MovieChat Forums > Hamburger Hill (1987) Discussion > Rope on left side

Rope on left side

posted 17 years ago by water22boy
11 replies | jump to latest

Whats the coil of rope that some of the soldiers have hanging from thier left shoulder. I have seen this in other movies too.

[–] ringneck 17 years ago

I think its for making a Swiss seat for repelling. Granted soldiers didn't repel that often but intheory they might have to. I'm sure it was used for lots of other things---if rivers were expected long lengths of rope wwere taken to help cross.

BradLaGrange

[–] JonnyCarducci 17 years ago

yeah. i see it in a lot of war films

[–] DTigersFan 17 years ago

I belive it could have been used for many things. Examples; crossing rivers, maybe to use for "bear bags" )meaning a term used for camping you put many of your food, tooth past etc into a bag and string it inbetween two trees, so wild animals won't get to them.) Pretty much for any thing and every thing.

[–] rulestheworld-1 17 years ago

They were airborne all airborn had them

[–] sporak 17 years ago

Repelling? You mean that they could repel the enemy just by using rope?

Perhaps you meant to say "rappelling"...

[–] smm_0 17 years ago

The rope first appeard in WWII Airborne units this was so parachuting soldiers who jumped out of plans and got stuck on houses or trees could climb down safely. althought in Vietnam they no longer parachuted from planes the rope was still part of the uniform.

[–] every_mn 17 years ago

They did one big combat jump in Vietnam. Operation Junction City, early 1967. 173d Airborne brigade, I believe.

MACV SOG did several HALO jumps into Laos in the early '70s as well.

[–] aonwest 17 years ago

I think you're talking about the rope that signifies 'Infantry'.

[–] SONofAnamVET 17 years ago

They would have used them for crossing rivers,Or incase for some reasin you had to go into a tunnel you could tie it to the guys leg so if something happend to him they could pull the guy out. sometimes you would also have to rappell out of a helicopter.Like one guy said much like WW2 it would be so if you got cought into a tree, but he was wrong in some cases they did para jump.But also there would be a time that you would need a rope for something.

[–] movies789 10 years ago

It's a blue braided shoulder cord, or fourragere, worn on the right shoulder of the Class A uniform (khaki or greens) by infantry soldiers. It attaches at the epaulet button, under the epaulet, and loops snugly under the right arm. It's strictly decorative; it serves no utilitarian function as discussed elsewhere here (rappelling, river-crossing, roping, etc.). It's wear is limited to soldiers with an infantry MOS (military occupational specialty) - 11A (infantry officer), 11B (infantry rifleman) or 11C (infantry mortarman). It is never worn on fatigues (jungle or otherwise), and thus was never worn in the field (i.e. the jungle) in Vietnam.

[–] Luis (187) 5 years ago

They are not asking about the Fourragere. They are asking about a rope that hangs from a carabiner in some of the soldiers. Watch again the movie and stop at 49.50 and 50.30.

I know this thread is 5 years old.