Meet David Vickers

First off, thanks for visiting my web page! I'm a retired Marine Corps tank officer that still loves talking about armor history and building it in scale. I hope maybe my website gave you some ideas for your own models or maybe it was just a nice place to drop by. I started this website as a way to display my models without having all of you come over to my house (I'm out of beer). It seems a shame that so many of us in this hobby have a room full of great models that sit gathering dust in a quiet room. It is great to have had a career and a hobby that have gone hand in hand with one another for over twenty years.

Another reason for the website is to be an "unofficial source" for any armor or figure guys that might have questions about Marine Corps armor or uniforms. I've been around Marines a long time and I'm still around them every day. If I can't answer your question about the Marine Corps I'm sure I can find someone who can. I am also a docent at the new National Museum of the Marine Corps and many USMC vehicles (as well as uniforms and equipment) are accessible to me. If you are ever at the museum I'd be happy to show you around. It is an awesome place to be.

In case you are curious, I started my tanker days commanding "M60A1 RISE Passive" tanks as a platoon commander. Later, as a company commander, I commanded M1A1s. Currently I am now riding a desk in a small cubicle with one chair and a computer (no turret or main gun). I'm afraid my tanker days are over but it was one hell of a good time. I miss my Marines terribly. I retired from the ranks in 2004 and now live in Northern Virginia.

I started modeling seriously while I was stationed in Southern California in 1990. There was a little hobby shop on the corner from where I lived. The owner of the shop encouraged me to join some clubs. One was the Orange County IPMS chapter and the other was SCAMMS (Southern California Association of Military Modelers Society). I had no idea at the time, but they were typical of folks in our hobby, real nice guys with talent and a willingness to teach others like me. The lesson here is if you don't belong to a club.join one! You'll make great friends and learn a bunch while having a blast.

I have had a lot of fun in this hobby and have been at shows all over the US. Thanks to some really great guys that taught me I have been featured over the years in various model magazines. You might recognize my work in Fine Scale Magazine, Military Miniature In Review or other model publications that do show reports. Yep, I have won a few awards but that isn't why I love this hobby. I love it because of the friends I have made and the privilege of seeing their spectacular work. If I was only half as good as my hobby heroes I'd die happy!

I owe some guys a special gratitude for taking time to teach me this hobby over the years. Ron Sousa, Steven Weakley, Chris Mrosko, Trevor Hensley and John Rosengrant are all superb figure painters and modelers who took their time to teach me some of their vast talent. I can only hope to be half as talented as the gents I just mentioned. To all of them a very special thank you for making my modeling experience over the years much more rewarding.

I couldn't possibly put everything I want on this web page so I have had to focus a bit. Besides my model pics, you can click on some of my model tips I use or check out my model reference photos. My reference photos are of stuff I haven't seen on other websites or books. For example, maybe my authentic tanker helmet pics can help you paint your next tanker dudes. Thanks again for visiting and happy modeling!