Here is a single figure vignette that I recently completed for a friend of mine honoring the memory of SGT Russell Fant of C Company, 2d Battalion, 47th Infantry (Mechanized), 9th Infantry Division who was Killed in Action, along with four others, on 3 February 1969 in Long An Province, Vietnam.
Unfortunately, I did not have a photo of him in Vietnam. However, these two helped me select a few Hornet heads for his former fiance to choose from for the figure depicting SGT Fant.
The figure is a conversion of a figure by Evolution Miniatures of a USMC machine gunner that looked like Animal Mother from Full Metal Jacket. I scraped away the flak vest and everything else from the torso and sculpted in a jungle fatigue shirt. I also resculpted the trouser pockets. The helmet is from Bravo 6 onto which I sculpted a pack of cigarettes.
The wedgie of the M113A1 is from Black Dog. I chose to use a pre-manufactured wedgie rather than making one of my own because this one is basically a block of resin and is much sturdier than anything I would have made. I would have rather had the driver’s hatch open, but this is how it was cast. It wasn’t the best casting, but I added a few things and made it work. The road wheels are Tamiya and the tracks and drive sproket are from DEF Models. It is painted to represent the track SGT Fant drove.
Details that make this a special piece is the name Sharon on the side of the vehicle, Sharon’s name written on his helmet cover, the pack of Winston cigarettes in his helmet band as that is the brand he smoked, and the photo in his hand. If you take a close look at the photo in SGT Fant’s hand, you will see that it is this photo of his fiancee, Sharon Bloszko Swift. This would have been one of the pictures he kept on him while in Vietnam.
When I showed Sharon photos of this piece, she was very happy with it. Now I just need to get a title plate made and figure out how to get it to her.
Thanks for looking.
Cheers
James
