m1956 Web Gear
m1956 web gear was used throughout the Vietnam War. Though it was replaced my the m1967 nylon web gear, m67 gear was rarely widely issued and when it was, it usually replaced broken m56 items.
m56 Ammunition Pouch
m56 ammo pouches were the standard issue for Infantrymen. Before 1962 these ammo pouches had a metal plate in the front to protect the magazines. They were originally intended for use with the m14 rifle but were soon replaced with the m16.
m56/m61 Buttpack
Pictured here is an m56 buttpack. These were used to carry personal effects such as extra clothes, rations, etc. The updated m61 buttpack was lined with a waterproof liner.
m56 Canteen and Cover
The m56 canteen and cover replaces the earlier m1910 aluminum canteen. The plastic was more durable and less noisy in the field. The canteen cover replaced the earlier lift-the-dot fasteners with snaps. Examples before 1967 (such as the one pictured) have cotton trim around the flaps and nylon trim after ‘67.
How to Read Vietnam War Serial numbers
Take for example this tag. The serial number is DSA 100-69-C-2295. Before figuring out the date, if the tag has DLA or SPO instead of DSA, then it is post-war. Some early-war items are marked with DA instead of DSA. The year of manufacture is the second set of numbers, in this case “69,” which dates this item to 1969. This method is applicable for all years except for 1965, which will read DSA-1 with no year suffix and 1966 which will read DSA-100 with no year suffix.
Uniforms
First Pattern Jungle Jacket
First pattern jungle jackets are easily recognizable by their exposed buttons on the pocket, shoulder tabs, and take-in tabs on the sides.
Second Pattern Jungle Jacket
Second pattern jungle jackets saw the removal of the exposed buttons, but the shoulder tabs remained.
Third Pattern Jungle Jacket
Third pattern Jungle Jacket have no shoulder tabs and are more commonly found in ripstop material rather than poplin.