Davidson County Democratic Party Executive Committee, Articles L

Few areas of the world have been as hotly contested as the India-Pakistan border. Five men killed in Vietnam were only 16 years old. hb```8fB cBLd2>Tb jz1@E; aK6Tmc.Nn"&gn7hj'wm,h d6p4u0`&88:,TMV& y@ b=e>a&^ >{2b`ZHE3psn QZ Cause-specific . We were in2dBn 503d . my left and saw this rice paddie farmer and his ox and I was trying to motion him to get down he just looks at me and starts Then he said youre on a FB, the enemy always knows your location, can pretty much attack at will, and you really dont have the capability to retreat. Different type units, different locations, different opinions on dangers. A documentary about our company and our 1st Sgt was made. The peace settlement was signed in Paris on 27 January 1973. Some 23% of Vietnam vets had fathers with professional, managerial To my surprise, I qualified as an expert with the M60 machine gun, nicknamed the pig because of the size, weight and sound of the weapon. Welcome Home Brothers ! Interesting but something is missing. It doesnt make any sense statistically/mathematically it is impossible. I am one lucky SOB. Was a door gunner and crew chief for just shy of 18 months (I extended to get out early). I am 81 now and survived the encounter by terminated the sniper. Our patrols were typically about 14 hours 24/7 We operated of old LSTs and large barges. 4 Joey Piambino were to my right in the streambed. To keep busy on the boat ride to Vietnam, my unitCompany B, 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regimentheld competitions where we took the gun apart and put it back together while blindfolded to see who could do it fastest. His comparison to a FB was that if we were fired on we returned fire and requested assistance when needed. I was told to help carry one of the bodies. Sociologists Charles C. Moskos and John Sibley Butler, in their recently published book All That We Can Be, said they analyzed the claim that blacks were used like cannon fodder during Vietnam and can report definitely that this charge is untrue. Much smaller income differentials in life expectancy, 0.2 to 3.6 life-years smaller for Veterans in 2010-17 are estimated. What Was It Like To Hump The Boonies in Vietnam? Average age of men killed: 23.1 years Total Deaths: 23.11 years Enlisted: 50,274; 22.37 years Officers: 6,598; 28.43 years Warrants: 1,276; 24.73 years E1: 525; 20.34 years Five men killed in Vietnam were only 16 years old. Hi, the whole thing is going nicely here and ofcourse every one But, once the enemy lays down his weapon, I want YOU TO REMEMBER THREE THINGS: 1, HE IS A SOLDIER, JUST LIKE YOU.2, HE IS AWAY FROM HOME And family, just like you. Posterior Thigh _____ 4. He then said that they were generally on patrol moving through their area, both attacking and being attacked depending if the VC knew their location. Artillery, and ground forces. One afternoon, while Company B was still in the Tuy Hoa area, we received orders to gather up our gear and get ready to board choppers for an assault into a hot landing zone. Michael Doolittle..I was with 1/8 inf, 1st Brigade, and that day, March 22nd was also our darkest day. 1ST MAW 66-68. I was wasting ammo and didnt even have a target! Can I use this word like this: The addressal by the C.E.O. Corrections and confirmations to this errored index resulted in the addition of 358 U.S. military personnel confirmed to have served in Vietnam but not originally listed by the Department of Defense (All names are currently on file and accessible 24/7/365). I DISAGREETHE ENEMY WOULD SHOOT THE GUY NEXT TO THE RTO-KNOWING HE WAS THE COMMANDER. both tours. The machine guns were numbered within each platoon. happened. I also was 2/327 B company. sweep team,then I heard the choppers and they were blowing the hell out in the tree line then it just got so quiet like nothing In fact, after the 5-year post-service period, the rate of suicides is less in the Vietnam veterans group. The TOTAL number of CIB and CMB awarded would give you the answer !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He said when they were ambushed they took defensive positions, returned fire, called for assistance when needed, and retreated when necessary. Everyone in the company hit the dirt. I have a fried Who is killed in Vietnam six months before I got there cause of death was other how would I find out since his parents are long gone, Do a search for his name n Coffeltdatabase.org, Sir, would you mind me translating this into Spanish and getting it posted in our blog? I wasnt sure if the VC had moved to right or left, so I sprayed the elephant grass in both directions. The average age of the 58,148 US Servicemembers killed in Vietnam was 23.11 years (CACF) Going backwards (Apr. Thank God I made it. For example, life