The battalion was sending us to a village with a small river running through it. Stop staring at your computer already, get up. For example, life expectancy of Veterans at age 25 population, thus 3.6 and 0.5 life-years smaller income differentials for male and female Veterans, respectively, shown in Tables 17 and 18. An infantry platoon commander in combat had an average of 6 weeks life expectancy. We were like sitting Ducks. three, he believes he is doing what his country wants him to dojust like you So you better damn well treat him with the compassion you want for you!! Needless too say I depended on Sgt. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. I just wanted to get off No. I spent my year in Vietnam with the 1/22nd infantry part of the 4th division. For example: 7*x^2. 1st Platoon, C Company, 2nd Battalion 327th Infantry. The Bn & Company I was assigned to, was on the last row of Bldgs. By the time we reached Vietnam in October 1966 I felt the gun had become a part of me. rice farmer who was still working with is ox like nothing ever Ernest, Im glad that your first tour with the VN airborne was rewarding. My bud, Price took over as RTO. If anything went wrong, I could easily kill some of our soldiers. He served as a sergeant with the Big Red One in Lai Khe, Vietnam. I agree with all of the comments, however I would add Tunnel Rats to the group I was one and saw many of my friends die in those tunnels I was very fortunate or very lucky and was never a lead but was at the tail end. He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star in 1974. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. They have a lower unemployment rate than the same non-vet age groups. . For his actions, he was awarded the Congressional Medal if Honor. I always felt that Infantry units were in more danger because of ambush issues and no permanent defensive structures. An Rtos job was essential, tough,(Carrying the extra weight of the radio transmitter along with his rucksack), and dangerous. Black fatalities amounted to 12 percent of all Americans killed in Southeast Asia, a figure proportional to the number of blacks in the U.S. population at the time and slightly lower than the proportion of blacks in the Army at the close of the war.. We killed a lot of the enemy but we took few serious casualties. 4 Charlie Ranallo, were on No. Our home base was Quang Tri fire Base, But I spent about 6 months out at Mai Loc with the rig. In 1964 an Ohio woman took up the challenge that had led to Amelia Earharts disappearance. I saw killed and wounded everywhere in our combat operations. Our 5th night there, the AMMO area started burning / blowing up. The two platoons were to advance no more than 200 yards from the main body of the company. Different jobs have different life expectancy. V. Victor Renza was sent home after he was wounded on May 18, 1967. I always found life expectancy numbers interesting in that I could never find any supporting information that could be validated. I was lucky too but VN never left me. They were all up there scanning the terrain and looking for signs. We can all hold our heads high and be proud of our service. Half of the company hopped off the Huey on one side of the river, and the rest exited on the other side. Startled, I quickly pointed my M60 at them. They were also in a circular formation. "The Cotton Balers, damn fine Soldiers." The Battalion returned to Fort Benning on October 11, 1970 and was inactivated. News media have reported tha an American commander ordered the air strike that burned Kim Phuc.Those are incorrect. 1 Gun used to kill Americans? Fact: Mortality studies show that 9,000 is a better estimate. I pumped 200 rounds into that riverbank. That was a hell of a responsibility to take on. He was killed in an ambush along with three others. I was still pondering the move to 4th Platoon when U.S. Air Force jets screamed over the treetops with canisters of napalm. However, Shermans were very outmatched by the German tanks on the field of battle. Foot soldiers went by the grace of God, but had a better chance than the infantry platoon commander in combat. Before I became a team leader on ambush and recon I was in command of the scout jeep for the 25th ID resupply convoy from January 1968 to June 15, 1968 and I found the resupply convoys a lot more dangerous because the enemy always knew where it would be and when. the life expectancy of a LT in Vietnam in major combat was 16 minutes. 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. Army Infantrymen (11B) are the main land combat force, and known as "Eleven Bravo.". It was just north of Saigon. In the hands of a well-trained machine gunner, the M60 was a devastating weaponso feared by our opponents that they usually aimed their first shots at the machine gunners, who were often in positions exposed to enemy fire. Proudly holding my M60 over my head, I screamed at the top of my lungs, No. Each company had eight M60s. I personally believe and agree with previous posts that when its your time, not much you can do. The article was interesting. 1 Gun and I survived our first firefight. Moving west down the trail, 4th Platoon exchanged fire with a single NVA soldier, then a handful and finally a group of about 10-15 around noon. A "Sapper" is a combat engineer soldier who is with the front line infantry troops. They were located, next to us, in/on Long Bhin Post. The fact that PDoggbiker cant find any decent calculation/explanation, tells us a lot. Every mission, I had the same thought. to the empployees was very informative. Thats my experience. 