Awright, I'll flip ya for "my" barrel, Dave...
Welcome Home, Bro... !!!
I wish I'd had the stones to have sent her home, but the Freedom Bird had my name all over it...
I sold it to a newbie for $100. no questions asked.
I'ma GUNNUT, too...I ran into a high school buddy at 71st Evac. I'd wrenched my back waaaay out of shape unassing my bunk on 6Jun70, at the avionics hootch by the Fire Station, with mortars getting what seemed to be much closer than they turned out to be (but dammit, they WERE getting closer) and with THAT thought in mind, (also, the Avionics shop/Hangar apron across the active took 18 rounds within about a 30 meter radius on 6 March, and I
wasn't gonna get perforated if I had a choice..
Hennyweigh, long story probably longer than intended, I went to 71st Evac the next morning. While my xrays were drying, the Doc told me to get chow. I signed the meal sheet, got grub, sat down, and there was my Munich (Germany) American High School Buddy, Rick Cope. He was the Armorer at 71st...sooooo, I DID NOT not lack for extra weapons.
When the 52nd Commander made all E-5 and below
have their weapons locked up in conexes for almost a week (a Cav guy committed suicide with his M-16, and evidently we trained killers were deemed not mature or stable enough to possess firearms)
I had your M2 stashed - I'd swear that was IT !!! and an M1911A1 from my Bud at 71st; even had him issue me a weapons card for it, and left the card on the rack in his Arms Room.
The story winds up now -I'll send a photo in to thewebsite from the days we went out with a SHITLOAD of Guns and Ammo from the 71st Arms
Room, out the road toward Dragon Mountain, into the boonies a bit, and if Chuck was out there, he most def crapped his 'jammies...
funny, tho, I nver got to fire a round in anger in 'Nam.... frustration, yes, but never with a real target. Oh, well. Maybe I'm the lucky one, and Chuck, too.
Gotta run. gotta work in order to eat, and I'm hungry.
Great to hear from you, hope we can meet at THE PARTY !!!

Tom Lumpkin
(Lumpy)
119th Avionics
Jan-Dec' 70