Entrenching tool used in weird movie.

[Carl Levitian]

I couldn't sleep last night, woke up in the wee hours and started flipping through the cable channels. Came across a 1994 movie with Gerald McRainey as a dad moving him and his wife and teen daughter across the country circa mid 50's. Called strangely enough, "Motorcycle Gang." Where does Hollywood get those cars???!! McRainey was playing a WW2 vet with bad memories of the war. Jake Busey played the head bad guy of a motorcycle gang who ends up kidnapping Mcraineys daugher. It must run in the Busey family that they play nut cases so well. Jake was convincing as a loco punk biker. The end fight he goes to get her back, and uses an entrenching tool to very good use, inflicting bloody mayhem on the bikers. Even though it was a cheesy poorly done movie, it looked good, and McRainey ( or somebody) obviously did some home work, because it looked so much like what they showed us in boot camp in 1960. Surprising what a short shovel can do to a punk with delusions that he's a bad a-- with a switchblade.

Overall, the movie looked like one where Gerald McRainey must have owed somebody in Hollyweird a really huge favor, and got snared up doing a C- movie. But I always liked how McRainey carries a realistic look to his roles that involve firearms and other things. Like he did do some homework.

The actress playing his wife, did well with her charater, using what looked like an English commando knife or Marine Raider stiletto on the bad guy she ambushed in a doorway.

Interesting concept, short shovel vs a knife. I haven't thought about my old entrenching tool in years. Went down and dug it up and rubbed it down with a little WD-40, and maybe will stick it back in my truck. Looks nice and innocent with some rust and garden dirt still on it.

I gotta stop the pepperoni pizza late at night before bed.

Carl.

 

[blackrussian]

 

[Deltaboy1984]

I have heard many stories about using Entrenching tools as last ditch weapons from ww2 vets all the way till Nam. My cousin who was a 3 tour LERP man said he saw a VC get nearly cut in half by a fellow LERP using a ET that he had taken a File too and made it sharp.

 

[Gordon]

Thats LRRP, which I did. The entrenching tool is handy.

 

[BleysAhrens]

Pizza sucks 8 or 10 hours later when your trying to sleep... Had no use for an ET in the Navy, but saw one used as an ax in Boy scouts in the mid 80s.

 

[chieftain]

The E-tool we carried in Vietnam had a solid handle and the blade folded. once folded it made a great double bladed battle ax for hand to hand combat. That usually only happened when we got over run. Very effective stopping power, and the magazine rarely went dry. Effective range sucked.

Best used for digging a fighting hole though, and using supplied radios and firearms to bring death and destruction down upon the enemy at range. My best advice is that when possible keep the enemy out of E-tool range. Of course the enemy doesn't listen, will not die, some even want to stay alive and in fact often try to kill US troops. Very disconcerting, particularly when you are one of those troops.

Yea, I have used it, those are not "fun" or "happy" times. I was lucky.

Go figure.

Fred

 

[Deltaboy1984]

Opps Sorry Gordan, I am getting old and He is gotten old too.

 

[Al Thompson]

The older E tool (wooden handle) is better than the new folding ones. Mine has a sharp edge - came that way (surplus you know).