Right up through into the early parts of Vietnam, there's something that's all red down rain. It was utilizing technology that goes back over 2000 years. Using fire is both a combat and intimidating weapon. This particular weapon I'm carrying is a Mark II-2 flame Thor. They came in and ironically, much of the technology in this weapon came from foreigners. The frame-tower concept was first developed by the Germans and the French to earn over one. When technology finally caught up and we started being able to make fire, protecting fire, man portable. But more it was used as a intimidation weapon during the first war. To imagine the operator going into combat, he could put out flame all right at 3000 degrees ambient temperature, but he only had an effective range of about 20 to 30 feet. It would scare the hell out of the opponent he was going up against, but it means he had to get right on top of him. Unfortunately, that didn't change all that much going into World War II. The beginning of World War II, the Americans were actually behind the power curve in developing a flame Thor. That would quickly change. Our first Mark I flame Thor is going into Guadalcanal. The entire first marine division had a total of 40 flame Thor's with them, maintained and operated by engineers. Primarily used as a support weapon. It shot straight gasoline and was operating at a pressure that the only had an effective range of about 20 yards. This had two decided disadvantages. Imagine yourself, Dalai, as they go into combat, you're carrying a big zipple on your back. Very vulnerable to small arm fire. You're going to have to expose yourself and get within 20 yards of your own target. Now, these weren't designed to burn the enemy. What they were designed for is to basically incapacitate your enemy in a place where you cannot get to them to small arm. In a bunker, a cave, or some other facility where you cannot actually see your opponent. The idea is to involve that position with flame, taking out the oxygen, suck any oxygen away, and basically incapacitate so you can follow up with small arms, grenades, whatever it would take to take out the position. The problem was that flame Thor operator had to get within 20 yards of that position. Because they were burning straight gasoline, and that means the product is now about vaporizing and you're getting 100% for the product there. That means the operator has to maintain continual flame enforcement on the target. While he's doing that, the other guy is doing under him what he's trying to do there. By 1944, we look at what the Japanese were using. They had come up with a technology what we called napalm today. They were actually jelling gasoline, making it much, much thicker, essentially shooting jello through an nozzle. I like that we opted on that, and why it became effective to us and not to affect you to the Japanese. This is an offensive weapon. It's not good in a fixed position as a defensive weapon, but in the offense, it's awesome. By jelling the gasoline in 1944, we have now increased the capability of pushing that product out much further. I like that the range increased from about 20 yards up to about 60 to 70 yards. More importantly, with the gasoline jelled, it now means that the product itself didn't totally vaporize. It means the core of the liquid, the core of the flame would stay liquid. That means the product could be put on target, stick it, continue to burn. The flames go off or anything like that could then take over. A little anecdotal story that I'm sure you veterans will appreciate. If you young Marines, like that, I know I'll be a lot to you. It's very pointed. Every piece of technology that you use is only as good as the Marine behind the trigger. And to give you a little story of how effective these were, but where it was only effective because the Marine used it. I did an interview with the Marine with the 20, oh, like say, 28 Marines, glanting on the E. Wajima. He was part of a blowtorchy course crew team. By that time, we developed a tactic of using two flame thords backed up by two browning automatic riflemen. One flame filler operator would lay cover just like we delay smoke as the second operator was able to get within fire and grain. Now this team had landed on the beaches of E. Wajima. They started to advance across the San beaches. Now as we talk about on this weapon is the pressure tanks. The product is not going to go anywhere until we actually turn this knob and charge the pressure into the product tank, which would actually force the liquid out the nozzle once we open the trigger. The Marine in the lead had already charged his flame Thor going up against the bucket. The second Marine said he saw the Marine in front of him around hit his tanks. Now, unlike what you see in the movies, it didn't explode right away. It was even more devastating. The round went through the tanks. There was no spark or anything to ignite it yet. But the igniter in the gun