Lynne M.Black Jr on the right with CAR-15, 1-0 vest and indig ruck. Also note the canteen pouches stuffed with 20rd mags...
We have been having more conversations with Lynne M. Black Jr of RT Alabama and RT Idaho, he has also sent us some photographs showing his 1-0 jacket (or Fishing vest...see story) Our first interview with Lynne can be found here.
Modern Forces: When carrying the AK mags did you use an NVA chestrig? and if so what was carried in your webbing as in the photos (Of SOG guys in General not just you) I have seen the webbing pouches seem full but having tried AK mags in a canteen pouch I found they all fell out, did you carry loose ammo, grenades etc?
Lynne M Black Jr: We wore the NVA chestrig over the One Zero vest, but under our webgear. The canteen covers on my webgear were then filled with M79 rounds and small baseball grenades.
Modern Forces: You mentioned when we last spoke that In addition to the standard stuff everyone carried you made sure every man was packing at least one block of C4, a minimum of 8 feet of detonation cord, a blasting cap and a hand generator. When the seismic ground probes were issued, these were then modified by Captain Mike O’Byrne, so you could use them to remotely set off C4 and Claymores. Would this be carried in the rucksack?
Lynne M Black Jr: The C4 and detonation cord were carried in the rucksack along with the hand generator and a claymore and toe poppers. The blasting caps were carried in my One Zero vest away from the explosive. Good idea, huh?
Modern Forces: I can see your point there...Did the seismic probes look like this?
Lynne M Black Jr: Yes, those were the probes I'm talking about. Captain Mike OByrne came up with a delay chipset that allowed us to rig a clamore to a probe; set the probe for minimum distance, and then allow us enough time to get out of range. Any trackers following us would set off the claymore.
Modern Forces: When you mentioned your Survival vest in our last talk do you mean what they call a 1-0 vest these days, like the one on this page (this a repro of course)?
Lynne M Black Jr: The only one of these vest I ever saw was the one I wore. When I got to FOB-1 (Phu Bai) in July 1968 no one was wearing anything like this that I remember. When I entered country I had with me a fly fishing vest, two boxes of hand tied flies and a $300.00 Orvis split bamboo fly rod. The rod and flies were admired by a Vietnamese officer whose sister I wanted to date. We made a deal, he didn't want the vest. I used it to carry my extra Browning magazines, pen flare gun and extra flares, signal mirror, a high protein ration, Escape and Evasion map, current AO maps, compass, protractor, and some emergency medical supplies. The idea was that if I had to drop my gear and run I would have a basic E&E outfit on my back.
Several of the guys liked the vest and wanted to know where they could get one. I had several made up in Saigon out of truck canvas and gave them out as gifts. I heard that they were made up and issued to the guys going through One Zero School. I think that was after I left. I'll bet that reproduction version looks just like the one I wore and those I had made up in Saigon. The one in the picture sure does.
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