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Vietnam Veterans Issued Razors?

I did two tours in RVN, as a grunt. Plastic razors(I think they were black) were in the sundry packs. Most of the guys in my outfit had DEs but left them in base camp.
Shaving wasn't done much in the field.
Funny thing about those sundry packs, you'd get a new P38 can opener in each one, but only a few sheets of toilet paper. P38 could be used many times until you lost it. TP could only be used one.
I think you're referring to C-Rations. They had the P38 and small quantity cheap toilet paper. The sundry packs were large boxes of stuff as I mentioned above. That's where I remember finding those plastic razors. The C-Rations had food, a chocolate disk, mini pack of cigarettes (4), P38 and toilet paper.
 
Thanks gentlemen--my old man was there in 1967, 4 years before I was born. He fails to comprehend my fascination with these 'old things'--I appreciate the input and the other insights
regarding life there.
 
I think you're referring to C-Rations. They had the P38 and small quantity cheap toilet paper. The sundry packs were large boxes of stuff as I mentioned above. That's where I remember finding those plastic razors. The C-Rations had food, a chocolate disk, mini pack of cigarettes (4), P38 and toilet paper.
Yes you are right, those cigarettes could be used for kindling. LikeI said,shaving wasn't anything I though much about back then.
A Co., 2/47 Mech. Black Panthers
 
Yes you are right, those cigarettes could be used for kindling. LikeI said,shaving wasn't anything I though much about back then.
A Co., 2/47 Mech. Black Panthers
Welcome home brother!

Yes, showering and shaving didn't happen so often. Mostly river baths and steel pot shaves. Life in the free fire zone.
 
From Wikipedia: "The next innovation came with the introduction of the Bic disposable razor in 1974."
It looks like the troops in Viet Nam could have used disposables from '74 to the end in 1975.

I guess they weren't using Bics then but I thought for sure that there was a disposable in the late 60's (which others on here have confirmed came in their comfort packs during the Vietnam era).
 
I enlisted in '74, and was not issued a razor . . . my good friend Drill Sergeant took us over to the PX and we bought Trac IIs.

I like the joke here -- "my good friend Drill Sergeant". I don't think many thought their Drill Sergeant was a friend in the Vietnam era, I have heard that they were loud and mean (I know people that served then but did not myself). I guess the military has toned down their Drill Sergeants as of late but back then you better do what they said and NOW or you would find yourself polishing the urinal with your toothbrush.
 
The loud and mean served a purpose...discipline.Do it when I say, do not ask why, just do. There was not always time to ask why, nor any good reason. I am the dad that is why. I cannot say any of my DI's were my friends....they were not supposed to be my friend, they were to be my teacher. Sometimes teacher and friend are not compatible roles. The DI was there to teach me lessons to save my life, and the life of my battle. Weakened DI have lead to weakened standards and discipline. Some of what I saw later in my career.....well, it just was terrible. Stress cards.... PC=sugar coating for pussies.
 
I served in the Air Force from 1968 to 1972, and I'm certain we weren't issued razors. As I recall, a razor was one of the few personal effects you were permitted to keep upon reporting for basic training-- just about everything else had to be packed up and shipped home. I had a Slim Adjustable at that time (wish I'd hung onto it). I also recall several of us shaving with the same razor (YIKES!) to avoid having to clean and polish several razors to inspection readiness, a real timesaver in the days before HIV and other blood borne disease. :ohmy::ohmy::ohmy::ohmy::ohmy::ohmy::ohmy::ohmy:
 
I like the joke here -- "my good friend Drill Sergeant". I don't think many thought their Drill Sergeant was a friend in the Vietnam era, I have heard that they were loud and mean (I know people that served then but did not myself). I guess the military has toned down their Drill Sergeants as of late but back then you better do what they said and NOW or you would find yourself polishing the urinal with your toothbrush.

Certainly my quoted phrase is Gumpish humor, but the truth is that my Drill Sergeant, SFC Willie House, did more to help make me a man than anyone outside of my immediate family did! He taught me to overcome personal limits and to give everything my all. Yes, he yelled some . . . and I believed he would kick my *** if need be . . . but he never made any of us do anything out of "meanness" or that had no purpose or lesson behind it. And, at the end of the training cycle, he joined us at the PX beer hall and shared a brew with some of us, soldier-to-soldier. I have never forgotten him, even after almost 40 years!

Just before he took us to buy razors and anything else we needed at the PX, he carefully explained that while the Army did allow mustaches by regulation, he was going to be the only Swinging (Richard) in the platoon that had one . . . and all that time I was hoping I didn't have to shave mine off . . . :lol:
 
Most people don't like the Selective Service draft these days, but it turned around a lot of young men headed to a bad place back in the day, at a critical crossroads in their young life.

Those Drill Sgts. were our mentors and initiators and leaders. They gave us that lesson that "it's not about you, it's about the unit...the team....and the Country." And they wouldn't let us through unless we gave them 120% effort. At the end of Basic and Infantry training, there were no nice boys, that mamma loved, hanging around. There were only strong, polished men.
 
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Most people don't like the Selective Service draft these days, but it turned around a lot of young men headed to a bad place back in the day, at a critical crossroads in their young life.

