Helicopter Door Gunner Badge Mugs

The concept of the door gunner originated during the Vietnam War, when helicopters were first used in combat in large numbers. The original personnel who served as early door gunners aboard CH-21, UH-34, and UH-1 helicopters in Vietnam, were enlisted men, with a designated and specially trained crew chief serving as both the aircraft's maintenance manager and a door gunner.

Perfect for veterans, helicopter simulator gamers, war gamers and military history enthusiasts. Also makes a cool Air Cav gift at Christmas and birthdays.

For the majority of the Vietnam war, the principal weapon of the door gunner was a medium machine gun (MG), initially, a M1919A4 .30 caliber MG, and soon thereafter, the M60 7.62mm MG became the standard helicopter door armament system. Initially however not all helicopters were armed or outfitted with a dedicated MG for door armament. For example the very first U.S. Army helicopter units, flying CH-21 helicopters, that began flying combat missions in Vietnam in 1962 didn't. Therefore door gunners on Vietnam photographs are sometimes seen using an M1 Carbine, an M14 rifle, or an M16 rifle, as their only weapon. Initially, the door gunner's MG weapons were mounted on swiveling mounts (on a pintle mount) in order to retain and stea...

Perfect for veterans, helicopter simulator gamers, war gamers and military history enthusiasts. Also makes a cool Air Cav gift at Christmas and birthdays.

Perfect for veterans, helicopter simulator gamers, war gamers and military history enthusiasts. Also makes a cool Air Cav gift at Christmas and birthdays.

Perfect for pilots, veterans, helicopter flight simulator gamers, UH-60 Black Hawk model kit builders and helicopter aviation enthusiasts. Also makes a cool army helicopter gift at Christmas and birthdays.

Perfect for veterans, Huey pilots and air crews. Also makes a cool Huey gift for Vietnam vets at Christmas and birthdays.

Ideal for UH-1 Huey veterans, Vietnam veterans, helicopter flight simulator gamers, UH1 Iroquois model kit builders and military history enthusiasts. Also makes a cool UH-1 Huey Helicopter gift at Christmas and birthdays.

Perfect for veterans, helicopter simulator gamers, war gamers and military history enthusiasts. Also makes a cool Air Cav gift at Christmas and birthdays.

Perfect for veterans, helicopter simulator gamers, war gamers and military history enthusiasts. Also makes a cool Air Cav gift at Christmas and birthdays.

Perfect for Australian UH-1 Huey veterans, military helicopter fans, helicopter flight simulator gamers, UH-1 Huey model kit builders and Australian military history fans. Also makes a cool UH-1 Iroquois gift at Christmas and birthdays.

Perfect for UH-1 Huey veterans, military helicopter fans, helicopter flight simulator gamers, UH-1 Huey model kit builders and Cold War military history fans. Also makes a cool UH-1 Iroquois gift at Christmas and birthdays.

The concept of the door gunner originated during the Vietnam War, when helicopters were first used in combat in large numbers. The original personnel who served as early door gunners aboard CH-21, UH-34, and UH-1 helicopters in Vietnam, were enlisted men, with a designated and specially trained crew chief serving as both the aircraft's maintenance manager and a door gunner. Normally, a second enlisted soldier served as a second door gunner (such as on a UH-1, and UH-34, which both used two gunners – one on each side of the aircraft). Later, as the war progressed, the door gunner position sometimes used a non-aviation rated/trained soldier or marine, that volunteered for door gunner duties.

Perfect for UH-1 Huey veterans, military helicopter fans, helicopter flight simulator gamers, UH-1 Huey model kit builders and Cold War military history fans. Also makes a cool UH-1 Iroquois gift at Christmas and birthdays.

Ideal for UH-1 Iroquois Huey veterans, Vietnam veterans, helicopter flight simulator gamers, UH1 Iroquois model kit builders and military history enthusiasts. Also makes a cool UH-1 Huey Helicopter gift at Christmas and birthdays.

Air Cavalry Division Air Cav. Perfect for soldiers, veterans, gamers and military history enthusiasts. Also makes a cool air cavalry gift at Christmas and birthdays. Looking for army tees, cavalry shirts or cool military t shirts, gifts and hoodies? We got you covered.

Ideal for UH-1 Iroquois veterans, Vietnam veterans, helicopter flight simulator gamers, UH1 Iroquois model kit builders and US military history enthusiasts. Also makes a cool UH-1 Huey Helicopter gift at Christmas and birthdays.

Ideal for UH-1 Iroquois veterans, Vietnam veterans, helicopter flight simulator gamers, UH1 Iroquois model kit builders and US military history enthusiasts. Also makes a cool UH-1 Huey Helicopter gift at Christmas and birthdays.