group was already ignited. And what happened, path of least resistance, the product started coming out of the rifle hole and vaporizing and covering the Marine in a cloud of vapor. As soon as they headed in this short, he went up like a Roman cannon. The Marine I was interviewing, though, was carrying the second flame Thor, talked about what he felt and what he saw. It scared him so bad he said he dropped to the ground and he literally urinated himself right there. But he knew he had fellow Marines. He had to take care of it. He had to do his job. So no matter how scared he was, he was going to accomplish mission. He pulled off his trouser belt, his leaking laces, anything else he could use to make a rope. He tied it to the flame Thor, getting that thing as far away from him as it could. But drug it up to the target. Put it back on when he got close enough to be in range and use that flame Thor to take out the target. Was he scared? He was petrified. What the courage and discipline and ability to take care of his fellow Marines and like that is what made this technology work. Now in reality, this is not a complicated weapon. It's nothing more than a glorified bug sprayer. You look at the back of the weapon, you got three tanks. The smallest of the tanks in the center is a pressure tank. And it operates just like a modern firefighter self-contained breathing apparatus. It has up to 2,000 pounds of compressed air. Like that, then that behind that that you can't see that's digging into my back right now is a pressure regulator, a pressure reducer that reduces the pressure in that tank down to about 300 pounds for square in. That goes into the product tanks. The product then, once it turns on, it like that charges these tanks and what's operating the gun group down and push product down range just the same fire hose and push water down range. Now where the actual working is is in the gun group. You'll notice that I've got a pistol grip here with two safety. It's got a grip safety just like you saw in the 1941-45 automatic and the trigger. Now this cannot be baby. I like that if you're a whimp. You don't want to be operating a plane with them. As a Marine, I was here last year, found out the hard way. I like that what do you get first degree burns by the second day, sir? We don't like talking about that. Well, what the little curl did tell you. I would stand it right next to him and got burned just as bad as he did. I like that, but again, it was not a huge front of the weapon. So you have to be aggressive with the weapon. Now when this operates, there's a long valve, a pin valve that goes from here all the way up to the nozzle. Now, although we're using a propane igniter of the operated here, originally it had a chemical igniter. Then I got to operate exactly the same way a revolver did. It unscrewed the nozzle head, placed as a chemical igniter, which would have five chambers in it, just like a revolver. I like that any one of those would have a fullminate in it, similar to a railroad flare. Once you pulled the front trigger, now would ignite that product. And it would continue to burn. This would be your vicious system for 12 seconds. The downside is you're going to be talking about once that's ignited, you can't put it out. And if you're proud, it tanks are punctured. That means the only temporary course you have is hoping to get out of it. Now, you notice the hardest I'm wearing on this tank. I like that there's quick releases on here. Theoretically, if that happens, I've got a few seconds to pop and get it's far away from the nearest closet. Again, you notice the term, I use the term, Theoretically. What's the fire department's got? It's got a good fire extinguisher standing by. Now, again, not our user friendly weapon. Now, I'm standing here talking and I'm starting to get shorter and shorter. It'd be this weapon weighs about 42 pounds. Full loaded is what it is now. It weighs an excess of 70 pounds. Marines, imagine yourself having to advance against an enemy under fire carrying 70 pounds. Half of what is the liquid sloshing around on your back and you're doing it across shigger sand and an open beat. How many of you people want to step up the plate and do that? It looks like me when you see it fire, but again, it's not a user friendly. With that, I'd say we're going to step down range. I like that and actually demonstrate this for you. Now, so I don't want to burn up the Colonel's range here a little bit. We did not gel the gasoline. This is burning straight regular automotive gasoline just like you used today. Originally, it was using aviation gasoline. I like it, but we're using our car gasoline today. The only difference between this and the gel gasoline, it'll be a slightly shorter range and it will, as you will talk. Herby, talk about with the Mark I flame, though, you'll see the entire product burned in air. Before it actually hits the ground, it's continue to burn. Good to go. Let's get her done.