Landing Vehicle Tank Personnel 5 (LVTP-5) was the fifth in a series of ‘amtracks’ (amphibious tracked vehicles) first developed during World War Two.  The LVTP-5 began its life in 1956.  It used a V12 gasoline motor and could run at an amazing 30 miles per hour on dry land, faster than any NATO main battle tanks at that time.

Several variants were produced; engineer vehicle which was actually an anti-land mine vehicle, retriever (armored recovery vehicle), and the self-propelled howitzer.  An anti-aircraft prototype was made using the gun/turret from an M42 Duster, but never put into production.

U.S. Navy (USN) silent film by person with last name of Stuckey, Operation Saddle Up, June 1959.  Op Saddle Up was a Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) wargame in British empire Borneo, but participating U.S. forces were based in  Việt Nam. The original film was marked ‘confidential’.  I edited the film to show an LVTP-5 as well as an early type M48:

USN silent film of preparations at Okinawa, Japan, for Operation Blue Star in Republic of China (nationalist China, Taiwan, formerly Formosa), April 1960.  I edited to show the LVTP-5s loading into LSD-16 USS Cabildo:

Op Blue Star was a demonstration to People’s Republic of China (communist China, mainland China) that the United States would defend Taiwan from any further communist aggression.  LVTP-5s during wargame, with a look at President Chiang Kai-shek:

More Op Blue Star film, March 1960, by somebody with last name of Zimmerman:

USN silent film of beach assault display for President John F. Kennedy (part of a series of more than two dozen USN/USMC films entitled ‘An Answer’, I don’t know what the question was), Camp Lejeune, North Carolina 1962 (I edited to show just the LTVP-5 parts of the film, plus a look at Kennedy):

Another USN silent film of massive wargames along North Carolina’s beaches in 1962.  I edited to show some LVTP-5s and then a little of President Kennedy with the Shah of Iran Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, for some reason attending the wargames.  I noticed that through out the unedited USN film, the Shah of Iran spends most of his time talking to Robert McNamara, and seemingly intentionally ignoring Kennedy:

USN silent film of LVTP-5s in action during Operation Steel Pike-I, in Spain, 08OCT1964:

U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) silent film, by Sergeant Massie, of the arrival of Marine units at Chu Lai, Quảng Tín Province, Việt Nam, 07MAY1965.  I edited to show just the LVTP-5s, and the LVTR-1 pulling a stuck crane from the beach (an LVTP-5 pulled-up alongside the crane to keep it from tipping over):

The info that came with this photo says the commander of Bravo Company, 1st Amphibious Battalion, claims this amtrack (named Hotel) was the first to use a 106mm recoilless gun, 19AUG1965, in the Elephant Valley 12 miles west of Đà Nẵng Air Base.

USMC silent film of LTVP-5s during first day of Operation Piranha, 07SEP1965, Ba Làng An (aka Batangan) Peninsula, Quảng Ngãi Province, Việt Nam:

USMC silent film of Op Piranha, 09SEP1965 ‘White Beach’ landings, LVTP-5s and an LVTE-1:

 

21DEC1965, ten Marines spent 36 hours dressing-up this amtrack for xmas.  Many of the people in the Southern part of Việt Nam where Catholics.  The information that came with the photo says that after the parade the LVTP-5 went sailing on the Han River, the crew handing out gifts to children living on sampans.

USMC silent film by somebody with the last name of MacKlem, start of Operation Deckhouse-III, 16AUG1966:

USMC silent film, start of Operation Deckhouse-V, 06JAN1967, somewhere along the Mekong Delta, Việt Nam.  LVTP-5 and LVTH-6:

10APR1967, a 97-thousand-5-hundred pound mine clearing engineer vehicle, aka LTVE-1,  no other info about the photo given.

19JUN1967, an M48 leads a column of LVTP-5s during Operation Arizona.

07JUL1967, an LVTE-1 during Operation Elliot ‘A’, no other info given.

28JUL1967, an LVTE-1 has the remains of some trees stuck in its mine-plow, Operation Hickory-III.

07MAY1968, near the Cửa Việt River south of Đông Hà, an LTVP-5 is being used as a communications center.

Somewhere near Marble Mountain, Việt Nam, an LVTP-5 gets its motor pulled by an LVTR-1 (Landing Vehicle Tank Retriever-1), possibly 1968.

Possibly 1968, no location given other than in Việt Nam.

03MAR1969, a silhouetted LVTR-1 sailing the South China Sea to Hội An.

15APR1969, an LVTH-6 fires its 105mm howitzer during Operation Oklahoma Hills.

27SEP1969, crossing the Tu Cau Bridge, seven miles south of Đà Nẵng.

The only information that came with this photo was that it was somewhere in Việt Nam, no specific location or date.  Going by the uniform, it must be during the last years of U.S. involvement.

A Hukbong Kawal Pandagat ng Pilipinas (Philippine Marine Corps) LVTH-6 (an LVTP-5 with 105mm Howitzer), March 2015.

Notice the turret basket of the 105mm gunned LTVH-1.

2019: UNDIGNIFIED DEATH OF Hawaiian LVTP-5

Vehicle I-D:

NO MORE USMC AAV, SAY HELLO TO THE ACV, FINALLY?