Lying on a flat valley floor, Dak To was surrounded by ridges that rose into peaks which stretched westward and southwestward towards the tri-border region where South Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia met. Since 1965, Dak To had been used as a Forward Operations Base by the highly classified US Studies and Observations Group (SOG), which launched reconnaissance teams from there in order to gather intelligence on the Ho Chi Minh Trail across the border in Laos. During the summer of 1967, heavy contact with North Vietnamese forces (PAVN: People´s Army of Vietnam) in the area prompted the launching of Operation Greeley, which was a combined search and destroy effort by elements of the US 4th Infantry Division, the US 173rd Airborne Brigade, and Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) 42nd Infantry Regiment and Airborne units. The fighting was intense and lasted into the fall, when the North Vietnamese fell back to their former positions. Perhaps, the most violent part of the Battle of Dak To was the fighting for Hill 875 which involved two battalions of the 173d Airborne Brigade and the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry, which was airlifted into the battle area from Darlac Province.

Nevertheless, by late October, US intelligence proved that local Viet Cong elements had been reinforced and combined into the 1st PAVN Division (North Vietnamese Army’s division), which was had the mission to capture Dak To and destroy a brigade-size US unit. Information provided by intelligence gave the allies a good indication of the locations and intentions of North Vietnamese forces. This intelligence prompted the launching of Operation MacArthur, and brought the units back to the area along with more reinforcements from the ARVN Airborne Division. The battles that erupted on the hill masses south and southeast of Dak To became some of the most hard-fought and bloody battles of the Vietnam War and a major American victory.

The BLU-82/B was used for the first time in Vietnam on March 23, 1970. Throughout the rest of the war, the USAF used them for tactical airlift operations called "Commando Vault." After the war, the BLU-82/B was used during the Mayaguez rescue in May 1975, but the remaining BLU-82/Bs went into storage until the mid-1980s, when the Air Force Special Operations Command began using them again in support of special operations. During Operation DESERT STORM, MC-130E "Combat Talon" aircraft from the 8th Special Operations Squadron dropped 11 BLU-82/Bs, primarily for psychological effects. The USAF also used these weapons against terrorist strongholds in Afghanistan during Operation ENDURING FREEDOM.

David Hackworth was born in California on November 11, 1930. In 1945, at the end of World War II, he enlisted in the U.S. Merchant Marine, when he was 14, lying about his age. After the war, he lied again to enlist in the United States Army. He was assigned as a rifleman to the 351st Infantry, 88th Infantry Division, and stationed on occupation duty in Trieste as a non-commissioned officer. Hackworth fought in Korea with the 25th Reconnaissance Company, the 8th Rangers, and finally the 27th Infantry (Wolfhound) Regiment of the 25th Infantry Division (Light) He gained a battlefield commission as a lieutenant and was awarded several medals for valor, and several Purple Hearts for being wounded several times. After a successful raid on Hill 1062 and battlefield promotion to 1st Lieutenant, the commander of the 27th Infantry Regiment offered Hackworth command of a new volunteer raider unit. Hackworth created the 27th Wolfhound Raiders and led them from August to November 1951. He subsequently volunteered for a second tour in Korea, this time with the 40th Infantry Division. Hackworth was promoted to the rank of captain.

When the cease-fire in Korea was signed, Hackworth was demobilized. He attended college two years, but he soon became bored with civilian life and reentered the Army in 1956 as a captain. In 1965, he was sent to Vietnam as a Major, serving as an operations officer and battalion commander in the 101st Airborne Division. He quickly developed a reputation as an eccentric but effective soldier. After he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, Hackworth co-wrote "The Vietnam Primer" with General Marshall. The book adopted some of the same tactics as Mao Zedong, the Cuban rebels, and the Viet Cong in fighting guerrillas. Hackworth described the strategy as "out-G-ing the G."

In 1971, Lieutenant Colonel David Hackworth was raised to the rank of colonel, and received orders to attend the Army War College, but he rejected this offer. Hackworth was nearly court-martialed for various infractions such as running a brothel for his troops in Vietnam, running gambling houses, and exploiting his position for personal profit by manipulating U.S. currency. At the same time, he was experiencing personal problems that resulted in divorce. He was allowed to retire, in order to avoid a court martial, at the rank of colonel, and in an effort to rebuild his life, Hackworth moved to Australia with a smutch of corruption on his military career. When he returned to the US, he became a Democratic-party-leaned journalist.

The Model 70 was originally manufactured by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company between 1936 and 1980. From the early 1980s until 2006, Winchester rifles were manufactured by U.S. Repeating Arms under an agreement with Olin Corporation, allowing USRA to use the Winchester name and logo. Model 70s were built in New Haven, Connecticut from 1936 to 2006, when production ceased. In the fall of 2007, announcements were made that Model 70 production would resume, and, as of 2008, new Winchester Model 70 rifles are now once more being made in Columbia, SC.

The trigger mechanism on the Winchester Model 70 is quite simple. All you have to do is remove the barreled action of a Model 70 from it’s stock and you can see just how simple it is. You will see a trigger that pivots on a pin. Look at the rear portion of the trigger, which is normally hidden by the stock and you will see a square head screw, which is the trigger stop screw, three nuts, and the trigger return spring.

Specifications

A total of 995 M40 sniper rifles were built by Remington for US Marine Corps to be used in Vietnam. Original M40s were built on Remingtons’ model 700BDL actions, with one piece wooden stocks. Today each M40 is built from the Remington 700 bolt-action rifle, and is modified by USMC 2112 (Armorers) at Marine Corps Base Quantico, using components from a number of suppliers. New M40A3s are being built, and A1s are upgraded to A3s as they rotate into the armory for service and repair. The rifles have had many sub-variations in telescopic sights, and smaller user modifications. The M40A5 will incorporate a detachable magazine and a threaded barrel to allow for the use of a sound suppressor or other muzzle device.

Specifications of the M40 Sniper Rifle