Here's a very quick update concerning the USMC use of the
M-48A2...
1) It seems the only verifiable tank (non-flame tank) the USMC used in Vietnam was the
M-48A3.
2) As Suhiir noted, the USMC did receive their tanks from the ARMY, in this case from
retired stock as the ARMY transitioned from the M-48 series to the
M-60 series.
Note: The
M-48A1 were new stock tanks received jointly with the ARMY off the production line.
3) Confirmed (And have re-posted the picture below.) that Lt.Col. George Saussy (Jr.) first does exist and was in command of the 3rd Tank Battalion, 3rd MarDiv. USMC from 12 Aug. 1960 until 8 Jul. 1961. This seems to validate
his picture as previously posted.
https://books.google.com/books?id=xq...20USMC&f=false
4) Have heard back on my inquiry. But my question wasn't answered. I will post the full email when I've received and exhausted that source, as also already posted.
5) Issue I see is a potential that the wrong tanks might be represented with the Vietnam War Campaign and possibly some related scenarios as well, as noted in
1) above. The ARMY however did have some M-48A2/A2C tanks in country early on, but like the USMC no M-48A1 tanks served there.
Though as I had mentioned in 5) above, my
true concern again is to verify the use of the M-48A2/A2C or both by the USMC only.
Regards,
Pat
