Vietnam vignette: "Too Close for Comfort"

[JamesOLeary]

This is a vignette that I built back in the 2002 timeframe.
In this scene, an American Infantry unit has been engaging North Vietnamese forces for several hours. The Americans have beated back several attacks and are holding their ground as they wait for reinforcements and a resupply of ammunition and medical supplies. This Soldier's M16 has jammed and he has taken it down to fix the problem. As he is working on it, the North Vietnamese mount another attack. Luckily he is also armed with a M1911 .45 caliber pistol which he quickly uses to stop the advancing NVA Soldier from getting him. The moment we see is the split second that the slide of the pistol is moving back, ejecting the spent shell casing, and the round impacting the NVA Soldier in the chest at really close range.
The figures are conversions. The American Soldier is a conversion of a few Hobby Fan figures with a Hornet head. Note that his left ammo pouch is open and empty and that his holster is open. His M16 is broken open shotgun style and there is a cleaning rod next to it. There are shell casings and empty magazines all over the ground. The NVA is a conversion of DML/Dragon's NVA Sappers. The strap to his canteen has been cut from the impact of the .45 round and he is being knocked back off of his feet.

 

[Sharkmouth]

Real nice indeed! For accuracy (aside from still being slightly gory), a .45 round impacting that body from such a close distance would have an explosive exit wound with a simple entry wound at front. The blood (very little) and or tissue (plus bones) would be more prevalent at the rear. Also, there is the issue of muzzle blast and burn. Most don't know this (unless you have seen it in person) so it does not detract from such great work.

Regards,

 

[JamesOLeary]

I actually do know this as I have engaged a few individuals at very close range, not with a .45, but at close range just the same. Since the shell casing is still on it's way out of the chamber, the round has just made impact and is still inside the NVA and hasn't exited yet. You are correct about the major damage coming through the back, but from the front, you do still get the mist of blood and that is what that splattering is supposed to represent. It just hasn't made it's way to the American Soldier yet. I also didn't want to make it too gory for the audience

Excellent comment and thanks for the explaination for the benefit of those who have not had to engage others.

 

[johnbowery]

James,
Nicely done and very active.
Cheers
John

 

[JamesOLeary]

Thanks, John.

It took a while to build, but I think it was worth the effort.

James

 

[Sharkmouth]

Re: Vietnam vignette:

JamesOLeary wrote:

you do still get the mist of blood and that is what that splattering is supposed to represent.

From my experience with wounds (.22 Hush Puppy, .45 ACP, and 9mm), the entry began to bleed slowly with burn marks on the fabric.

However, head shots did cause the mist (called pink shots when I was serving). Your choice is the best balance if the bullet has not exited as, otherwise, it may not be apparent the soldier was hit.

By the way, can we have close-ups of the taken down M-16? Did you use the Dragon kit for that?

Regards,

 

[moon puppy]

Re: Vietnam vignette:

James it's amazing to see your work. I can see progression in your techniques.

 

[slodder]

Overall a nice build. It shows quite a story in a small setting. It emotes more than just the close quarters.

 

[JamesOLeary]

Re: Vietnam vignette:

sharkmouth wrote:

From my experience with wounds (.22 Hush Puppy, .45 ACP, and 9mm), the entry began to bleed slowly with burn marks on the fabric.

However, head shots did cause the mist (called pink shots when I was serving). Your choice is the best balance if the bullet has not exited as, otherwise, it may not be apparent the soldier was hit.

By the way, can we have close-ups of the taken down M-16? Did you use the Dragon kit for that?

Regards,

My experience is with rifle and shotgun rounds only, so some artistic license was required to make the NVA appear that he was shot. There have been so many dioramas and figures that I have seen over the years that are in poses where they are getting hit from a sniper or someone off the confines of the diorama base that have no entry or exit wound that I wanted to make sure the audience knew that the NVA was hit and not falling over because he was clumsy.
We still make reference to the pink mist, but I haven't heard of head shots being refered to as pink shots in the units I have served in. Every organization has their own terms for the same thing.
When I go home tonight, I'll take a close up photo of the taken down M16. I used the Dragon M16 set and used 2 rifles to get the effect. I cut the lower receiver off of one and hollowed out the area where the bolt carrier group travels in the upper receiver and scraped open the ejection port. I used putty to make an open ejection port cover. For the lower receiver, I cut off the upper receiver, hollowed out the magazine well and wallered out the area representing the trigger housing. I don't remember what I had used as the bolt carrier group. Perhaps I'll remember when I'm taking the photo.
If you don't mind, in the future if I make another scene that has any bullet impacts to any of the figures, I'd like to show it to you first to get your opinion on what would look best for the presentation of whatever wound that type of round may make before I do any final painting and display.
Thanks.
James

 

[JamesOLeary]

Re: Vietnam vignette:

Moon Puppy and Slodder,
Thanks for the comments. One of the reasons I wanted to post some of my older works was to show that as one progresses in the hobby, the more useful techniques you learn (either from talking to people at the shows or from forums like this), and the better you become. I still have a long way to go, but the journey has been fun.
James

 

[Sharkmouth]

Re: Vietnam vignette:

JamesOLeary wrote:

My experience is with rifle and shotgun rounds only,

If you don't mind, in the future if I make another scene that has any bullet impacts to any of the figures, I'd like to show it to you first to get your opinion on what would look best for the presentation of whatever wound that type of round may make before I do any final painting and display.

Rifle and shotgun explains a lot. The small caliber rifle round is designed to tumble so it does create a jagged impact with blood spurts on ruptured vessels.

I'd be very happy to help out if I can. PLEASE, note that I do not want to detract from your fabulous scenes and my comments are meant to be positive and constructive.

Regards,

 

[JamesOLeary]

Re: Vietnam vignette:

sharkmouth wrote:

By the way, can we have close-ups of the taken down M-16? Did you use the Dragon kit for that?

quote]

Here are several close up pictures of the broken open M16. They aren't the greatest photos in the world, but it will give you a better idea of what I had done. It was difficult to get the digital camera to take pictures at the exact same angles that I was looking at. It looks alot better in person because you can look through some of the vegetation and at angles that allow you to see both receivers of the rifle.

 

[Sharkmouth]

Re: Vietnam vignette:

Thanks! Great detail to add to the intensity of the scene.

Regards,

 

[agentg]

Re: Vietnam vignette:

I've been there.

That's quite a vignette, I really like it, and your work is great.

G

 

[STEINER]

Mr.OLeary, i really like your work and also that you are into the Vietnam concept, all your works show skill and imagination. The only thing that i would suggest IMHO is to forograph your work with a dark solid background in order to look better on the screen, keep up the good work , Teo

 

[JamesOLeary]

Thanks for the comments.

Agentg, thanks for your service and I'm glad that you made it through the situation like this one so you could be here.

Teo, the next time I photograph one of my works, I'll try using a dark background. I'm sure my wife has some dark blue material left over from one of her sewing projects that I can use.

 

[AndyFettes]

Great scene, I like it a lot !!!