Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau for December 02, 2009

Squelch would be a radio operator. Not sure about Fragman, but fragmentation bombs is what it makes me think of.

Maybe Sherman was an all-rounder. =)

Fragging (presentation of a burning fragmentation grenade as a present - one second, two…BOOM), unfortunately, became a popular means of protest at even the slightest management of troops in Vietnam by their officers and NCOs. It was the flip side of a popularity contest. Largely draftees selected this, I was told.

IIRC, we’ve seen a little of that in the current ‘theatres’, but won’t hear much about it back In The World. The news coming out is quite ‘embedded’ (read, ‘censored’).

Went yesterday to a live concert at the local health food store, of Arlo Guthries’ Alice’s Restaurant. “If 50 people come in and sing one line of it, it’s a movement!”

Duster most likely refers to his mustache - as in cookie duster - goes with the belt line too

jad, I didn’t think you were that young

Arc Light was the name for the operations of B-52 bombers out of Anderson AFB on Guam, Kadena AFB on Okinawa, and U-Tapao RTNB in southern Thailand from the mid-Sixties until 1970.

Sherman sounds good. Kinda reminds me of a certain shark from a certain lagoon.

^or a WWII tank.

“fifty” - reference to fifty caliber guns, or the gunner who operated them.

“Oscar Mike” - in NATO military radio lingo, these are the phonetics used for “O” & “M” in the alphabet, used when referencing things like map coordinates, to prevent mistakes of misunderstanding letters that sound similar. not sure of what “OM” is shorthand for?

Armybrat2,

“OM” = Old Man

In this case victor is the phonetic alphabet word for the letter v.

Becca …..fraging is what you did to a stupid first louie who was always puting the squad in unnessary danger.maybe that’s what he did.

The M42 Duster is an AA AV. It’s hell on choppers, ‘cept in Nam there weren’t none to shoot at. They were even more brutal on perimeter defense. Pop, pop, pop, pop.

http://www.aaftankmuseum.com/Archive4M42A1.htm

JAD. So correct..More Marine Corps “peanut butter bar” louies, got it from behind..Had one step off the plane in Da Nang and insist I salute him..I did..And he went home in a body bag ..Had to be a record..In Country for about 10 seconds, and out again..Body Bagged his butt and put him right back on the C-130. I was in Nam from Jan 1968 thru April of 70, then back again..Then taught Northern Training Area in Oki knock knock.. Welcome home, Brother.

I was int the NTA in ‘94…..Looking back, it was a fun time.