the Korean conflict. Since USMC vehicles were Army "hand-me-downs, they were received painted in olive drab, and some (not all) were re-painted. “Marine green” became the standard color scheme during this period and all vehicles during the Viet Nam conflict were "Marine green. ( I know this cause I was there!! )
interesting. I have a couple of Marine Corps M26 circa 1950 that I am doing. Wonder how to figure out if they were repainted or regular OD
From what I read, I would guess that early Korea would be olive drab, later would be green, but either one would apparently be correct.
Good info, thanks bob!! “Marine Corp green” is one of the colors required for my AC-130 Hercules “Thor” that I’m building…it’s almost a black-green, it seems. Great color for a 3-color camo scheme.
Ok in that case Bob3628, could you give me your opinion for the color on this one (I know the red dirt/dust is missing though):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v325/tarmac04/123004_047g.jpg
It’s my italieri 1/72 Vietnam M48 with USMC markings (however i added the stars as an afterthought)
Looks right to me ! Actually, I’ve got a photo of me and my radio sitting next to one of those things, taking a break during “operation liberty” in the summer of 1966 southwest of Danang!
Oops! looked at the picture again, if you want to get picky, the USMC didn’t use stars on their vehicles. Can’t tell from the picture, but serial numbers should be in yellow, with the 3rd or 5th division emblem on the front fender, also on the rear.
I don’t know what division it is but USMC kit decals are 2nd Platoon, C company; 1st Marine Tank Battalion - 1970. I knew the stars were strictly Army I couldn’t help adding them anyway they just looked good. If anyone asks I say it was one of those “everybody was grabbing stuff and the army left some tanks unattended so the marines took them at the motorpool one day” [:I][:p]
I was with 2/5 at LZ Baldy in 70/71. We liberated a few Army vehicles, but mostly we savaged their motor pools for parts for our own. I was in the Communications plt. of 2/5. We had radio jeeps we called MRC-83 and MRC-87. The vehicles were M-38’s, which looked like Jeep CJ’s, with round noses. The -83 was a short body, the -87 a long body, like the ambulance jeeps. The radios on them were TRC-75’s, made by Collins, and were 1kw SSB outfits. They mounted BIG antennas! We also had an MRC-109, which had a much smaller, FM radio, on a standard M151.
The official markings consisted of USMC and the serial number in yellow block letters on the hood and tailgate. I think they were 45 deg. block. Each battlion had its own “tac mark,” and those were usually in red or yellow, though I’m thinking I saw some in blue. (The 1st Division badge is blue, so that isn’t too much of a stretch.) The base color of the vehicles was called forest green, but occasionally, you’d see one in gloss olive. The paint was iron-tough, and even though it oxidized like crazy, it never came off.
When the 3rd Division came out of Nam, I was with the 3rd Field Service Regt. on Okinawa. They sent us every stinking radio jeep in the division ALL AT THE SAME TIME! We were up to our eyeballs in stuff. It was definitely war-weary, too. We found everything from live frags to live snakes in the blasted things. One of the MRC-83’s had taken a heavy round that had come in through the front of the radio and lodged near the back panel. When I was looking it over for usable parts, I discovered that the round had apparently passed through the driver/operator,and had carried part of him into the radio. Semper Fi, Pal.
To weather one of those units, wash it out until it looks ridiculous, then do just a little more. They were truly horsewhipped! The mud was red - not Georgia red, but definitely red. Maybe like Spanish tile roofs that have weathered a few years.
Good luck, and Semper Fidelis.
Wess
Wow intense stories wrodgers. I bet you have alot of them [tup]
I will definitely remember the part about washing the green out and then washing it out some more.
Here is my effort to weather an NVA T-54. I wanted to make the dirt really red but I chickened out and made it more like GA or NC red. Tank #843 was the one that broke down the gates at the presidential palace, Saigon, April 30, 1975. Sorry to get off topic just trying to show the red dirt.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v325/tarmac04/RussianGB/050205_012b.jpg
I definetely remember the MRC 83’s & 87’s, the MRC89’s must have been after my time ( I got out in Sept. '68. I was a baTTALION radio operator with 1/9 in 1966, we spent most of out time on hill 55 southwest of Danang. We were relieved by 1/26 from the just re-activated 5th division in Sept '66. I’ll never forget as we watched these “newbies” holding a batallion formation in an open dry rice paddy at the base of the hill !! Luckily, they weren’t “hit” ! Guess they learned you don’t do things like that in a combat area !! We also “liberated” a few Army jeeps from a nearby unit. They had brand new stuff, the NEWEST jeep we had was built in 1947!! Since they had the new style (Ford??) jeeps, it stuck out like a sore thumb amongst our vehicles, even after we repainted it and gave it a USMC serial nymber !!
I-beam, that red looks pretty close. Good job! If you’re doing any figures, remember, too, that it stained clothes like crazy. I don’t know what was in it, but it was yukky. Of course, the fact that the Vietnamese used human feces in their rice paddies, and that the rice paddies drained or flooded everything else didn’t help the yuk factor!
For those of y’all who don’t know about it, if Bob was in 1/9 (1st Btn, 9th Marines) then we are in the presence of one of the Walking Dead. Charlie had a real case for the 9th Marines, and was known to go several clicks out of his way to take a swipe at them. Well done, and welcome home, Marine.
Wess
wrodgers@spinn.net
Thanks, It’s true they didn’t like us a whole lot, can’t figure out why… Charlie even offered a bounty for any captured 9th Marine. In turn, we left an “Ace of Spades” card between the teeth of their guys who “ran afoul” of us. Crazy times !!
This is really bad news. way after I completed my only piece of USMC in 'Nam armor. I built my Italeri M48A3 in olive drab. It’s still clean, so I guess it will have to come off the shelf for extreme weathering. G*&%$^& ^%&^ ))%$@!6 (*& 10 987654321!!!
Knight- if your doing an AC-130, it should be in the SEA camoflage of 34079 dark green, 34102 medium green and 30219 tan over black (scheme they wore during Vietnam) or overall gunship gray 36118 (how they have been painted ever since then). Marine Green was not used on those birds.
Bob, thanks for the info on history and usage of USMC Green. Humbrol used to make a color they called by that name. It is much lighter and has a bluish tint. If you have ever seen it, is that the shade it appeared when the color faded?