expectancy of male and female Veterans with household incomes less than $20,000, at respectively. When the Company B units that landed on the opposite side of the river got to the bank, some troops reached in and pulled the enemy from the water. They were also in a circular formation. If it was your day to get hit or die, it happened. No. Our 5th night there, the AMMO area started burning / blowing up. TONY DISAGREED> hE SAID TAKE A 19 YEAR OLD, WHO HAS JUST TAKEN TWO ROUNDS TO HIS BODY, And IS watching his best friend die from multiple, bleeding wounds he wont give a shit about the Geneva Convention. aND, mAY GOD BLESS AMERICA!!! A battery of big 155 mm howitzers blasted the tiny platoon perimeter, tearing trees out of the ground and hurling chunks of red-hot shell splinters through the air. No combat assignments for another year of service in Vietnam or get out in about a month. Bruce Grandstaff and my best friend, Sgt. 1st Cav, 101st, etc. I remember we were always short of replacements throughout 1968 because of the high Kia & wounded rate we suffered at that time ! I was a REMF but Ive heard of 05Cs that were stuck out in the boonies on a firebase. I was trained as a RTO in 1970 at Fort Ord then went to Fort Gordon for teletype school, my MOS was 05C20 when I finished. I always found life expectancy numbers interesting in that I could never find any supporting information that could be validated. It began just as, it was getting dark. None of the enlisted grades have an average age of less than 20. 99% of infantry men will currently live to die of natural causes. . Ron. Lived too tell about it. In total, the United States military lost in Vietnam almost 10,000 aircraft, helicopters and UAVs (3,744 planes, 5,607 helicopters and 578 UAVs). His body was torn to pieces. 5 seconds. We can all hold our heads high and be proud of our service. The one that should be there is the combat medic. I was told to show the new guy how to use it properly. I was also told that the Radio did put a target on my back. Sorry,I was one of your Brothers in Arms that helped talk you out of enlisting for another year in Vietnam. I know the scouts in my company had a slightly longer rate but not much. I saw killed and wounded everywhere in our combat operations. We were about 700 yards east of Company A when it was ambushed by an NVA battalion. Around 3 p.m., when Grandstaff realized we were about to be overrun, he called in artillery right on top of our location. Originally I went to the 543d TC. There must have been a real mathematician to come up with those calculations. Some were constantly exposed to combat, some not so often. Ambulances are not supposed to be armed (either) though in training, medics are told they and their vehicles will be a prime target. Great story!!! I am 16 years old an 150 pounds qith some good muscle. 1 Gun became my very best friend. An Rtos job was essential, tough,(Carrying the extra weight of the radio transmitter along with his rucksack), and dangerous. Thanks for the perceived loss and the countless assassinations and torture visited upon Vietnamese, Laotians, and Cambodians goes mainly to the American media and their undying support-by-misrepresentation of the anti-War movement in the United States. February 5 th, 1967, Galiano was headed to Saigon, Vietnam with 90 fellow Americans on an Air Force c-131, but orders were quickly altered . We were probably not too far away on that day. (LogOut/ 1 Gun more than I did. Like most inexperienced gunners, he underestimated the power of the pig and failed to keep the barrel down when firing. (Although 58,169 names are in the Nov. 93 database, only 58,148 have both event date and birth date. Even the AP photographer, Nick Ut, who took the picture, was Vietnamese. My friend May, I later learned, was doing the same thing in 2nd Platoon. The helicopter provided unprecedented mobility. Thats why they called us GRUNTS ! document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Address: 9241 13th Ave SW then youd carry an extra 200 rounds of M60 ammo for the machine gunner , plus drag grenades , one smoke grenade plus etc. Thats why I never understand people talking about survivors guilt it should have been me, why him? etc. They were located, next to us, in/on Long Bhin Post. The Army suffered the most total casualties, 38,179 or 2.7 percent of its force. Vietnam Veterans are less likely to be in prison only one-half of one percent of Vietnam Veterans have been jailed for crimes. THANKS! We went out typically in two boat patrols one lead one cover . BUT WE MUST ALSO BE COGNIZANT OF OUR REQUIREMENT TO BE COMPASSIONATE HUMAN BEINGS. They were a great bunch. My shit got weak and a sniper popped three rounds in my young ass. Very memorable comments. Please do not send samples. . Every mission, I