A lot of stupid people think that the M2 .50 caliber Heavy Machine Gun (HMG) is illegal to use against enemy personnel.

In World War II, a German infantry battalion was attacking 2LT Audie Murphy's platoon, unable to stop them, 2LT Murphy jumped atop a burning tank destroyer and hosed down wave after wave of Germans with its still functioning .50 cal HMG.

After the attack was stopped, Murphy jumped off and the tank destroyer blew up.

When this "war crime" was committed, did the pre-teen Sam Donaldson with a full head of hair pester Murphy in an 20/20 interview? How about Edward R. Murrow? Did we have liberal weenies throw blood on the entrance gates of Fort Benning calling him a "baby killer"???

No.

We awarded him the Congressional Medal of Honor (CMH) for his bravery, saving his entire unit from being wiped out otherwise. He was the most decorated Soldier of WWII.

Painting courtesy of the Audie Murphy memorial foundation www.audiemurphy.com

So then, what of this .50 caliber HMG "not being authorized for use against enemy personnel" malarkey?

That's right, its bull feces.

I guess it sounds "avante garde" and makes one look like an authority to split hairs on a weapon system like the "Ma Deuce" .50 caliber HMG, the audience must think; "Oh what a humanitarean he is to remind us that the big, mean .50 caliber is shooting bullets too big to hit us little humans..." ANY bullet is a bullet too big to hit another human being. War itself is terrible, thats why we have to fight them to victory quickly.

Problem is that it helps the enemy and prolongs the war, to hinder the FULL utilization of our most potent Heavy Machine Gun. Everyone else in the world shoots .50 and other Heavy Machine Guns at people (us), and there is no Geneva War Convention prohibiting their use. That's why we have .50 caliber sniper rifles proliferating, too.

The recent "broo-ha-ha" over WACO:

www.worldnetdaily.com/bluesky_exnews/19990828_xex_reno_planned.shtml

created the above interesting article, however in it a convicted felon and questionable former serviceman states in the article something to the effect that the Geneva Convention "prohibits" the M2 .50 Caliber machine gun for use against human targets. The Geneva Conventions have no such prohibition and never had. Soldiers are free to use whatever weapons at hand to defend themselves. They may not, however, modify weapons or ammunition to increase the suffering of enemy troops, mistreat enemy prisoners or wounded, mutilate corpses, or acts of that nature.

The tripod or pintle mounted mounted .50 caliber Heavy Machine Gun is a very effective weapon both in the defense and in support of offensive operations against troop targets, and unarmored vehicle targets, with a limited capability against lightly armored targets, enhanced by the new SLAP round... During the Korean War, US/UN forces often employed the quad .50 cal Heavy Machine Gun system mounted on a truck or aircraft to "vacuum clean" hillsides overlooking manuever corridors.These weapon systems were assigned to anti aircraft units, but after the initial north Korean offensive of 1950, the enemy air threat was negligible if not non existent. The twin 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft on M42 "Duster" and 20mm Gatling cannon on M163 tracked carriers were also utilized with great success in stopping mass attacks in Korea and Vietnam. These were used to kill people, and break things.

The late GySgt Carlos Hathcock, USMC, utilized a scope mounted .50 cal Heavy Machine Gun to make single-shot extreme long range kills - on individuals - in Viet Nam. The combination of the M2 HB with scope is a phenomenal long range weapon. Since the 1980s, a number of .50 caliber weapons have been designed specifically for long range kills. Again, these weapons are also highly effective against enemy vehicles and ordnance.

Notwithstanding the controversy surrounding the federal government's heinous operations at Waco, this is yet one more myth that unfortunately, very well trained and well meaning Soldiers repeat. It is wrong. I would like to find out who first started this rumor and have him point out exactly where it says I may not use a heavy machine gun against enemy troops. I have heard this from Privates through Lieutenants. Again, it is incorrect information. Ask a Judge Advocate General officer. Shoot away all you please with the .50 cal. I know I will if I have to... and I hope I have a few of these great weapons around when I need them.

Interestingly enough, I have heard it referred to as a "50 mm machine gun" usually by the same peope who say it is prohibited by the Geneva Conventions- usually the same people who refer to the "M-60 as a 60 cal".... Amazing what people THINK they know. More wrong info has likely been passed by well meaning people.

So our advice is if you hear anyone telling you the BIG LIE about our BIG MACHINE GUN, try to inform them and if they persist conclude he's a BIG IDIOT and move on to more productive subjects.

P.S. When you see a terrorist and you have a .50 caliber heavy machine gun, SHOOT HIM!

AIRBORNE!

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