Figure conversions for upcoming Vietnam diorama

[ReconTL6]

I am getting ready to make my next Vietnam diorama(s) and am preparing the figures. The first figure is a conversion of the IDF Tanker 1973 from Royal Models. I scraped away the details of the tanker coveralls and sculpted in the details transforming that uniform into the 2d Pattern Tropical Combat Uniform, or jungle fatigues, with Magic Sculpt putty. I also used Magic Sculpt fir the name and US Army tapes, CIB, and 9th Infantry Division patch. I replaced the head with one from a German officer head set from Life Miniatures. I cut off his cap and replaced it with a short brim privately purchased boonie hat from one of Bravo 6’s LRRP kits. I replaced the right arm with one from Bravo 6 with a hand from Royal Models. I also replaced the leather boots with jungle boots from Bravo 6.

I still need to do some clean up work before priming gor painting, but I am pretty pleased with how he is turning out so far.

Thanks for looking.
Cheers,
James

[metalhead85]

That is absolutely outstanding James! Perfect really. Can’t wait to see it painted.

[metalhead85]

Maybe you could show a pic of the original figure before the conversion ? That would be excellent

[Maki]

Wow, well done!

Mario

[ReconTL6]

Thank you. I didn’t take any photos of the figure before I started the conversion, but here is a photo of the box art for the original figure.

[Maki]

Amazing transformation. You did wonders with the uniform.

I really like your dioramas and the stories they tell, so I’m looking forward to seeing what happens with this particular figure.

Mario

[PolishBrigade12]

James, that is some really great conversion work, Brother, excellent! Good to see the bottle top under his feet, too. It is your trade-mark.

[ReconTL6]

@Maki

Amazing transformation. You did wonders with the uniform.

I really like your dioramas and the stories they tell, so I’m looking forward to seeing what happens with this particular figure.

Mario

Thanks, Mario. I am glad to hear that you enjoy my dioramas and the stories they tell. Hopefully this one will turn out well.

[ReconTL6]

@PolishBrigade12

James, that is some really great conversion work, Brother, excellent! Good to see the bottle top under his feet, too. It is your trade-mark.

Thanks, Brother. This one did turn out better than I had expected it to. Now I wil have to make sure the other figures will be a good match. The pressure! Lol.

[ReconTL6]

The direction that I think I will go with the figure that I posted about above, this figure I am showing now, and the other figures I am working on will be a diorama of some dudes at a Conex container laying out equipment to inventory before signing for it and their Platoon Sergeant (the guy waving) showing up with two new guys for the squad conducting the layout.

This next figure is of one of the new guys. It is a conversion of one of the figures from the new ICM figure kit for their newly released CH54.

The base figure is actually pretty good for an injection molded figure, but there were some things I had to change in order for it to be compatible with the other figures in the diorama. I am not sure how many people take notice of such things, but US Military clothing has to meet certain specifications that are set for the manufacturers to follow when producing uniforms. What this means in the case of the Tropical Combat Uniform or jungle fatigues is that the size, shape, and location of the pockets, epaulets and waist adjustment tabs if that version has them, collars, and sleeve closures will be a constant variable no matter the size or length of the uniform. Because of this factor, if one wants to realistically depict Soldiers wearing such a uniform, all of the pockets need to be the same from figure to figure. So, if one has figures from different manufacturers, and they want to be as realistic as possible in the depiction of guys wearing the same uniform, then one would have to ensure all of the pockets are the same size and shape among all of the figures and this can be done by shaving off all of the pockets and sculpting new ones. The same concept of a standard size, shape, construction etc, also applies to field equipment and boots.

I wanted to make this figure look young and a bit lost, so I chose a Hornet head that had the look I was looking for. I then started putting the figure together. I shaved off the cargo pockets on the legs and glued the legs together. I then shaved the top pockets off the torso as well as the epaulettes. Something I liked about the original torso is that the bottom skirt of the shirt is slightly open and the way that it mates up with the legs is pretty nice.

