-  Manufacturer: West Wind Productions
During the conflict in Viet Nam, the definition of a platoon varied somewhat from the
standard 1HQ squad, three rifle squads, and one heavy weapons squad format. Because of
constant shortages of people for the grinder, they often had an HQ squad with a m60 gunner
attached, a couple or three squads, and called it a platoon. This isn't quite a platoon, but
one more squad and blamo... Still, this is perfect for your standard firebase security
patrol!
  -  Manufacturer: West Wind Productions
This is the gunner carrying the 'pig', or M60 machine gun. This is the machine
gun that I sculpted, and it turned out okay for a slap dash job. This guy is
the last member of the HQ squad.
  -  Manufacturer: West Wind Productions
I realy like this fig, very characterful for some reason... The cig pack in the
helmet strap, the pensive, reluctant, disgruntled look to the side. I get the sense
that this guy isn't all that concerned about the orders coming from the LT, but
more in keeping him and his buddies alive. Maybe it's that I relate to him :)
  -  Manufacturer: West Wind Productions
This is a great example of how these figs just didn't come together for me...
The skin isn't quite right, the overall look... I don't know, I blame the 15mm
painting stuff, it killed my 28mm sensibilities!
  -  Manufacturer: West Wind Productions
This soldier dropped his weapon to shoulder the LAW (light anti-tank weapon).
Not so much an anti-tank weapon as a bunker buster. Overall, I think the LAW
is much too small, but not terrible.
  -  Manufacturer: West Wind Productions
This guy strikes me as a square... Always did well in school, married his highschool
sweetheart, got a job as a mechanic in a small town, had 2.3 kids... Then got drafted,
got post-traumatic stress syndrome and went home an invalid... Damn the US imperialist
regime! I also noticed that he wears all his gear, including his fully loaded ruck sack.
I imagine that he gets bugged a lot, and doesn't trust anyone in the firebase... So he
humps all his stuff with him everywhere, including those proper and prim letters from
his sweetheart.
  -  Manufacturer: West Wind Productions
I had a Warrant Officer when i was in basic that looked exactly like this guy.
The mustache has a lot of character, and the pose is funny! He's bent over from the
weight of those ammo belts (notice it's the same pose a Dafoe, different head). He's
definitely HQ squad material, being ordered around by the real officers ;)
  -  Manufacturer: West Wind Productions
The group so far... Six more figs to go for my US invading forces! This is
almost the command squad... The Lt., Radio guy, and Willem Dafoe are part of it,
and the M60 machine gunner will finish it off. Sgt. Jackson (middle guy) and Taylor
(far right) are going to be part of the rest of the platoon!
  -  Manufacturer: West Wind Productions
The Lt... Pistol in hand, m14 on the shoulder, and a t-shirt! He's hard
core! What else if there to say?
  -  Manufacturer: West Wind Productions
Another fig with character... Although, I am not sure what he is wearing on
his back... It looks like a radio and even has a hand set (on his right shoulder),
but it didn't match any radio configuration I was able to find... So, I put the antenna
in the most convenient spot!
  -  Manufacturer: West Wind Productions
This fig is great! Very characterfull... It reminds me of a report I read of a certain
civil rights action taken in Viet Nam by a black soldier against a racist white Lt...
Is that a can of gas in his hand? Or a painted concussion grenade?. Lots of fun to paint!
  -  Manufacturer: West Wind Productions
I would love to place the blame for the face strictly on the shoulders of the sculpter,
but alas, I have some blame as well... The lips are weird, and I was impatient :) Still,
this fig is clearly modelled after Willem Dafoe, or at least his face is. Anyway, it's
a typical West Wind fig for quality, but it still has character!
I have been meaning to pick up one of these since I first did my Viet Nam stuff,
and when I saw one for $12, I jumped. This is a revell 1/48th scale UH-1B, originally
sculpted in 1977, it is a very poor kit in terms of quality. It doesn't fit together
all that well, the plastic is thin and fragile... But for $12, I can't complain. In the
end it worked out very well, and the scale with 28mm figs is bang on in my opinion!
A scale shot for comparison to size. Excellent fit in my opinion... I really don't understand
those 1/56th scale 28mm players... Those vehicles are way too small :) 28mm isn't a scale,
it's a height... 28mm height, 1/48th scale features!
I wanted the helicoptor to be represnted as both flying and landed, so I made this little
stand for it. It is large enough to make sure that the helicoptor won't fall over that easily.
It might make for some terrain juggling during gaming, but I think it will be worth it!
Here is a close up of the slick flying. One of the reasons I went with the revell kit
beside its price were the pilot figs. By no means are they great, but they are good enough.
Note that here you can see how this vehicle was intended to be the hog gunship version of the UH-1B;
Just under the seat there you can see the ammo slot and feed mechanism... I might build that stuff
at some point and make it so I can switch it out for mutiple uses!
  -  Manufacturer: West Wind Productions
My first US army/marine corp figure from West Wind/Old Glory
miniatures. It is a test fig and I am pretty happy with it.
A little more mud on the boots and pants and clothes and it will
be perfect.