I sure feel for all you guys that went outside the wire. General Vo Nguyen Giap, the designer of the Tet Offensive, is considered by some as ranking with Wellington, Grant, Lee and MacArthur as a great commander. My heart was pounding out of my chest. I was an RTO for 9-1/2 months for Hawk Recon 2/327 101AB from dec, 1969 to sept 70. I loved it. Well, according to current mortality and morbidity statistics for the USright around 77.5 Years! 1: physical position (in the field / column) 0 Veteran Owned Since 1986. It began just as, it was getting dark. . I am one lucky SOB. 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. Interesting but something is missing. Not to mention that right now its safer than some cities in the us. 1 Gun. I had an assistant gunner, Spc. Life Expectancy of the World Population. I got shot on a mission with 45 days left. Cluster F, SNAFU and FUBAR fer sur. When we reached Company A, we placed our dead in the center of the two-company perimeter. Id love to see the casualties listed by Corps ? As mentioned, who kept track of that in the first place? The rolling fire burned everything to the ground and undoubtedly killed scores of NVA. So I guess I defied the odds. 11 c mos , meaning I was also cross trained for mortars . Dont know why, but generally, their aircraft were not armed (door gunners, etc.). May was eventually able to hand off 2nd Platoons No. For some reason, the written word of this article was somehow deleted and lost. 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. 1 Gun. His best friend is 86 and still alive. Robert Sholly, standing with Platoon Sgt. 4 Answers aaja Come. 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? The Department of Defense Vietnam War Service Index officially provided by The War Library originally reported with errors that 2,709,918 U.S. military personnel as having served in-country. (LogOut/ (LogOut/ I will always think/say, we had absolutely no reason for being in that place. His body was torn to pieces. We did interdictions, blocks and other fun things on the river. I was a 2LT on Hamburger Hill and had 4 RTOs over a 7 day period (excluding the times I ended up carrying my own radio). The other group of aeromedical evacuation were divisional, i.e. Life expectancy at birth. I was an Infantry Scout Dog handler. Five RTOs. 8h%5HF8r,X'q#Vtgz%)P/Oi#rU(uO&*Xx1t^=xVLi Together we had passed the test. He served as a sergeant with the Big Red One in Lai Khe, Vietnam. Interesting, I carried a Prick 25, for 2 months. All the comments and replies are of absolute truth, I was only 18 when I got to Nam ,Im a country boy from NC so here I am The average man who fought in World War II was 26 years of age. The 140,000 evacuees in April 1975 during the fall of Saigon consisted almost entirely of civilians and Vietnamese military, NOT American military running for their lives. The fall of Saigon happened 30 April 1975, two years AFTER the American military left Vietnam. Were talking averages, obviously so, an RTO, with an expectancy of 5 seconds (!) I was in the AF a Reo in a F4-C. Who had time to worry about the life You just do the best job you can and if you got hit, so be it! The key may be the word initial since we became more savvy with successive combats and had improved survivability. 1 Gun onto a small hill and provide security while others retrieved them. The average life expectancy of a front-line soldier in eastern Ukraine is four hours, a Marine said. Artillery, and ground forces. Learned a lot from him. 10 1/2 months in the bush. where can i find red bird vienna sausage? Without the helicopter it would have taken three times as many troops to secure the 800 mile border with Cambodia and Laos (the politicians thought the Geneva Conventions of 1954 and the Geneva Accords or 1962 would secure the border). Overrun and utterly destroyed, the 30-man 4th Platoon had suffered 21 killed and one missing. Well he didnt make it. I was drafted on Nov. 10, 1965, and assigned to the 4th Infantry Division. Cruz quite a lot. The CDC Vietnam Experience Study Mortality Assessment showed that during the first 5 years after discharge, deaths from suicide were 1.7 times more likely among Vietnam veterans than non-Vietnam veterans. Hi, the whole thing is going nicely here and ofcourse every one I've never heard about the life expectancy of 6 weeks (even with a short google search). In an instant the jungle erupted in gunfire. A former expert with the M60 machine gun shares his experiences wielding the fearsome weapon in Vietnam. 