In 1966, deep in the humid heart of Vietnam, U.S. Marines patrolled a landscape that looked peaceful — but was anything but. Rice paddies stretched for miles, reflecting the sky like mirrors, yet beneath that calm surface lurked death. Mines, hidden snipers, and traps set by the Viet Cong turned every patrol into a deadly gamble. The M-60 machine gun — nicknamed “The Pig” for its size and appetite for ammo — was their lifeline. Capable of spitting out 500 rounds a minute, it could turn a quiet f

Today, 54 years ago, Marines were the first U.S. combat troops to land in Vietnam. | U.S. Marine Corps