Ma Duce

I got an email yesterday about the 50 caliber sniper rifle used in Iraq & Afghanistan. It got me to reflect on my Navy days once again.

In Nam, on the ship, we had a Ma Duce on either side of the missile house.

Ma Duce is the pet name for these bad boys.

When we weren't trying to zap MIGs, we were manning the 50s.

This is a twin mount, it's real big and bad.

We only had single mounts.

You just know that you're a bad ass when you're firing one of those LOUD monsters.

Notice that the modern sailor on top is wearing Mickey Mouse ears.

I never did, it's probably why I can't hear very well these days.

Maybe if we had twin 50s, I'd woose out and don the ear protection also.

The original 50 cal. Browning Machine Gun that we used were WW2 vintage.

Still in cosmoline and stunk like hell until we got them cleaned up.

Still cherry. Never fired. Never been to the big dance.

Same round as the snipers use, I believe, only we spit them out at 500/minute.

The mix was two ball ammunition, an armor piercer and then a tracer.

Then it repeated all over again and again.

We would saw junks in half like a band saw in about 5 to 10 seconds.

What didn't sink, burned like hell.

It wasn't fair and it wasn't honorable.

A big bad US Navy destroyer taking on a junk or WBLC.

WBLC, that's Navyspeak for Water Borne Logistic Craft.

Better known as a sampan.

But it was exciting. Up close but not too personnel.

I still miss it occasionally, but I'm glad that it's in my past.