5 seconds. I personally carried 300 rounds of ammo at all times, one belt in the gun and two across my chest. The Regiment traces its lineage back to World War II. Nixon Presidential Papers. Thank You General Vessey for the almost 53 years I have lived since that day. I saw killed and wounded everywhere in our combat operations. We were told in training that the life expectancy of a machine gunner was about seven seconds from the moment the first round was fired. Welcome Home Roger. The average age of the 58,148 US Servicemembers killed in Vietnam was 23.11 years (CACF) Going backwards (Apr. I was one of the many others I rode river boats in the Mekong Jan 68 to 69. 97% of Vietnam Veterans were honorably discharged. US Wings provides aviation apparel to the U.S. Government and commercial customers along with the general public. If you look at all of the things the radio operators were tasked with, it becomes abundantly clear why commo guys weren't expected to last long. DeLong had only fired the weapon once in training, so I let him fire off a few rounds to practice. The peace settlement was signed in Paris on 27 January 1973. Good article. But I made it back in one piece. It didnt matter who you were or where you were. The Organization of the Viet Cong Units in the South never recovered. Proudly holding my M60 over my head, I screamed at the top of my lungs, No. Then the tempo changed suddenly and violently. For his actions, he was awarded the Congressional Medal if Honor. One was holding a carbine. is sharing facts, thats truly good, keep up writing. I pumped 200 rounds into that riverbank. Spent my year in a Recon platoon 2/35th 4th ID. Company B had seven dead, Grandstaff announced, and I was to take No. The Army suffered the most total casualties, 38,179 or 2.7 percent of its force. then youd carry an extra 200 rounds of M60 ammo for the machine gunner , plus drag grenades , one smoke grenade plus etc. Be glad you served with a soldiers soldier like LTC Herbert. 10-4. I put the M60s bipod legs down, lifted the weapon and positioned it on the ground outside the streambed facing the NVA. Often as not he was right beside you with a stolen chicken and a bag of rice. The CACF is the basis for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (The Wall): Average age of 58,148 killed in Vietnam was 23.11 years. ), special forces, combat support, engineering, medics, and vehicle assault weapons. In that time 4 us kia and 4 wounded. Without that commitment, Communism would have swept all the way to the Malacca Straits that is south of Singapore and of great strategic importance to the free world. I carried the proc 26 radio after I was asked by my field 1st ( E 7 ) if I would for my platoon . Soon I could take the gun apart and put it back together in the dark. Take out the power center, youve got the edge. The earliest casualty record contains a date of death of . Roger Loves you too, Im sure. U.S. Wings is a manufacturer and a supplier. I do remember when I got short I thought about it a lot more. Answer (1 of 12): It heavily depends. He said fighting was especially deadly in the war-torn city of Bakhmut, dubbed "the meat . both tours. Two of my closest friends in the company, Spc. 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). Correct. (many of the Soviet casualties were POWs, though). Its just (bad) luck, fate, randomness theres no right or wrong, no justice or fairness, no reasoning. As far as I knew that was done in the whole battalion in 1968 . Over 600 Navy FMF Hospital Corpsmen were killed in Vietnam. Combatants on both sides faced physical challenges posed by the climate, terrain and wildlife of the country. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Total fantasy. Welcome home!! . https://open.spotify.com/show/5Th7BCpIKDE1hVTqNL3u0Q. Thank God I made it. I was told to help carry one of the bodies. If it was 1941 and you were an average Soviet soldier, your life expectancy on the front line was days, not weeks, thanks to the ongoing german offence. Enemy fire greeted as us as soon as we landed near the village. 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. Got hit inside 15 minutes, first ambush we walked up too. The Statistics in the Combat Area Casualty File (CACF 11/93) show an average age of death much higher than that of news reports. The Marine Corps lost 14,836, or 5 percent . 1 Gun had registered its first kill. I think the number of Army and Hospital Corpsmen serving with the Marine Corp was very high, with the ratio of the number of them over there. In my tour everyone had the same chance of getting shot. I didnt make a move without that gun beside me. My dad died of cancer at 52. %PDF-1.5 % At this time- senior Army leadership ordered us all to read the Geneva Convention to our troops because of the My Lai debachle. Thanks for posting! 