1: physical position (in the field / column) Fighters and planes dont make up the Army, thats the Air Force. I saw aircraft loaded with troops explode in mid-air. KICK ASS AS NEEDED!!! 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 . Bravo, 3/187th Inf, 101st Airborne Div, 2nd Plt, 2nd Sq, Hamburger Hill, May 69. Carried the prc25 for about 7 months. Fact: 2/3 of the men who served in Vietnam were volunteers. Prayers for all. Thats why they called us GRUNTS ! said to me. I didnt make a move without that gun beside me. Both served in A 2/18 1st Infantry Division For some reason, the written word of this article was somehow deleted and lost. Vietnam War soldiers endured many hardships and faced many problems. First Sgt. Was a door gunner and crew chief for just shy of 18 months (I extended to get out early). His best friend is 86 and still alive. then youd carry an extra 200 rounds of M60 ammo for the machine gunner , plus drag grenades , one smoke grenade plus etc. I for one commend you for your courage and thank you for your service to your country. .. When I was assigned to the M60 in advanced individual training, I decided that if I had to be a gunner I would learn everything there was to know about the weapon. endstream
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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. I was also told that the Radio did put a target on my back. Once we turned on the radar they could hit us with a harm missile. I had been shot in the back early in the battle and was lying behind a log with two other soldiers. Vietnam Veterans were the best educated forces our nation had ever sent into combat. hb```8fB cBLd2>Tb jz1@E; aK6Tmc.Nn"&gn7hj'wm,h d6p4u0`&88:,TMV&
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African Americans played a prominent role in the Vietnam War. Es ridculo que t ______ (tener) un resfriado en verano. 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. Amazingly, the NVA men then walked a short distance away, sat down and ate lunch. 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. The enemy fire ceased, and we made arrangements to collect our dead before continuing on to Company A. C Co, 1st-12th 66-67. July 68 to July 69. We all die, so its not even worth worrying about when in my opinion, id rather do something that i knew was worth it and risk dieing instead of living in fear of death. The U.S. Infantryman Vietnam Pocket Manual contains gems such as infantry "patrol tips," maneuver techniques, and fighting methods for various environments. The three of us had trained together at Fort Lewis and were good friends. US Wings provides aviation apparel to the U.S. Government and commercial customers along with the general public. After about 30 minutes, the four enemy soldiers got up and left the area. Ed, I was in a Grunt Platoon in Vietnam 70-71. See my calculation below in the comments bogus indeed. Combatants on both sides faced physical challenges posed by the climate, terrain and wildlife of the country. An Hinglish word (Hindi/English). Seattle, Washington(WA), 98106. The man with the carbine immediately dropped it, and the two VC surrendered. 2 Gun.. I carried the proc 26 radio after I was asked by my field 1st ( E 7 ) if I would for my platoon . I was told to help carry one of the bodies. Fact: The American military was not defeated in Vietnam. Cluster F, SNAFU and FUBAR fer sur. waving then I realized they Werent shooting at him only at the 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 where can i find red bird vienna sausage? Welcome Home Brothers ! An interesting essay, even more interesting are the comments. In your rucksack . As some said, averages are meaningless. approaching a village and a firefight starts). Sorry,I was one of your Brothers in Arms that helped talk you out of enlisting for another year in Vietnam. A soldier or Marine in Vietnam had a 98% chance of survival if he was evacuated within the first hour of being injured the best odds in the history of American warfare up to that time. I was a medic on one for two yrs and the only weapon I was issue was a six-shot .38. The 4th Platoons single machine gun crewthe platoon had entered the fight short a gunhad been killed in the fighting, and I was to be moved there. Hi, the whole thing is going nicely here and ofcourse every one If it had been up to me, I would have awarded my gun the CIB too. Vietnam veterans' personal income exceeds that of our non-veteran age group by more than 18 percent. endstream
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Still shaken, I grabbed the gun and crawled to the left inside the streambed. Our battalion operated at a base camp near Tuy Hoa in Phu Yen province along the South China Sea from October 1966 to January 1967. A much better approach would be/have been: of all the combat-casualties, what was their I am one lucky SOB. The Tet Offensive succeeded on only one front and that was the News front and the political arena. US Wings recently added to OTEXA's Made in U.S.A. The casualty rate in the current war today is a fraction. The Vietnam Conflict Extract Data File of the Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) Extract Files contains records of 58,220 U.S. military fatal casualties of the Vietnam War. Keep in step with US Wings Join our newsletter to receive all our latest news and offers, Example: Yes, I would like to receive emails from US Wings. I didnt want any medals. Both served in A 2/18 1st Infantry Division. If youre a foreigner, I respect what you think, but make sure you read ALL your facts, and dont come to rash conclusion until you know everything from BOTH sides.