While deployed in Vietnam, U.S. military personnel were exposed to various living conditions. This varied from military bases, tents, hooches, villages, and even the ground. Depending on where one was stationed a soldier’s living condition could change drastically. This combined with the varing levels of supplies that each group had access to create hundred or even thousands of different conditions throughout the country. Some soldiers were stationed in the more beacher areas of the coast while others experienced living within the dense jungles and mountains.
U.S. personnel at Vandegrift Combat Base. This is an excellent illustration of how combat camps were set up using large tents. Supplies were generally kept in one central location within the camp so soldiers could easily access them when needed.
U.S. Marines eating MCI rations while in combat near the DMZ. Soldiers carried food rations with them while in combat. These rations were readily available to be eaten at a moment’s notice, even during the downtime of a battle.
When U.S. soldiers were staying in a more permanent location they would build a type of shelter known as a “hooch”. These shelters were made out of plywood and had screens on the exterior windows/walls to keep inserts out. Inside these hooches were beds, storage, stoves, and even propane-powered refrigerators.
Pictured right is an example of a personal hooch. This makeshift shelter was made up of various materials, from sandbags to tarps. Inside a soldier would have kept his belongings, rifle, and bed/cot.