87% of Americans hold Vietnam Veterans in high esteem. In the few firefights and skirmishes we had with local VC, the gun always performed well. Soldiers also act in the mobilization of vehicles, weaponry, troops, and more. Lowering my gun, I turned around and noticed two VC sitting in the doorway of the hut, staring at me. Our 5th night there, the AMMO area started burning / blowing up. Oh, and even the Air Force has ground units. Different type units, different locations, different opinions on dangers. Americans who deliberately killed civilians received prison sentences while Communists who did so received commendations. The blasts from the AMMO, really lit up the whole area. There were almost twice as many casualties in Southeast Asia (primarily Cambodia) the first two years, after the fall of Saigon in 1975, than there were during the ten years the U.S. was involved in Vietnam. approaching a village and a firefight starts). Three-fourths had family incomes above the poverty level; 50% were from middle income backgrounds. Totally bogus. 2/3 of the men who served in World War II were drafted. El subjuntivo I always felt that Infantry units were in more danger because of ambush issues and no permanent defensive structures. No. It was an HONOR and a privilege to serve with these brave men for my 11 month tour. They were located, next to us, in/on Long Bhin Post. 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? If the enemy was near, we never saw any. Suddenly, I heard my name shouted from the Company B command group. Me molesta que mis padres no ______ (cuidar) su alimentacin.. 3. How could we lose a war we had already stopped fighting? Some Brothers said why spend another year in this hellhole???? I was stationed on 2 FSBs (8 & 175mm guns) west of Tay Ninh on the Cambodian boarder in the Ho Chi Minh trail and was wounded but nothing as bad as he was. Now, to calmly answer your question, air strikes have actually been an efficient technique used by us for years now. Was it left behind on some forgotten battlefield? Then we learned, appx: 1 mile to our North was, an American AMMO storage area. 76% of the men sent to Vietnam were from lower middle/working class backgrounds. Great reading. 1 Gun was on my hip with the safety off, ready to rock and roll. Ed, I was in a Grunt Platoon in Vietnam 70-71. Ive always considered myself damn lucky to make it out alive. Appx: 6 months in, all of the 543d TC joined forces with the 572d TC. %%EOF Although the percent that died is similar to other wars, amputations or crippling wounds were 300 percent higher than in World War II. If my memory is correct, only the 1st Cab flew wiith doorgunners. Bravo, 3/187th Inf, 101st Airborne Div, 2nd Plt, 2nd Sq, Hamburger Hill, May 69. Enter the the Ksp expression forC2D3 in terms of the molar solubility x.? 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. In your rucksack . Gotta say I think you hit it on the nose. 74% say they would serve again, even knowing the outcome. 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. Change). 4314 0 obj <> endobj Back in 1965, I was a door gunner on Medevac recovery operations. In Vietnam 70% 0f the casualties were Infantry BUT it might be 70% of ALL the Infantry that served in Vietnam. A much better approach would be/have been: of all the combat-casualties, what was their 4 Paul Domke, who carried extra belts of ammo and fed them into the gun. I am proud to have fought alongside of them. NFS. Ordered to reinforce the unit, the Company B commander put our four platoons abreast of each other, and we marched west. They were all up there scanning the terrain and looking for signs. 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. 1 Gun, as always, thumped out a throaty roar as I fought desperately to push the enemy back. Why is my internet redirecting to gslbeacon.ligit.com and how do I STOP THIS. 2: role (MOS?). THE MAN I INHERITED THE GUN FROM WASNT SO LUCKY. There were usually 3 man (At least 2) point teams. In Company A, 22 men had been killedadded to the seven killed in Company B. No. 79% had a high school education or better. What is the life expectancy of Vietnam veterans? Vietnam Veterans were the best educated forces our nation had ever sent into combat. I had a 20% death rate in my Hospital Corpsman Class. We were probably not too far away on that day. From Cam Rahn, we kept flying north to, a Landing Zone near QUANG TRI. Ambulances are not supposed to be armed (either) though in training, medics are told they and their vehicles will be a prime target. estimated education differentials in life expectancy for Veterans in 2011-14 are close to those of U. S. population in 1979-89. A dense mass of elephant grass hung over the riverbank, and he ducked under it. We observed the rules of the Geneva Convention while the bad guys had no interest in doing so. Sholly finally agreed and stated that the next time we received replacements I could give one of them my M60. Two points: 1) at least in Army units, Medevacs (dust offs) flew unarmed aircraft. What Was It Like To Hump The Boonies in Vietnam? Work Plz. Or is it on display in a Hanoi museum so curious citizens of that city can inspect a weapon captured