I glued that on and then the back part of the skirt. When the glue dried, I sculpted the cargo pockets, let them cure, then the top pockets, let them cure, then the lower shirt pockets. I then glued the arms on an filled the gaps. Lastly, I glued on the head that has a well rendered cap from the ICM kit. I then sculpted name and US Army tapes and a 9th Infantry Division patch. When I mix up more putty for the next figure I will add the unit Crest to the cap. Notice how the bottom of the shirt does not touch the top flap of the cargo pocket like how the uniform is intended to fit. For the sake of the storyline, I am attributing it to not all sizes being available when this Soldier got issued the uniform. He was able to get the correct size trousers, but he ended up with a Small/Short shirt. This kind of stuff happens so this ended up working out well. Another thing about this figure is that he is a bit shorter than the others and that works out well, too, since people are different sizes and shapes.

Now to work on the rest of the figures…

Thanks for looking
Cheers,
James

[namengr]

Looking good James. One comment, I don’t recall anyone wearing unit crest on hat, just rank either pin or sewn. But that was just the units I was in, so others may have. Any way, very nice work. I just picked up 2 sets of these when Sprue Bros. had a sale. Wayne

[ReconTL6]

Thanks, Wayne. In 1967 in the 9th Infantry Division, unit crests were worn on caps in some pictures and not in others. I think it had a lot to do with Commander’s and CSM’s uniform policies at the time and if the Soldiers were going out beyond their company area like to the PX. I know at Bearcat the MPs would be checking Soldiers’ uniforms to ensure they were complete. If a Soldier’s uniform didn’t at least have name and US Army tapes and the 9th Infantry Division patch, rank (either sewn onto the sleeves or pin on collar types), and unit crests so the MPs could tell what unit the Soldier was in, they got turned away. This sucked for the guys returning from 45 to 60 days straight from the field who may not have any clean uniforms or just got a new set from supply and hadn’t had a chance to get anything sewn on.

Glad you were able to get a couple sets of the figures. I think they are pretty goof for injection molded figures. I also like that the guys in jungle fatigues are not wearing any gear.

These are some photos from my friend Bill Rambow who was in 2d BN, 47th IN (Mech), 9th ID in 1967 through 1968. Some have the unit crest and some don’t. I guess I could go either way with this.

[namengr]

Yeah, we were right next to 62nd Land Clearing and when they came in from the field we would go to the PX for them cause the MPs wouldn’t let them in. They couldn’t understand why they didn’t have clean uniforms and haircuts! Army mentality. Wayne

[ReconTL6]

You would think that they would cut the guys coming out of the field some slack.

[tankerken]

Nope, never did. From WWII up through the 1990s.
One of my favorites from the 80s: Soldiers in the field were required to carry they’re weapon at all times. Many facilities in Graf and Hohenfels would not let you in with a weapon.
Ken

[ReconTL6]

Yeah, I know they didn’t, but you would think that someone would take into account that the guys coming in out of the field would need items before heading back out again and that due to their limited time back at basecamp, as long as their uniform was new or clean, that patches being sewn on could be waved. During my first tour in Iraq, my unit was stationed at Camp Taqaddum and we were responsible for patrolling from Falluja to Ramadi. At TQ, we could go to the small PX to get stuff as we were, but the one time we had to go to Camp Anaconda in Balad, it was a whole different story. My platoon had to go to Camp Anaconda to pick up the M1117 that three of our Soldiers were being trained on, the three Soldiers, and two supply guys and some supplies they needed to bring back to TQ. If was a Friday when we got there and found out we were going to have to remain there until Monday as there was something wrong with the grenade launcher on the M1117 and the contractors couldn’t get to it until Monday because they had the weekends off. No problem as Camp Anaconda was like a stateside Air Force Base with paved roads, sidewalks, actual buildings, a movie theater, and several 24 hour chow halls. We checked in with billeting to get some bunks then went to the PX. We took off our body armor and locked it in our vehicles but got stopped before we got to enter the PX because we had to have body armor on in order to get in. It was during Ramadan and we were supposed to wear body armor everywhere we went. Now this was at a pretty large and secure base where they had CRAMs that would knock out mortar rounds and rockets before they could impact, so we thought it was pretty stupid to have to wear body armor there, but we complied because I wanted to get some Mountain Dews and the other guys wanted to buy some stuff that we couldn’t get at TQ. During subsequent tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, the only rule about going to a PX or Concession Area was that we couldn’t wear combat shirts, which was no problem for me because I didn’t like wearing them and wore my regular uniform shirts.

