Memorial Day Events

 This Memorial Day weekend (May 2022), the First Ohio Vietnam Reenactors were honored to have the opportunity to participate in local events. On Sunday, we had the great privilege of attending the ceremony at Western Reserve National Cemetery and assisting with affairs there. On Monday, Memorial Day, we were able to walk in the parade with the 555th Triple Nickel Honors Detachment. We are incredibly thankful for the 555 for allowing us the opportunity to participate, and for the stupendous example they set for us. We with the First Ohio would like to wish everyone a happy Memorial Day, and give our utmost thanks to the brave men and women who died for our freedoms in the United States.

Following are some quotes from members who were able to participate in the events this last weekend, as well as some pictures. 

Quentin writes: "I couldn't think of a better way to spend Memorial Day weekend. It's folks like the veterans who died for our country who are the reason we do what we do."

Dustin writes: "It was a good experience and it was a good way to get to know a lot of the people in the Triple Nickel."

David writes: "It was fantastic to be able to honor the veterans of the Vietnam War and the military at large, including those who died in the line of duty. It was an immense privilege to volunteer alongside the veterans of the 555th and participate in the ceremonies of the weekend."

1911's: Who Had Them?

Sidearms are a bit of a contentious issue among reenactors of the Vietnam War. While many have taken to putting sidearms on their web gear, not every soldier in the war was issued one. The question then remains as to who exactly was issued a sidearm, and how to incorporate them into a kit.

No doubt one of the most iconic weapons in military history is the Colt 1911 which is an iconic part of Vietnams imagery.  The 1911 was a favored pistol among a variety of units in the US armed forces. However, interesting to note is that due to difficulties producing them to meet demands, not every soldier in the US Army was issued one like with primary weapons.

In fact, many infantrymen only had their primary rifles, with .45s being limited to specific MOS's. For instance, M60 gunners were typically issued sidearms, as were officers in infantry units. Medics had the choice of either a rifle or handgun, so you tend to see both. However, medics historically favored rifles due to their larger ammunition capacity. 

It should be noted that officers in the US army were typically issued pistols as well. Some specific MOS's were issued pistols, and many special forces units carried sidearms into combat. 

Up to this point I have been primarily discussing the US Army with respect to pistols. However, it is important to note that many US Marines utilized sidearms as well, and with greater prevalence. In fact, pistols are much more common among Marine infantrymen than they were Army infantrymen.

With all of this in mind, it is important to take into consideration whether or not the unit and role you wish to portray would have been issued a 1911. For our organization that specializes in reenacting the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, you will see us using the pistol a lot more than are other organizations. 

This is because the 11 ACR were issued sidearms at a greater rate than other units during the Vietnam War. Further, many times a 1911 is the only weapon a soldier would carry on their person as to make it easier to get in and out of vehicles.