# Things attached to Army soldiers helmets

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-attached-to-army-soldiers-helmets/112225
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [June 3, 2002, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-attached-to-army-soldiers-helmets/112225 "2002-06-03T20:11:02Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![Marine\_One](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marine_one/32/3461_2.png) [@Marine\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marine_One)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2002, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-attached-to-army-soldiers-helmets/112225/1 "2002-06-03T20:11:02Z")

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What were those containers attached to the helmets of soldiers in Vietnam? They looked like they were made of plastic. I’ve never seen them in WW II films or movies.

😕

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### Author: ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2002, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-attached-to-army-soldiers-helmets/112225/2 "2002-06-03T21:36:52Z")

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Water bottles.

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### Author: ![Turbo\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@Turbo\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turbo_Dog)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2002, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-attached-to-army-soldiers-helmets/112225/3 "2002-06-03T21:51:43Z")

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The green ones that were square were standard issue bottles of insect repellant.

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### Author: ![Heretic\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e47c2d/32.png) [@Heretic\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heretic_Jones)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2002, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-attached-to-army-soldiers-helmets/112225/4 "2002-06-03T22:08:47Z")

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Sometimes the square ones were soap.

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### Author: ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2002, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-attached-to-army-soldiers-helmets/112225/5 "2002-06-03T22:15:05Z")

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Concur with **Turbo Dog**.

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### Author: ![stankow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cdc98d/32.png) [@stankow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stankow)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2002, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-attached-to-army-soldiers-helmets/112225/6 "2002-06-03T22:21:13Z")

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**Turbo** and **Heretic** are both right – they started out as insect repellent and became containers of virtually anything, from C4 to heroin to matches to favorite Biblical passages.  
Probably not water, given the bottles’ small size and heritage, but there may have been some guys who were daring enough to try.

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### Author: ![NHL7890](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c4cdca/32.png) [@NHL7890](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NHL7890)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2002, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-attached-to-army-soldiers-helmets/112225/7 "2002-06-03T23:29:36Z")

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Another common thing stored in them, for the hygenic soldier, was mouthwash, which was often accompanied by a tooth brush.