Hey Joe, Me Paint You Long Time

After a ridiculous period of being ignored on my painting table, I finally finished my 3mm American forces for Vietnam (for eventual use with Too Fat Lardies' Charlie Don't Surf). All I had to do was their webbing, gear, grass highlights, and then shrubberies, but that took a year. Well, it only took about 6 hours, but it took me a year to get to those 6 hours.

Anyway, here's the outcome. As always, you can click on the image to see a bigger version, although be forewarned, like other small scales, these don't necessarily look better when viewed unnnaturally close up.

First up is an overview of my US company. It's still missing its mortars some additions for the Marines - an additional fire team per squad and bazookas. I have them, borrowing from O8's WWII US packs, but they are only prepped at this point, not mounted. So here they are on parade:
Here's the command unit, lead by Captain "Duke" Spaulding with his black hat and swagger stick, along with a FAC team (big base), sniper (lone fig. on small base, pointing his rifle at you), and FO (small base):
Next are the MG teams, five in firing positions, three on the move. If you look closely, you should be able to see the brass of the ammo belt sticking out here and there:
One shot of the medic teams. Each platoon gets its own base, and when representing the Marines, they get a company level medic (big base). As I mentioned long ago in a Work-in-Progress update on them, I've painted them as a bit of a diorama, each soldier is wounded a bit differently.
Although I wonder a bit if I didn't go too far and make them a bit bloody.
Here's the 2nd Platoon, from the helicopter view:
2nd Platoon head on:
1st Platoon:

1st Platoon showing the coding system I use on the back of the bases. 1st Platoon is "white" and then a second colour for each squad. Each squad consists of two bases.
Additional forces - spare two-man teams to turn the MG bases in to HMG's or squads, a spare squad, and three more Big Men.
Last year I ordered some civilians from Microform Models. As they're used in architectural modelling, they came with a peg in the bottom that was about as big as these figures themselves. That works for architects, but I needed to cut off the pegs, and ended up using them as figures! These are two views of the same three bases:
I painted them differently than my VC units, just to distinguish them a bit, although I realize in reality the VC deliberately dressed like civilians.
My first, and still only, O8 palm tree, designed as the "Lone Palm Tree" to play some role in the "Affair of the Lone Palm Tree" someday. More terrain bits are coming when the figures are done.
And for a change of pace, before clearing the decks for Vietnam, I did a first coat for my 2mm Cathedral:

What's up next? Well, I started on the NVA last night, got their flesh added, and figured out which paints work best as their uniform colours. I hope to do them in less than a year!

I also have to add to the three main forces - VC need a couple Big Men, NVA need Big Men, mortars, HMG's, D-30 howitzers, and the US needs the aforementioned bazookas, mortars, and some vehicles (already based).

Then I need to get into terrain, finish up my jungles and bamboo forests. I'm also hoping for some more Vietnam pieces from O8 - gun trucks, bunkers (American sandbags, VC/NVC dug outs).

I also have enough pieces to do a ARVN company, and a CIDG/A-Team unit, although but there's no rush on them right now. I actually feel like figuring out my 3mm Civil War plans...