Those Drill Sgts. were our mentors and initiators and leaders. They gave us that lesson that "it's not about you, it's about the unit...the team....and the Country." And they wouldn't let us through unless we gave them 120% effort. At the end of Basic and Infantry training, there were no nice boys, that mamma loved, hanging around. There were only strong, polished men.

+1 . . . it is said you will forget a lot of people in your lifetime, but you'll never forget your Drill Sergeant . . .
 
I served in Australian Army in Vietnam (3rd Bn, Royal Australian Regiment, 1967-68). We were issued a Gillette 3 piece DE razor that came in a flat tin box. This was a general issue, not Vietnam specific, and most soldiers replaced it with the better quality adjustable civilian version.

In most units,we were required to shave every day in the field, both on operations and in training, and like many of you, moustaches were common (less face to shave in an inch of water in the bottom of a canteen cup). Some SF didn't shave in the field, much to the disgust of our Company Sergeant Major.

A quaint custom with the Australian Army was that on pay day, (every second Thursday) we lined up in alphabetical order to receive our pay in cash from our Lieutenant (Platoon Commander), salute, say "Pay correct, Sir", do a right turn, march to the Platoon Sergeant sitting at a separate table and be issued with two DE razor blades and a cake of GI soap. I think the idea was that being issued with razor blades, a young soldier never had an excuse that he didn't have a blade for his razor, and everybody had to turn up on that parade or they didn't get paid. :biggrin1:

In Vietnam, "Salem" menthol cigarettes were a much prized item that we obtained from US issue ration packs. Much prized as trading fodder with the locals for beer, Vietnamese sweets, and believe it or not - folding lawn chairs. The Army did not issue chairs and sitting on the ground or a pile of sandbags when back in base got pretty old pretty quick.

We Australians were always grateful for the tremendous amount of support from US forces, both fire and logistical, that was available to us if needed.

One of my enduring memories of that time is the sight of US Phantom jets pounding a VC bunker system into rubble and smoking holes in the ground. We would have taken many casualties if we had to attack that system on foot. Always grateful.
 
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Good memories Bluey.
Now that you mention it, I remember that those "cigarettesalems" were some number one trading material. We too would trade for Vietnamese sweets (and sometimes Vietnamese tarts). Having a folding lawn chair back at the FSB was a real good thing.
I remember once we got some fire support from an Australian helicopter gunship(callsign "crossbow"?). We were very grateful for it too. The little muckers had a mortar set up on the opposite side of a stream. The UH1C made short work of it.
So good on ya , brother.
 
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The loud and mean served a purpose...discipline.Do it when I say, do not ask why, just do. There was not always time to ask why, nor any good reason. I am the dad that is why. I cannot say any of my DI's were my friends....they were not supposed to be my friend, they were to be my teacher. Sometimes teacher and friend are not compatible roles. The DI was there to teach me lessons to save my life, and the life of my battle. Weakened DI have lead to weakened standards and discipline. Some of what I saw later in my career.....well, it just was terrible. Stress cards.... PC=sugar coating for pussies.

Honestly I can't argue with any of this. I personally think we should go back to the draft or even have compulsory military service (like Singapore) for all able-bodied men of a certain age (Singapore has two years at age 18 and three months a year until 40). I have heard that the US Army is so desperate for soldiers that they will take almost anyone (causing the stress and shaving exemptions mentioned at times here).
 
Shyrlock, the Australian helicopter gunships callsign was "Bushranger". The callsign is still in use today with the Army's Blackhawk gunships.

Glad that our flyboys were able help out back in the day. Always a welcome sight to see those birds in the sky. (Well for us, anyway. For the VC, not such a welcome sight).
 
Shyrlock, the Australian helicopter gunships callsign was "Bushranger". The callsign is still in use today with the Army's Blackhawk gunships.

Glad that our flyboys were able help out back in the day. Always a welcome sight to see those birds in the sky. (Well for us, anyway. For the VC, not such a welcome sight).
I want to acknowledge the Aussies in Vietnam. Good warriors. Good men. I think they had around 5,000 boots on the ground there...which was a large part of their Army. And I want to thank the Australian people who welcomed Yank GIs to Sydney...one of the several R&R locations. I happened to get a gunshot wound 2-weeks before going on my R&R to Sydney. I've always lamented my missed opportunity to go there.

I never personally fought with the Aussie troops, but their reputation for being tough effective soldiers is legend among combat soldiers.
 
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I don't ever remember being issued a razor in Nam. I humped a Gillette red handle razor over there, and although I spent most of my time in the Field, as most 11 bravos did, I tried to shave every couple days just to try to feel a little more human. Along with teeth brushing in a way I guess just made me feel a little better about myself. No lather, more times than not just a little soap, and at times moistened tooth paste. Sounds a bit weird I guess when you had severe dysentery, and walking through the Hobo woods and you squirting nasty stuff down your legs to be concerned about such a small thing as a shave. At any rate that was a long time ago, and any who have served, and are currently serving have my utmost respect, and God bless you all, and keep you safe.... I hope I didn't gross anybody out with some of my statements, but that simply was the it was.

Best Regards Ron
 
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