BTW, what is that contraption they're riding in?
M 42 Duster....Anything that would get ya down route 9 quickly.
3rd Marine spent alot of time around Khe Sahn..Rockpile to the Ashua complex..
Grunts would rather be on a firebase hill top..than on route 9....scarry road indeed.
"The M-42 Duster was developed between WW II and Korea from the M-41 Walker Bulldog light tank chassis. It was to fill the gap in the U.S. arsenal for an armored self propelled AA gun. It had a crew of 6, (driver, T.C., and four operating the gun turret) and was armed with 2 40mm Bofors AA guns and one .30 or .50 cal MG for ground defense. The M-42 served in Korea, but was considered obsolete by the war's end due to the lack of radar guidance to track fast moving jets. It was delegated to the National Guard prior to Viet Nam, but due to calls for more firepower on the ground, was brought back into frontline service not as an AA gun, but as a fire support vehicle, where it's ability to " mow the grass" was greatly appreciated. After Viet Nam, M-42's served a short time in the National Guard before being scrapped."
Pix: http://www.mindspring.com/~bfalcon/M42.htm
Interesting.
From the stories I've heard, Route 9 was not the place to be.