Tour 1 for me and chopper jockeys were issued S&W .38s with a shoulder holster. One of my classmates got shot down and was ejected from the bird when the hit dirt. Woke up face down with NVA poking him in the ass with bayonets. His hand was by a quirk of fate holding the butt of the pistol. He said later that he preferred death to POW status, so he rolled over, drew his piece and killed his 3 tormentors.
He liked his .38 quite a bit.
