Minifigure – U.S. Army “Grunt” infantryman with M16 assault rifle from the Vietnam War (LEGO Compatible)

This image displays a toy minifigure set representing a U.S. Army “Grunt” (the popular slang term for an infantryman) from the Vietnam War era.

The figure is depicted in standard combat attire. He wears an M1 Helmet with the “Mitchell” camouflage pattern cover, which was the standard-issue helmet cover for U.S. forces in Vietnam. He is dressed in olive-green jungle fatigues and is wearing a printed M1956 load-bearing harness (webbing) with ammunition pouches and a dog tag around his neck.

The set includes two highly detailed weapon accessories:

• A toy replica of the M16 assault rifle with an M7 bayonet fixed. The M16 (and its variant, the M16A1) was the standard service rifle for most U.S. infantrymen during the Vietnam War. It was a lightweight, 5.56mm rifle that replaced the heavier M14.
• A toy replica of the M14 rifle, shown here with a telescopic scope. The M14 was the rifle the M16 replaced. While it was largely phased out of frontline infantry use, it was highly regarded for its power and accuracy at long range. Because of this, it was often equipped with a scope and used by designated marksmen or snipers (as the M21 Sniper Weapon System).

This set, therefore, provides the weapons for both a standard rifleman and a specialist marksman.