Portable cassette players in use in Vietnam war?

[pwypior]

Hi guys,

I just wanted to know whether portable (battery powered) cassette players were used by U.S. and Aussie soldiers in Vietnam? I just wanted to put one on the turret of my Aussie Centurion Mk. 5/1 from AFV Club. This cassette player comes from Academy modern accessories set#1383 as seen here:

http://www.mojehobby.pl/szczegoly.php?grupa_p=1&przedm=103289

Is this cassette player suitable for 1968-1971 timeframe and Vietnam era?

Thanks for help,

Piotr

 

[moon puppy]

Well I know they came into use during that time. I don't see why there could not have been a cassette player around. I think it was early 70s they were first in use with music, portable, not sure about that. I think you'd make a better case with an 8track player or just a portable radio.

 

[shawngehling]

Piotr,
I know that US Soldiers used them a lot, I used to send
casettes to guy over there.
I can't really see the casette player in this photos, I
will have to look through what I have and see if this one
or one that I have in my parts box might work???
Verlinden made a cool one long ago? Don't know if it is still
available? There were a few others that put them out too?
I will have to check into it.
Shawn

 

[pwypior]

Shawn,

I was told by a fellow modeller on another site that the cassette players were in use at the Vietnam war timeframe for sure. He told me that soldiers there used them to receive and read the voice mail sent on cassettes from their families at home. But he added that at that time the 8-track cartridges were used for listening to music from portable players (due to their better sound fidelity), not the usual compact cassettes. So I suspect that 8-track cassette players at that time might look different than that cassette player from the Academy set I mentioned in my previous post. It might look more like that boom box from the Custom Dioramics set as seen below:
http://images.kitlink.com/Products/images/Customdior/CUD6114.JPG
or the one in the Verlinden set you mentioned in your post.
But never say never, if you would be so kind to check your photos or look into your spares box if there's a suitable one I would be grateful for your help.
regards,

Piotr

 

[shawngehling]

Piotr,
The set you posted now, is an old record player (might have been used
in a hooch, but not in/on an armored vehicle. Maybe when they were
done for the night and were out of the front lines??? :idonno
The middle radio is from the 30's and 40's great for a WW-II dio,
and the last "boom box" is more the late 70's and 80's.
Or at least they look that way to me?
Having owned both the casette and 8 track players, I don't know
who told you an 8 track was better, but they are wrong. It would
sometimes stop in the middle of a song, to change tracks.
Having sent many letters to buddies over in Nam on casettes I
know that they did listen to music on them too. (We used to send
them music casettes too). Most GI's listened to the radio station
out of Saigon when they could (see the movie "Good Morning Vietnam").
I will try and look around in my spares and see what I can come
up with.
Remember that batteries to run those machines were in short supply
(we used to send them too).
I'm at work right now, but will be off shortly and I will try and
check it out later this evening.
Hope this helped :idonno hmy:
Shawn

 

[shawngehling]

Piotr,
I searched my stash and I have the same set you first showed us.
Academy AFV Miniature accessories "tank supplies set II.
That AM/FM - radio cassette player would work fine.
Most of the Infantry guys had those little rectangular
cassette players, but I don't know if anyone makes that
style??? I just got rid of mine to the thrift store a
couple of months ago.
I found some weapons that might help you out...
I have a couple of Sterling SMG's from the Italeri modern
light weapons set (like it was said before, all you have to
do is modify the magazine to be top fed, vice left side.
I have some M-16's from it to (early ones).Then I have the
DML M-16/AR-15 family (that has just about every type of M-16
and it's variants you can imagine, so if there is one or two
different ones from that set that you think you might need,
I'm sure I can spare a couple. I've also seen pictures of
AK-47's being used by armored troopers. (I have the DML
AK set too).
I even managed to find a machette (from and old USMC kit
and a M-79 if you need it)?
I have a book Vietnam Tracks - Armor In Battle 1945-76
by Simon Dunstan (Chapter 5 is all about Australian Armor
in Vietnam There are some good pictures of Centurions and
M-113's and a lot of good info including a brief review of
"the most successful action" of Australian armor in Vietnam.
6 June 1969 in the village of Binh Ba on route 2.
It even lists which units were there at what time.

PM me and I'll see what I can do to get this stuff to you.
Shawn

 

[G Cooper]

Hi Piotr:

It is an interesting question, as the idea is featured prominently in a couple of Hollywood movies set during the Vietnam war. A quick search disclosed that the technology was invented by Phillips in 1963 and widely released by 1965. But at that time they were all used for dictation and not widely released to the general public. But that does not mean that someone couldn't have one in Vietnam. The technology to make them more useful for music came in 1971, when they began to be widely marketed to the public.

So I would suggest that for the 60'a I would say it is not likely, not impossible, just unlikely. But after 1971, I would think that just about anything goes. From the little Radio Shack players, to the boom box type.


Here is where I found this if you want to read any of it yourself.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassette_player


Gary B)

 

[DioRandy]

Hey, Piotr
I was researching for a Vietnam diorama of my own and came across a photo that showed a guy with a small reel-to-reel tape deck in his M113.
Randy

 

[pwypior]

The photo

Randy,

Is it possible for you to share the picture on the forum? I would be interested in seeing it. If not, would you send me that pic by PM?

Thanks,

Piotr

 

[DioRandy]

Here you go, Piotr
I got this off of the 11th Cavalry Regiment's web page (K-Troop) and it's entitled "Down the Hatch." As you'll see, there's a whole lot more to view.
Randy
http://www.ktroop.com/gal5&6p13.html

 

[shawngehling]

DioRandy wrote:

Here you go, Piotr
I got this off of the 11th Cavalry Regiment's web page (K-Troop) and it's entitled "Down the Hatch." As you'll see, there's a whole lot more to view.
Randy
http://www.ktroop.com/gal5&6p13.html

Randy, they might have labeled it as lunch, but that looks more like
a paint can to me, none of the C-rations I ever ate came in a re-sealable
can like that??? :S :idonno
Shawn