What personal items do soldiers carry?

Answer:

Even though the US Army did ISSUE cigarettes, matches, writing pens, writing paper, envelopes, knives, eye-glasses, soft caps (hats), and wrist watches (Hamiltons); some personal items were cigarettes, smoking pipes, zippo cigarette lighters, writing pens, eye-glasses, SUN-GLASS's (either sent to him or bought in the PX), custom baseball caps (green of course), civilian knives, and sometimes civilian firearms such as revolvers and shotguns. The knives, revolvers, and shotguns were often inherited from GI's before them; and most likely arrived in country from US Advisers from the 1950's and early 1960's.

Music cassettes and recorders were often possessed by mounted troops (tank and ACAV crewmen); cassettes such as Buffalo Springfield, Deep Purple, Doors, Santana, Black Sabbeth, Led Zepplin, Steppenwolf, Cream, Beach Boys, Monkey's, etc.

Mandatory GI issued equipment was: steel helmet (M1), plastic 1 & 2 qt canteens, ammo, rifle/machingun, grenades, C rations. Officers and NCO's carried maps and compass's. RTO carried the PRC-25 man portable back pack radio: RTO-Radio Telephone Operator/PRC-25 nomenclature of man-portable radio.