"US Vietnam colours" Topic

Can anyone suggest the Vallejo colour for the plain green uniform worn during Vietnam? I'm building some 1:35 scale figures for skirmish games and the suggested colour is 895 which is Gunship Green and is far too dark.

I use Russian uniform for US troops uniform,

In my "mind's eye" those uniforms fade to a pale, almost bluish color. So I paint them with an olive and then highlight with a sage green.

Fade they did but there is a coating of dusty red clay in my part of III Corp. Honestly (and I was very stupid) I thought I had been issued the wrong uniform. It was just that it was a new uniform and clean. H

My father fought with the 199th Brigade. in all the pictures everything looks like it's covered in soot. He said the dust was black….

I painted my Marines with Vallejo 920 German Uniform with dry-brush of 920 GU + GW Bleached Bone.

• Prime – Krylon Camouflage Olive
• Uniform – Vallejo 920 German Uniform – DRY-BRUSH with GU + GW Bleached Bone
• Flak Vest, Web Belt, LBE Suspenders, Holster, Canteen Cover, Ammo Pouch, Fanny Pack, Aid Bag, Leg Knife Sheath – Vallejo 892 Yellow Olive – DRY-BRUSH with YELLOW OLIVE + Bleached Bone
• K-Bar Knife – Sheath / Hilt – Vallejo M135 Beige Brown
• Radio – Vallejo M086 Luftwaffe Camo Green / Handset – Reaper Adamantine Black
• Boots – Reaper Adamantine Black and Vallejo M082 Olive Green uppers
• Grenades – GW Loren Forest
• Weapons – Reaper Adamantine Black
• M-14 – Stocks – Vallejo 984 Flat Brown / Metal – Vallejo Gunmetal Gray
• Glasses – Reaper Adamantine Black
• Helmet Covers – Vallejo M082 Olive Green with splotches of Vallejo M086 Luftwaffe Camo Green and Vallejo M135 Beige Brown
• Helmet Straps – Vallejo 892 Yellow Olive
• Skin Tones – Vallejo MSP Flesh, Vallejo Chocolate Brown, GW Doombull Brown
• Magic Dip

Worth considering straight colors for the newbies and bad fade for the platoon Sgt/First Shirt. Used to be easily three shades between issue and max fade. The worst were called "cook whites" and weren't allowed in ceremonies, and sometimes not in garrison. You could sometimes spot an old soldier in a bunch of recruits from a block away or more.

Hmmm. 1/35. I mention something for your consideration. During the drawdown, they pulled out two brigades of 9th ID and one brigade of the Americal, and assigned the remaining 9th ID to the Americal. The transplant didn't take. That brigade went on for at least another year wearing 9th ID patches. When you left you turned in your patches because supply couldn't get more, and they were sewn on the uniforms of the newbies. So men who on paper were never in 9th ID spent a year in Vietnam wearing 9th ID patches on their shoulders.

Soldiers get fussy about that sort of thing.

Thanks guys. Especially LostPict. Very useful paint guide. I will try different fades mixes and look at patches to see which is the best/easiest to do. Time to get on with the painting again!

How did it go, Vigilant?

I am about to do something similar in 1/32nd, as two makers of figures in this scale ie 54mm, have made figures, with another coming along…

Even picked up old Revell 1/32nd kits of an Ontos, Patton and Duster. Also some trucks and jeeps, for convoys…

Thanks Lostpict – will try this mix. I also found a set of US vehicle colours for airbrushing which I will try. a great Aussie modeller, Col Blaxter, has sent me his scratchbuilt M113…super job but I now need to build some more!

Vigilant – in 1/35th, what dimensions are the M113 kits? Could I get away with them in 1/32nd??