"Breakfast in the Boonies." Vietnam, July 1967

[Cheyenne]

Very cool James , good Lord , Carling Black label beer , man that brings me waaaaaay back .

 

[Brokeneagle]

Great dio, love the detail you've added as it really brings it to life.

Ian.

 

[JamesOLeary]

Thanks Ian and Cheyenne.

When I was gathering the various accessories, Bill Rambow told me to make sure the majority of the beer was Carlin's Black Label because they very rarely got anything else.

Cheers,
James

 

[centaur567]

Master Class!!!!Gary

 

[Strangeways]

Each time I look at the pictures, I see some new details. Outstanding; can't imagine how much work went into researching and building this

 

[JamesOLeary]

Thanks. I probably put more effort into this diorama than I had into any other that I had built before it. Bill Rambow's input really helped, especially since it is his crew that is represented in the diorama. I was hoping to have the diorama completed for the IPMS show in Arlington, TX this past September, but I was only able to get the M113 completed for it. Then I tried to get it completed for the IPMS show in Austin, TX a few weeks later and was able to get as much completed as I possibly could in time for the show (I stayed up working on it until around 2 a.m. the morning of the show and still did not have it totally completed). It did well at the show, but even afterwards, I still had a few details here and there that I still had to add to get it to the point to where it is in these photos. There are probably a few more things I could add, but I am calling it completed.

Cheers,
James

 

[Frank]

Excellent work. thanks for sharing.

 

[JamesOLeary]

Yesterday, 9 September 2017, this diorama won first place in the Armor Diorama category, the Charlie Jay Memorial Award for best Vietnam subject, and Best of Show at the Fort Worth Scale Yodelers Society SUPERCON 2017 show. That was quite a surprise and honor.

Cheers,
James

 

[Duke Maddog]

Congratulations once again. This was an exceptionally deserving model.

 

[JamesOLeary]

Here are some photos of the interior of the M113 and a view of the front before it was placed on the base.

Inside the box that replaced the factory seats on the left side of the track are smoke and frag grenades still in their cardboard containers, claymores, pop flares, gear for the radios and 5.56 ammo boxes. The radios are wired properly. Before I put the top on, I found a July 1967 centerfold that I added next to the one that is shown in this picture. On the right side box are cans of .50 and 7.62 ammo. The stuff on the floor are rounds for the 106mm Recoilless Rifle, cases of beer and soda, and c-rations. One of the squad rucksacks is leaning against that stuff. In the sponson area on the right side are the crew's water proof bags with their spare uniforms and personal items, a scratch built 90mm Recoilless rifle hanging from the wall, loaded buttpacks that are not attached to the crew's personal gear until needed for a patrol,

2d Battalion 47th Infantry (Mechanized) were known as the Panthers. At one point, the battalion commander wanted all of the battalion's tracks to have Panthers painted on the trim vanes of the vehicles. On Bill Rambow's track, the artist was not very good at painting Panthers so it kind of looks a bit like a cross between a cat and a cow. This is how the actual painting on C-14 looked. Here are some pictures of it. Note the way the paint is worn away on the front where people climb up the front to the drivers hatch.

Just some things I thought I might add so y'all could see the interior better.

Cheers,
James

 

[moon puppy]

Well earned James

 

[Cheyenne]

Congrats James , well earned and well deserved !!!

 

[Iron Mike]

:drinks

 

[jknaus]

Now that looks lived in to the max
James

 

[Tankbuilder]

Hi there.

I'm wondering about the ration boxes. The small individual mealboxes. Are those scratch-built or are they after-market items?

Thanks again and cheers

 

[moon puppy]

Not speaking for James but they look to be MecModel items.

http://www.mecmodels.com

 

[JamesOLeary]

Thanks, Guys.

The individual meal boxes are from Mec Models. Good eye, Moon Puppy. When making them, make sure you leave yourself a tab that extends longer than the one that is printed so you can glue the box together a bit easier and so it will hold.

Cheers,
James

 

[Frank]

Congratulations

 

[Tankbuilder]

Thanks, Guys.

The individual meal boxes are from Mec Models. Good eye, Moon Puppy. When making them, make sure you leave yourself a tab that extends longer than the one that is printed so you can glue the box together a bit easier and so it will hold.

Cheers,
James

Okay, I found the MEC MODELS website. I then went to their printed accessoriespage.

http://www.mecmodels.com/wordpress/?product_cat=printed-accessories-1-35

What product number are those individual meal boxes that are inside a C-rartions case?

Thanks and cheers

 

[JamesOLeary]

It is PA-UC01 US Combat Rations. The sheets contains the outer sleeves, the case box, individual meal boxes next to each outer sleeve, and impressions of a full case showing the tops of the individual meals that can be glued onto the case box to give the look of a full open case of c-rats.

There are twelve of each printed item. The individual meal boxes are printed in a manner that replicates several different meal menus.

I hope this helps.

Cheers,
James