Question on Garands

[rayg]

1956-59, Ray

[mhb]

Sort of... High School ROTC, 1963. SN 1194602. Went through Basic with the M14, 1968.

mhb - Mike

[Oyaji]

Fired the M1 rifle for familiarization during Navy boot camp in 1968 at Camp Elliott in San Diego. The rifles we were issued, carried daily, and drilled with were Springfield 1903s.

[powderkeg]

Greetings,
Issued 3.2 Springfield, USMC Camp Pendleton, ITR September 1966. Rifle was equipped with T105E1 sights.

Regards,
JeffL
66-70

[Deano41]

Went through basic training and qualified on the M1 Rifle, Feb-April 1962, Fort Ord, Ca.
Was issued an M1 Carbine when with the 63d Inf. DivArty counter -mortar radar platoon, 1962 to 1965. Was issued an M1 Rifle in the 522d Maint. Bn, 1966-1969.

[Ron in Pa]

In the Navy, I shot one from the fantail of the USS C.H. Roan DD853. Ron

[Vern Humphrey]

I was issued an M1 for both Basic and Advanced Infantry Training at Fort Polk, LA in 1962. I applied for OCS and was "held over" doing details until time for my OCS class to start. One of the details was to clean every M1 in the company, and take them all to Ordnance. We brought back the M14s -- and then had a panic when someone found you can take an M14 out of an M1 rack without unlocking it. We had to move them all into the arms room until the racks were modified.

At OCS I was issued an M1 and carried it many a mile, and qualified on it, too.

When I graduated and joined a unit, our issue weapons were M14s.

When I got to Viet Nam in mid-'66 I was an adviser to Viet Namese infantry. My issue weapon was an M2 carbine, which got wrapped around a tree and I bummed an M1 off the ARVN and carried that the rest of my tour. I may be one of the last American soldiers to use the M1 in combat.

[danco101]

I was issued one at ITR Camp Geiger in NC (USMC) in 1966, I was very familiar with the rifle as I owned one before entering the Marines, I got a real laugh once when one of my fellow Marines thought the OP rod was bent on his rifle, and decided to straighten it out, jamming the rifle once reassembled! The troop handler chewed his ass while the rest of us chuckled! We also used them At Parris Island SC during our "Drown proofing" in the swimming pool! (55 minutes staying afloat with your rifle!) pool clorine does wonders to an M1!
Semper Fi!

[Sarge]

Shot my first Garand in the Navy in 1954. Qualified with it. The Navy only had 2 grades not 3 like the army. I got the bottom one. Later, 61, changed over to the Army and qualified Expert with both the Garand and Carbine. Kept up the good work as I qualified Expert with the M14 & M16 too.
Guess it stuck with me as all but one of my deer & antelope kills have been one (1) shot kills.
Sarge

[Johan412th]

My grandad was in '57....1st Mardiv, 1st regiment, Camp Pendleton. Weapons company 2nd battalion under Lt. TJ Pentecost. I know he trained with one. Anybody else there by chance?