[namengr]

When we were TDY up to Lane, they made us keep our weapons in the arms room of another unit. We were always having to run into Qui Nhon to get supplies, but could never find the clerk, so we had an unauthorised M1 carbine we took along. One day the MPs stopped us and confiscated it and we had to drive back with no weapons at all. Major nervous! Wayne

[Gary_Totty]

this is odd to me when reading how the REMF’s jacked around guys rolling in from the bush. Up north; that’s a quick meeting with a 45 or worse. The folks running the airbase in Chu Lai and DaNang were almost always unarmed unless they were on some security detail. Yet the same folks were armed and dangerous once they got out on Highway One. Once you’re outta the big places, and you go outside the wire you will be armed with a rifle or shotgun. As for funky uniforms, we usually just had the clothes on our backs, so nobody said much. They would rag your butt about the need of a shave or haircut, and even that wasn’t real common.

I can’t remember ever being in a PX in DaNang, but probably was. Chu Lai had several small PX’s, and one main PX that was about the size of a Kmart. When you went in there the MP at the door would ask you to clear your weapon, and leave the bolt open. You saw guys with neat clean uniforms and real dirty uniforms. No one dared to say a thing about a dirty uniform lest they end up on some FOB in the middle of nowhere, or get their head busted. Only guys who wore rank stayed in the rear, but you’d see lifers with blacked out metal stuff pinned on them. The 1st CAV sometimes wore the patch on their shoulder, but just as often didn’t. 101st usually did. Same with the 196th. Pretty much was it. Nobody else cared. Officers (O-1 thru O-2) usually wore the subdued stuff, but every once in awhile you see an LT with metal bars. We had one officer wearing his silver bar, and they got rid of him.

gary

[ReconTL6]

The closer to the flagpole, the more petty BS. In III Corps, at the larger divisional base camps and for sure at Long Binh and Saigon, you had the generals and other high ranking individuals putting out uniform policies left and right. Out in the field, most guys wore jungle fatigues that had nothing on them because that is what would be delivered to them to wear, but once on a standdown at one of the major bases, they were expected to wear fully patched uniforms and to at least blacken their boots if they wanted to go to the PX or other concessions. Under GEN Ewell, the 9th Infantry Division was almost to the point of being ridiculous with this. In the 9th Infantry Division, sometimes the replacement uniforms sent out to field units had 9th ID patches and the US Army tape on them, but not always. In the 9th ID Mech Infantry units, they started out with whatever they happened to be wearing when they departed base camp and would get laundry with resupply every once in a while that had nothing on them in terms of patches. If their clothing got too dirty or became unserviceable, sometimes they would have to pull something out of the WP bag and it could be a patched uniform. In III and IV Corps, you had 1st, 9th, and 25th Infantry Divisions and 11th ACR as some of the main units operating there. Most of those units were seen wearing patches in the field in the first few years of the conflict when you still had old time NCOs and Officers in the ranks who though if you looked like a Soldier, you would act like a Soldier. COL Patton of 11th ACR had uniform policies similar to his father’s from WW2. It all depends where you were and when as to how close AR 670-1 was adhered to. Even to this day, it remains pretty much the same.

[PolishBrigade12]

Conversion is looking great as always, James!