1970

Vietnam War Carbine Rifle

The Vietnam War (1955-1975) was another attempt by the United States government to stop the further spread of communism. It was the first war broadcast on television, so the carnage was witnessed daily in the United States. As it dragged on year after year, it became an unpopular war in America. Though bravely fought on the ground, poor strategy and leadership in Washington lead to inconclusive results and the will continue the conflict petered out in the early 1970s. U.S. administrations and Congress reduced military support to the point where the North Vietnamese were able to conquer their southern neighbor in a dramatic end to the war in April 1975. In the end, 58,000 Americans were dead and over 303,000 bore physical wounds.

Although the better-known AK-47 was the primary weapon of communist forces, a variety of other small arms were also used. One was the SKS Type 56 semi-automatic carbine, a Chinese version of the Russian SKS-45. It held ten 7.62 mm caliber rounds loaded with a stripper clip. The carbine was given to E. Ross Adair, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Indiana's 4th Congressional District, during a tour of Vietnam in 1970. In that same year President Nixon began troop withdrawals-a gradual reduction in U.S. force strength while boosting support for South Vietnam's government and army in a program called "Vietnamization."