God, I just ran on to my P-38 and dog tags.

[The Lone Liberal]

Along with my jump school wings and Battle Group Insignia. Anyone else hang on to their P-38? I kept mine on my dog tag chain.

[greatauntoftriplets]

1. What's a P-38?

Discharge papers? You should hold onto those in case anyone tries to draft you.

[rockymountaindem]

2. It's the old military can opener, right?

[The Lone Liberal]

3. No, can opener

No draft ----- I would be, as I should have been, in Canada. LOL

[greatauntoftriplets]

8. Does it still work?

LOL.

[GOPisEvil]

4. I was a military dependent...

...and while I never had a P38 (I think dad's got his though), I do have MY dog tags. It's got my name, my dad's name and his SSN and our religion. I've got them on a miniature "Remove Before Flight" safety tag I bought at the air and space museum.

[Earth_First]

5. I still wear mine...

solidarity item towards those folks deployed worldwide...

[Doc_Technical]

6. P-38

World War II Lockeed twin engined fighter plane.

9mm Semi-automatic handgun made by Walther.

[rednek_Liberal]

14. Code name Lightening

also used for recon.

[The Lone Liberal]

7. The damn little things worked very well.

much better than some of the GI equipment.

[DemoTex]

9. P-38 = C-Rat opener

How about some ham and mother-fuckers for dinner tonight? For old times sake. Better eaten in the rain, cold rain.

I've got my dog tags, P-38, and aviator wings. I also have my silk blood chit. The blood chit was the only thing I carried on my person on my many night missions in Laos.

[The Lone Liberal]

11. Once dined on Tuna and Noodles

cold. In a downpour, sorriest ass day of my life. LOL

[DemoTex]

13. Actually, I'd swap ham and motherfuckers for tuna and noodles.

Any day. Or night.

[jmowreader]

10. In the annals of military equipment...

the P-38 will rank up there with the M-151 jeep and the M-35 deuce-and-a-half as one of the most perfect items the army ever issued.

Yes, of course I have my P-38. In fact, I have several P-38s. Naturally, I wore it on my dog tag chain.

The P-38 was probably used more as a pocket screwdriver than it was as a can opener. The corner would turn a Phillips screw, the end a flat-tip.

[Hand]

12. I've got a couple...

Though I wasn't in the army... got them at surplus stores out of a bin for ten cents each. Best little can opener ever made!

[BiggJawn]

15. The ones you buy in the camping aisle are shit, though...

"Coughlin's" brand. Cheap crap, I bent TWO of them opening a can of beans...

And Mac, what are "Mother-Fuckers"?

[DemoTex]

17. Ham and motherfuckers

Vietnam slang for ham and lima beans, a c-ration meal that was very detested amongst the grunts; also slang for bad food (generic in the 'Nam).

[BiggJawn]

18. LIMA BEANS???? Yech!

I'd take the ham, but the mother-fuckers would go to the dog, I'm afraid...

Much rather have Horsecock or Filet of Mule Tool....

[greatauntoftriplets]

19. Ah, lima beans must have been just the thing out in the boonies.

:puke:

Can see how it was generic for bad food. Ugh.

[DemoTex]

20. Plus the gas generated in the foxhole.

The VC and NVA could smell the farts from a mile away. Noise too!

[greatauntoftriplets]

21. Made you sitting ducks.

At least it wasn't baked beans.

Beans, beans,
The musical fruit,
The more you eat,
The more you toot.

[DemoTex]

22. I was such a sitting duck, that this poster always faces my desk:

Bedard's "Sitting Duck"

[greatauntoftriplets]

23. Bad time.

I was here, protesting the damned thing. LOL.

[Kimber Scott]

16. My P38 is on my key chain

I've been out for almost 15 years. I always think I might need it!

On edit: How about a "church key?" I kept one of those on my key chain for years, too. It was a necessity in Germany. Anybody else, carry one?

[BrotherBuzz]

24. I still have a couple.

I kept finding them everytime I opened a new case of C Rations. I guess with MRE's, the new crop of soldiers won't have the thrill of eating food that was canned the year they were born. Betcha MRE's don't have cigarettes either. Mmmm, Pall Mall, Chesterfield, and Lucky Strike, I havn't smoked them since then..

[Earth_First]

28. G*d Damn...

MREs come with a damn Snicker's bar nowadays if you get the right number MRE...

[BrotherBuzz]

30. Well, we did get a box of gum

2 Chicklets!

[Redleg]

25. I lost mine- good thing I have a new-fangled can opener at home.

I did love that P38.

[lpbk2713]

26. I still have a couple of TL-29's from 35 years ago.

Anybody remember what a TL-29 is?

[BrotherBuzz]

31. They didn't trust me with a knife.

I was an engineer and so gave me a shovel to complement my rifle, instead. My pops had a fine one from the navy but I don't know what they called in back then. It was the only pocket knife I ever saw him carry and I'm kinda sad my brother got it when my dad died.

[CanuckAmok]

27. anything with two engines is too heavy for the chain.

Give me a Hurricane any day!

[HawkerHurricane]

35. Anybody hanging a plane from his tag chain...

is too mean to be messed with.

[guitar man]

29. On my keychain

Never leave home without it.

[kaitykaity]

32. My P-38 is on my keychain. I never stopped using it.

My dog-tags are hanging on a jewelry rack on my bedroom wall.

[Dees]

33. OD "shit in a can".

P-38, C's, blue tabs and ham and lima beans. I couldn't give the sonsa bithces away. I always thought C's were responsible for the mild dysentery I had.

[HawkerTyphoon]

34. Don't Give me a P-38

Don't give me a P-38
the props, they counter-rotate
they're scattered & sittin'
from Burma to Britain
don't give me a P-38

-- Oscar Brand, "A Fighter Pilot's Lament"
from "The wild Blue Yonder"

[HawkerHurricane]

36. Just make me operations

On some lonely Pacific atoll
Where the skies are all clear
And Zeke's won't come near
Being a pilot just isn't my call.

[Nlighten1]

37. I lost mine...

I had it on my key chain but I lost it.

:(