I had a hometown friend who was a crewman on a PBR, got to visit him once. Maybe it was his Chief, but the crew didn’t look like a bunch of rag bags and they sure didn’t spend their time sitting around smoking dope and fishing, sort of had more important stuff to do. But that’s only me and my impression of one visit to one boat.
These figures are nothing whatsoever to do with the war in Vietnam. They are based on the actors in the film Apocalypse Now. So really to display next to your Batman vignette.
Agree completely, even in a field unit, if we wandered around FSB or Base Camp looking like these guys, our First Shirt or the Bn SMAJ would have had us on s**t burning detail until our DEROS. “Apocalypse Now” and “Full Metal Jacket” are interesting movies, but they are Hollywood versions of the War, about as accurate as “Kelly’s Heroes” was about WWII. (Yes, as a Vietnam Veteran and former Senior NCO in the Army, the (mis) portrayal of troops in RVN is kind of a hot button with me).