had the same thought. The average age of the 58,148 US Servicemembers killed in Vietnam was . The NVA had wedged a blocking force between our company and Company A, preventing us from advancing any farther. Foot soldiers went by the grace of God, but had a better chance than the infantry platoon commander in combat. Learned a lot from him. Non-divisional aeromedical evacuation units went by the callsign DUSTOFF. In the last 5 years the symptoms of PTSD and AO are starting getting worse in me. Remember he wanted to reenlist for one more year in Vietnam. Amen I was a machine gunner for 7 months 503rd infantry 173rd airborne and you hit the nail right on the head. Cluster F, SNAFU and FUBAR fer sur. endstream endobj 4315 0 obj <>/Metadata 89 0 R/Pages 4312 0 R/StructTreeRoot 120 0 R/Type/Catalog>> endobj 4316 0 obj <>/MediaBox[0 0 612 792]/Parent 4312 0 R/Resources<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI]/XObject<>>>/Rotate 0/StructParents 0/Tabs/S/Type/Page>> endobj 4317 0 obj <>stream Knowing I had a 100-round belt in my M60, I opened up on that hillside, my gun getting so hot that the barrel smoked. That same day, I along with 3/4 others was transported to Long Bhin Post. Enemy fire greeted as us as soon as we landed near the village. The income differentials in life expectancy for Veterans in 2011-14, however, are estimated to be smaller. As we approached the battle, we heard intense firing. estimated education differentials in life expectancy for Veterans in 2011-14 are close to those of U. S. population in 1979-89. In 1964 an Ohio woman took up the challenge that had led to Amelia Earharts disappearance. Then one hot, sunny day, while walking across rice paddies, we suddenly received small-arms fire from Viet Cong in some distant hills. See my calculation below in the comments bogus indeed. Was I lucky ? Approximately 70% of those killed in Vietnam were volunteers. 58,148 were killed in Vietnam, 75,000 severely disabled, 23,214 were 100% disabled, 5,283 lost limbs and 1,081 sustained multiple amputations. Now we know. 79% had a high school education or better. Point, slack and compass. Wortman, another RTO never made it back to The World. 101st Airborne Division. Interesting reading. Shea's gallantry in action at the cost of his life were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon . The trailer for that video can be seen by googling the title, and it might still be sold on Amazon. I was a 2nd Lt. Infantry platoon Leader. Id love to see the casualties listed by Corps ? It was just part of the job. Over 900,000 patients were airlifted (nearly half were American). David H. McNerney, who assumed command of the company when all of its officers were killed or wounded, was presented with the Medal of Honor in a White House ceremony in September 1968. I kept the radio because I understood the power of having the first communication with the support mechanisms of the military. We all have opinions, this is mine. I personally carried 300 rounds of ammo at all times, one belt in the gun and two across my chest. Startled, I quickly pointed my M60 at them. And yes, please God, bless America. Many were killed or wounded ! (LogOut/ On the morning of March 22, 1967, companies A and B of my battalion began a search-and-destroy operation along the Cambodian border. 2: role (MOS?). My bud, Price took over as RTO. B)Enter the the Ksp expression forC2D3 in terms of the molar solubility x. Jimmy aaja -M.I.A. One was holding a carbine. After about 30 minutes, the four enemy soldiers got up and left the area. Of the . When we reached Company A, we placed our dead in the center of the two-company perimeter. maybe your question i vauge. There were usually 3 man (At least 2) point teams. a RTO got killed, it happened within 5 seconds but not that always ALL RTOs got killed. by Zita Ballinger Fletcher 1/18/2022. Tumbling end over end, the canisters exploded in a white-hot fireball. DeLong had only fired the weapon once in training, so I let him fire off a few rounds to practice. I know this is a standard cliche, but it is so true, All gave some. What the hell did you hit him with? one of our men shouted. It was more or less next man up . How Many Vietnam War Veterans Are Still Alive? endstream endobj startxref The body felt as though it weighed considerably more than it looked. Hurrying forward with No. I was on a radar crew and we were told that, during war time, we would most likely be killed within minutes. We were expecting, an attack. Bob Sanzone. Nervous, I set up my gun on the hill and loaded a new hundred-round belt. "The Cotton Balers, damn fine Soldiers." The Battalion returned to Fort Benning on October 11, 1970 and was inactivated. Anxiously extending the bipod legs on the M60, I added a 100-round belt to the one I already had in the