Casual Tuesday

Well it doesn't feel like I got up to a lot today really. Tried another place for breakfast because they had strawberry pancakes, but it was just strawberry jam and they cost twice as much as my banana pancakes haha. I got some cash from the bank, went to the post office to call the bank as the lady at the phone bank has the numbers for international calls and operators. Long story short the bank told me they used FedEx and I should call back when it's daytime in Canada. Thanks. I mailed post cards so some of you will have to check your mailboxes. The funny thing is I wrote it before putting stamps on it, so some have stamps placed in weird spots since I didn't want to cover up what I wrote. After that I humped it out to Ben Thanh market to get Brit's custom zippo done. I talked to Tran and it's kinda funny because he's a talker, wants to use that english on me haha. Got the zippo back and I'm friggen jealous. Brit's zippo was done a lot better than mine or Sean's 173rd one. Guess the regular guy was sick today. Ah well, it's the imperfections that makes in country made items valuable, but her's just looks sexy, for an angel wing with a bloody sword engraved into shiny steel haha.

I hit Cho Dan Sinh, the surplus market because I was told someone would have US Marine canteens for Josh. I looked around and obviously I picked some stuff up. An MX-993 which is the military's straight flashlight instead of the angel head one we all have. Some Tunnel rats liked it better, just a choice in wrist positions. Yesterday I picked up a 20rnd nylon ammo pouch, and today I found the ultra rare 30rnd nylon ammo pouch for $10. In 1967 the US military issued out nylon equipment instead of canvas. Canvas was good but if it's wet and bakes in the heat of a tropical climate it grows fungus and mold which isn't great for the person wearing it all day. Nylon versions and a few upgrades came out, but as there was so much canvas product left the military decided to let the canvas stocks be used until they're gone and then use the new nylon ones. The thing is that around 1969/70 you'd see some nylon stuff in the field, but you wouldn't see one soldier with a complete nylon loadout, as there was still a lot of canvas around. I just like it because you can show the evolution of equipment at public displays. The 30rnd nylon ammo pouch is rare because the troops used 20-round magazines in their rifles. 30rnd mags were rare to being with so only special forces (guys who need to fire an extra 10rnds per magazine) or Rear Echelon Mother Fuckers (REMF's)(guys who only work on base and never leave it's safety) would grab them up. So naturally an ammo pouch that lets you hold three 30rnd mags would be ultra rare. The only difference between them and the ALICE LC-1 ammo pouches (which came after the war and used until the 90's) was the M67 ones had a strap for grenades where the LC-1's had a pocket protecting the body of the grenade.

Where was I? haha I found the booth and she forgot the canteen covers at home. She had a M67 nylon davis buckle belt, clackers for claymores(just a device you squeeze twice to activate the mine), a .38cal revolver holster(which I need for my tunnel rat .38 pistol) and XM28 gas masks but the plastic lenses were cracked so I didn't pick one up for Sean.

I made plans to have coffee tonight with Tran and a friend of his either in university or is a history buff like me, but as it's 9:30pm I think those plans are cancelled haha. But I got home, had a pizza and salad buffet supper (yes I had 3 salads and then loaded up on pizza haha). Since then I've been waiting for the phone to ring and watching American Dad episodes on the laptop. Wasn't ultra hectic or anything, but a decent day.

Tomorrow my plan is to buy two claymore clackers and any canteen pouches I find for Josh, take them to Phuoc and get them ready to ship home along with some other stuff (nuoc nam fish sause for my old work, zippo and I think a few other things). Again nothing exciting but day to day stuff! Hooray! Night :)