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I have wanted to photograph these two vehicles for a while. An armored M151A2, serial number 02A51672-10374, reg number 4A7847. It sits at the corner of 42nd St. and Battalion Ave. Thats the 89th MP BDE building.
The other vehicle is a ??? I could find no markings but I could open the rear pistol port and snapped two pictures of the inside. There was also a monument to the 720th MP Battalion. The soldiers there represented names back to WWII. But the most recent 10 were from OIF.
The M151 reminds me of some of the Vietnam era mini "gun-trucks" I saw along with the Duece-and-a-halfs converted to gun trucks.

Jeff,
The M151A2 I can pretty much guarantee is Vietnam-service (or a replica thereof), typical of the type and the 89th had a long history in the conflict. The V100 Commando variant may well be also, but I'm less certain about that one as it may have served later (I have a pic or two of those in VN myself). Good finds for sure!

D.

Hi Doug! Hi Folks!

- Doug_Kibbey

The M151A2 I can pretty much guarantee is Vietnam-service (or a replica thereof),

Doug, I think it's a replica.
1. It's an A2. I don't remember seeing A2s until after I had returned to the states.
2. Check out the way the antenna base is mounted. That is not the standard way those things were mounted. For jeeps with a radio, there was an extendition that placed the base of the spring at the top of the canvas top so the antenna would not hit the supporting frames. And the bases were mounted on the back side so it would not stick out side and possible hit something. Antenna tie downs didn't come into use until about a year after the last combat units pulled out. It that was a Vietnam era vehicle, I would think the base would have been mounted on the top back edge of the rear armored plate.

- Doug_Kibbey

typical of the type and the 89th had a long history in the conflict. The V100 Commando variant may well be also, but I'm less certain about that one as it may have served later (I have a pic or two of those in VN myself). Good finds for sure!
D.

I too am not sure about Vietnam service for that vehicle either. I read somewhere that sense the Army didn't really want the V100, all the vehicles in country where turned over to the ARVNs when the MP units stood down.

Also, it has the Department of Transportation (DOT) approved tail lights like the M151A2 has.

It is very nice to see an MP memorial. Those guys are always in there as part of the total team and sense they are not armor or infantry or wingy things, they don't get a lot of notice.

It maybe old age and I maybe total wrong (again), but I don't remember those DOT tail light lights and front turn signals in Vietnam.
Sgt, Scouts Out!

V-100s were used by many of the MP units. There are a ton of pics of them in service with the 18th MP group websites. The ARVN were the original purchasers of the V100. When MP units saw them they made arrangements to get them into the military system. The main disadvantage of them was that their axles were too weak for the vehicle's weight, and there was a lack of spare parts inventory to keep them well maintained. They were still liked by the guys though. In fact, many units then ordered the V150 for MP use in the late 70s/early 80s. Today that has evolved into the M1117 Guardian (made by the same company) for MP service.

The taillights are definately a later style, but the front orange turn signals are correct.

What I find unusual is the angular outcropping on the back right corner of the vehicle. Must have been some sort of mod for an antenna or machine gun. Not a factory thing.

Just my 2 cents, not trying to cause trouble or make anyone mad.


cheers!

Dave C

We had one or two A2 jeeps in my unit in the 101st, I'm in a picture of one somewhere in my collection. But most were A1's, for sure. IIRC, two defining characteristics are the windshield and location of the slave-start receptacle, as well as the obvious turn signals and the wheels.

I noticed that angular thing on the V100 too, don't know what's up with that. Maybe that's a later model used by the Air Force or something for base security stateside later acquired for display purposes and done up in VN markings. For sure both vehicle types could well have seen VN service with the units as marked, but maybe were "pieced together" postwar for display.