Call signs

[42GPW]

I was with the 82nd in the late 80's and 90's. If we were the RTO or Driver for the chain we would use call signs like h-6d for driver and if we had to step off as the CO's RTO on foot we were h-6r. This would also work for the guys on the ground to know that the chain was on the ground and to put there helmet back on, fasten webgear, put out there smokes etc. Did anyone else use this techinque?

Matt R

[ida34]

As the driver I would answer as 6 and if the actual CO was speaking he would call 6 actual. In Artillery we had wired comes on the gun line so we just answered as gun 1, FDC, Mess, Etc.

[199th mp]

our call signs would change with each new soi issued, which was random as far as we knew--the last one i remember
using on convoy was cactus--that would usually be followed by the vehicle number--since i was in HQ20, a M60
mounted gun jeep, that would become cactus20 on the radio. keep in mind, i'm trying to remember 1970, so i'd
appreciate it if you cut me a little slack.

[Ralph Fuller]

Gun trucks in the convoys used call signs similar to these in 1970. The gun truck's name is on the left.

[Cobra5]

I see a few copy right infringements on the names.

[42GPW]

For training use it was 5,6, or 7 actual also. But once we got across the pond it was out of an c.e.o.i or s.o.i. I was in the 81mm mortar platoon and we were usually cold steel or steel rain (state side). Funny how thing differ or are the same. In the bunker with ta-312's it was gun 1,2,3,4 or fdc. Op 1-6. Also 199thMP i wasnt born till 1971. So take all the slack you need.LOL.

Matt R

[toptiger]

-six was the universal code for the unit commander so the 1st Platoon leader would be One six and so on right up to the Division CO, -five would be the exec, -2 intell officer, -3 Ops officer. At least this was the way in the 1960s US Army.
BTW we had some unique names for some of or gunships- Widow Maker, Birth Control were two of them and we had the name painted on the front.

an an aside, I recently saw the movie Avatar and was astounded to see my units logo on the side of the tilt rotor gunship
http://www.68thahc.com/Must_Photo_pg/Mu ... y_0012.jpg
Top Tigers rule!
http://www.68thahc.com/Photos_Old_02/P_Frans_02.jpg
Guess who was flying this ship when it was hit? I was! I got shrapnel in my face, but the helmet visor saved my eye sight when it deflected some of it.

[toptiger]

Here is a stateside pic of my 151- probably fall of 1966, Ft Bliss {it wasn't} TX. I was the 1st platoon leader in Delta Company, and my driver made sure no one would steal the fuel can so he painted D 16 on it. That was also the number on the right side of the bumper, both front and rear. It was also my call sign, Delta One Six.
As some of you may recall from my early posts this jeep was blown up by a mine in VN in 1967, killing the driver and Plt Sergeant while I was in flight school stateside. It haunts me often.



and I found this one of the Top Tiger symbol on our ships, december 1968. This one, painted by me, was super sized as a joke. The CO didn't appreciate my screwing around with his ship and it was painted over that night.

[toptiger]

I am sure some of you guys will wonder what that is on my holster. The pistol was a standard issue Colt 38 special and that long thing next to it is a Randall 18 combat pilot's survival knife, which I still have.

[SEABEE62]

Dang TT...you got a remarkable memory....just can't remember who all you x- wifes were, but you can remember important military things. I was the platoon leader , Delta Co. in our Battalion....our codes ran something like " get the %#@& out of the way " and "where the %#@+ is my hammer ! " and " Incoming #@%$ " !!!!!! Seabee