This press photo appeared in multiple newspapers, including the July 20, 1950, edition of the Austin Statesman.
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“AMERICAN SOLDIERS In JEEP w .50 CAL MACHINE GUN In KOREA 1950 Press Photo. Size is approximately 7×9 to 8×10 inches. If significantly smaller or larger the specific size will be accurately described.”
Here’s the newspaper clipping:
While searching for this press photo I also spotted this photo of a unique gun mount. It was published in the August 04, 1950, issue of the Arizona Republic:
Imagine the noise in the driver’s ear if engaged in fire, and the poor guy to the right of the gun receiving the hot shells, and the hemorrhoids from sitting on a spare tire. Tuff riders!
Steve,
I’ve also wondered about the jeep mounted weapons and hearing loss. I’m sure no stats were captured at that granular level, so here is a little info on the topic.
As this writer notes, hearing loss has been an issue in the military since the 1500s (https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/7c49yk/how_common_was_hearing_protection_during_ww2/). The same writer cites estimates that around 1/3 of all Civil War vets had hearing damage.
Again, the same writer notes the military implemented specific recommendations in 1944 (albeit voluntary) that tank and artillery gunmen wear protection.
These days, things haven’t improved all the much, as a 2008 report called hearing loss among modern day soldiers ‘an epidemic’: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hearing-loss-now-a-military-epidemic/
– Dave
Yep, “Burn to Learn” isn’t stopped very easily in the Military Mentality. Gunner gets protection recommended, but not the driver, or the guy catching hot shells??? WAR is wicked and cruel in “all ways imaginable”… with long term negative impacts, IMO. We should be “learning” from “our real history”, and not trying to “change/remove it”.