Question about combat pay in Vietnam
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  1. #1

    Question about combat pay in Vietnam

    For the past week I have had two secretaries working on editing my book, so that when I meet with the Marines I served with in our platton reunion they will have an opportunity to suggest inclusion, or omissions to the book.

    One question that has come up, is combat pay.

    As I want to include in the book, what we received extra for being in combat in Vietnam, 1967-1968?

    Anyone?

    Cook


  2. #2
    Marine Free Member Sgt0811's Avatar
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    If I remember correctly when I was in Nam we got $50.00 a month extra. That was in 1965.




  3. #3
    $50.00 is my recollection too. Hard to believe isn't it ?


  4. #4
    Combat Pay - Added $50 to $65 (per month) to the U.S. military serving in Vietnam.

    Why does the number $65 stick to my mind...was more pay per pay grade.
    Than there's was jump pay for those airborne qualified.
    I think there was pay for those scuba qualified.
    I was thinking along the lines of "Hostile Duty Pay" or is that something that somewhere in my old mind...

    $65.00 x 13 = $845.00

    $50 x 13 = $650.00

    A lot of difference between $65 to $50...
    Now a question,;
    Was there extra pay for different MOS's such as engineers, who did the mine sweeping...crew chiefs, gunners on helicopters...etc, etc...
    Dang SparrowHawk it too early in the day for these hard questions...

    Semper Fidelis
    Ricardo


  5. #5
    yellowwing
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    Just did some research. In '68, a brand new Shelby Cobra GT500 would set you back $4,300 ($4,400 for the convertible). Don't worry that it only got 9 mpg. Gas prices were only $0.37 a gallon!


  6. #6
    Registered User Free Member mardet65's Avatar
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    I served with the Marine Detachment aboard USS Enterprise ('65-'67) off the coast of North and South Vietnam and we received combat pay of $65.00 per month.


  7. #7
    Damn MarDet...you got a real beni...

    The other part of all this is that we're all old farts !!


  8. #8
    Marine Family Free Member
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    Yellowwing,
    Was that about the same time that Jim Hall came out with the automatic, air foil, Chapparrel in formula one racing? I believe that some folks put those big Ford engines into Sunbeam Alpines for drag racing.


  9. #9

    Humm,

    for some reason, I was thinking $35.00, and if you were married they paid you more?

    Perhaps machine gunners didn't get full pay on account of the Corps charging us, for shooting up all that extra ammo?


  10. #10
    Registered User Free Member vance's Avatar
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    I remember the pay as $ 65.00 per month .


  11. #11
    Marine Free Member jinelson's Avatar
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    I remember $65.00 per month also.


  12. #12
    Registered User Free Member albert torcini's Avatar
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    I SERVED IN VIET NAM FROM APR.65 TO APR.66. COMBAT PAY WAS 65.00 EXTRA. NO QUESTION ABOUT IT.BACK THEN YOU HAD TO QUALIFY FOR IT.YOU HAD TO BE UNDER ENEMY FIRE 6 DAYS OUT OF 30 TO QUALIFY.


  13. #13
    Combat pay was $65.00 plus I have gotten Jump pay and Scuba pay in addition, which if my memory still is correct it was $35.00 for each other combat skill you recevied. They were cheap back then lol.


  14. #14
    $50 and a can of mosquito spray.


  15. #15
    Don't remember how much. But didn't we get both overseas pay and combat pay?


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