gun. KICK ASS AS NEEDED!!! I was an M-60 machine gunner for a battalion recon platoon in 1967, for the First Infantry Division, Known as The Black Scarf Battalion. May they rest in peace. The key may be the word initial since we became more savvy with successive combats and had improved survivability. They run into the fire to help the wounded and many get wounded or killed. I was a point man, M60 Gunner and squad leader. I wasnt aware that they kept life expectancy statistics. Had multiple Ks and Ws. It is Honor in the Valley of Tears. When I popped back up to put out some automatic fire, a bullet whizzed by my earno more than an inch from my headand slammed into the tree next to me, shattering the bark. News media have reported tha an American commander ordered the air strike that burned Kim Phuc.Those are incorrect. Suddenly, I heard my name shouted from the Company B command group. A former expert with the M60 machine gun shares his experiences wielding the fearsome weapon in Vietnam. 1 Gun had registered its first kill. As of the current Census taken during August, 2000, the surviving U.S. Vietnam Veteran population estimate is: 1,002,511. Two of my classmates were killed within 2 weeks incountry and three wounded I know of. Thats 390 per day. I think convoy truck drivers had one of the most dangerous job. Some very close calls but I am alive at age 74. Phi Pow B.Sc (econ) in Economic History & Economics (college minor), London School of Economics and Political Science Author has 212 answers and 234.6K answer views 2 y Originally Answered: What soldier had the shortest life expectancy? Your Dad and I had the same job. Arthur Parker and Spc. Although the percent that died is similar to other wars, amputations or crippling wounds were 300 percent higher than in World War II. He retired in 2012 and lives in Delray Beach, Florida. Calculate the pH of a solution of 0.157 M pyridine. The most comprehensive and authoritative history site on the Internet. That means you lose five RTOs in 5 seconds. However, inaccurately reported, the News Media made the Tet Offensive famous. Welcome home brothers and sisters. I loved it. So do us all a favor and please learn to be tolerant, intelligent, and active. General Westmoreland quoting Douglas Pike (a professor at the University of California, Berkeley), a major military defeat for the VC and NVA. waving then I realized they Werent shooting at him only at the Was Billeted near an Army medevac Unit and was offered a chance to lay on my stomach with an M16 and door gun for them I decided not a good Idea. Stop staring at your computer already, get up. In Company A, 22 men had been killedadded to the seven killed in Company B. John Doever Yes, I made E4 at graduation, that was considered a NCO then. 1 Gun used to kill Americans? 2 tour Nam Vet, The Navys First Vietnamese Admiral Saw His Family Killed by an Infamous Viet CongGuerrilla, The Navy's First Vietnamese Admiral Saw His Family Killed by an Infamous Viet Cong Guerrilla, A Day in the Life of an Infantry Point Man in Vietnam, The Story behind the famous Saigon Execution Photo. is sharing facts, thats truly good, keep up writing. Overrun and utterly destroyed, the 30-man 4th Platoon had suffered 21 killed and one missing. We did interdictions, blocks and other fun things on the river. Welcome Home Roger. Both my tours were in the Delta (IV Corps) where the only ground troops were regular ARVNs and RUFF/PUFFS. LUCK pure LUCK. It was one of my most memorable tours in the Navy I later went to a carrier and was bored silly because I had about 1% of the responsibilities I had as an O-2. 4329 0 obj <>stream Amazingly, the NVA men then walked a short distance away, sat down and ate lunch. The Organization of the Viet Cong Units in the South never recovered. rice farmer who was still working with is ox like nothing ever One out of every 10 Americans who served in Vietnam was a casualty. This has been going on for about a week Every time I try to watch a video on Youtube from my laptop I get instantly redirected to "gslbeacon.ligit.com." This was another example in the Vietnam War of an inaccuracy becoming the perceived truth. Interesting, I carried a Prick 25, for 2 months. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. 2023 CherriesWriter - Vietnam War website, RTO, John Scheur. 6 Answers They say Kali Ma Theyre referencing this scene from the movie Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom: What is the life expectancy of an army infantry soldier? Carrying a dead man some 300 yards through thick jungle in 100-degree heat was extraordinarily difficult. Sholly injured an ankle, and 1st Lt. Cary Allen took command of Company B. The early days of May 1970, I arrived at the Airport, next to Saigon. Contents 1 Unclear objectives 2 North Vietnamese strategy