The Don Englebreston Collection
U.S. Air Force Ground Crew Loading 7.62mm Minigun Ammunition, Vietnam War Era
Ground crewmen load linked 7.62mm ammunition into a SUU-11B/A minigun pod slung beneath an attack aircraft's wing during the Vietnam War. Rapid rearming between sorties was essential to sustaining close air support and armed reconnaissance missions flown from forward air bases across Southeast Asia. The intense heat led many maintenance personnel to forgo shirts while performing this physically demanding work. Project: 218872