Mike Collingwood served on patrol duty as well as 198th PM driver
Mike Collingwood 2003

Some recollection's from Mike: Well, I don't know that I ever knew about the history or any politics involved with the MP's at that time. I am speaking of Oct. 1968. I came into country in Cam Rahn Bay, as did most. I received orders to go to Chu Lai. I received two weeks in country training, and was sent over to the 198th at LZ Bayonet. After getting settled on a cot in a newly rebuilt hooch, consisting of a tin roof over a sand bagged tent, I was told to go to the arms hooch and draw a weapon. I was given an old style M-16 that supposedly had been recovered from a rice paddy. I had to strip it, wash it in the varsol tank and put it back together. I then took it to the range, where you may remember everyone coming through Chu Lai went, and got it sighted in. After about 200 rounds without a misfire, I felt pretty good about it. That M-16 I carried on patrol and convoy duty for about six months. About that time we somehow became part of the 23rd MP Co. and I had to turn it back in to the 198th arms hooch. I really don't remember where I got my next M-16, perhaps from HQ at Chu Lai. At about the same time I became the PM's driver at Bayonet so I was over there some transporting our Lt. or Capt. for meetings. I took that M-16 and went to the range and test fired and sighted it in for about 200 rounds also. I soon added a M-79 grenade launcher under the barrel and a 30 round magazine to the thing. That combo, plus a Colt .45 and an unauthorized Colt Cobra .38 was what I carried every day when on the road or on the front gate bunker. I spent my whole year at Bayonet. I think my second M-16 was a little bit better shooter then my first, but, the first had the open flash suppresser and was a very useful tool in breaking the bands off of cases of C-Rations. Strange how the mind works, I remember how good that first M-16 was at opening cases of C-Rations, but can't remember what I had this morning for breakfast.