"The Green Dragon"

"The Green Dragon". Armored Personnel carrier M113. First fielded by the U. S. Army in the Vietnam War in April 1962, the APC M113 was widely used. Nicknamed "The Green Dragon" by the enemy Viet Cong, it originally was designed to provide troop transportation. It found higher use in breaking through triple - canopy jungle to attack and overrun enemy bunkers and compounds, which had been invisible for years deep inside Vietnam's heavy jungle. This design was to transport 11 troops with a crew for two, a driver and a commander. The vehicle's design allowed it two carry a large payload cross - country and to be transported by fixed and rotary - wing aircraft. Original production M113s can swim without deploying flotation curtains, propelled in the water by their tracks. In Late 1968 the armament was standardized to include two M60 machine guns mounted on each side. Soon the armament varied considerably. The Army used the vehicle to conduct search and destroy missions, and road and firebase security. While its crew sometimes deployed as a dismounted infantry unit. When the track unleashed firepower on the enemy, all hell broke loose. Some of the varying uses of the track are pictured here. Over the years many variations have been created, ranging from infantry carriers to nuclear missile carriers. The M113 became one of the most prolific vehicles of the second half of the 20th century, and it continues to serve armies around the world into the 21st century.