from American imperialists? Some unfortunately also came home with physical scars. According to the American War Library, as of February 28, 2019, it is estimated that approximately 610,000 Americans who served in land forces during the Vietnam War or in air missions over Vietnam between 1954 and 1975 are still alive to this day. I always found life expectancy numbers interesting in that I could never find any supporting information that could be validated. hbbd```b`` ,&Iw sA '#o The incident in the photo took place on the second day of a three day battle between the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) who occupied the village of Trang Bang and the ARVN (Army of the Republic of Vietnam) who were trying to force the NVA out of the village. Background [ edit] 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. News media have reported tha an American commander ordered the air strike that burned Kim Phuc.Those are incorrect. 9,087,000 military personnel served on active duty during the official Vietnam era from August 5, 1964 to May 7, 1975. John Doever PLEASE HELP!!! Thank You for your courageous service as an RTO with the legendary Hawk Recon Platoon. After every officer in our company was either killed or had serious wounds, our 1st Sgt , David McNerney took over the company and without his leadership, and knowledge of war, and unbelievable courage, our company would probably have been wiped out. We were about 700 yards east of Company A when it was ambushed by an NVA battalion. I served in A Company 3/22 of the 3rd Brigade 4th Infantry 12/66, then Hq Co 2/12 of the 3rd Brigade 25th Inf until the night of the TET offensive end of January 1968 and returned home July 18 1968. BS but ia a way you are correct. The American military did not lose a battle of any consequence. Welcome home. Bruce Grandstaff and my best friend, Sgt. When Roeski got hit, I took over the M-60. I had been shot in the back early in the battle and was lying behind a log with two other soldiers. Their personal income exceeds that of our non-veteran age group by more than 18 percent. 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. Fact: The average infantryman in the South Pacific during World War II saw about 40 days of combat in four years. I carried the PRC-25 Radio most of that time. (tirotactico.net). Now, the wisdom of this soldier tough but humanly compassionate warrior ethos can be assessed through the 2d Bn recordNO complaints about mistreatment of prisonerswhile achieving the most combat SUCCESSES IN THE BRIGADE. Sorry,I was one of your Brothers in Arms that helped talk you out of enlisting for another year in Vietnam. Even the AP photographer, Nick Ut, who took the picture, was Vietnamese. Do the math. I was told my life expectancy was about 45 secs during a fire fight because of the weapons and demo I carried. Back home he returned to hairdressing and got a job at Kenneth Salon in New York City working with top models and fashion magazine editors. 1 Gun kept a lot of enemy heads down. See you in the next life!!!!! Unable to reach Company A, my company pulled back, formed a perimeter and called in air and artillery support. For example: 7*x^2. We can all hold our heads high and be proud of our service. The average infantryman in Vietnam saw about 240 days of combat in one year thanks to the mobility of the helicopter. E)V_5lu[vC3+"vg2L& Shermans had fairly thin armor (76mm at the thickest compared to a Tiger with 180mm at the thickest with most around 100mm). Activated in 1915, as the 173rd Infantry Brigade, the unit saw service in World War II but is best known for its actions during the Vietnam War. located on the South End of, the Post. I knew some of this, but certainly not all. We ambushed and got ambushed, firebase got attacked who carried what or did what had no bearing. Amazingly, the NVA men then walked a short distance away, sat down and ate lunch. 4. Love this analysis. Name the major nerves that serve the following body areas? However, Shermans were very outmatched by the German tanks on the field of battle. First Sgt. We soon learned that the NVA troops were very different from the local guerrillas we had fought around Tuy Hoa. Sure but so was everyone else who went 12 months without getting killed or wounded. I didnt want any medals. Also, it would mean the killed RTOs died within seconds of the fight (it doesnt distinguish between ambush or regular fight, eg. We used to provide cover for these guys. Few areas of the world have been as hotly contested as the India-Pakistan border. The one number that is really important is 56,220 and we all know what that number represents. Both served in A 2/18 1st Infantry Division. We flew north, then made a stop, in Cam Rahn Bay. Shortly before 11 a.m. on May 18, the point squad in Company Bs 2nd Platoon spotted three NVA soldiers walking on a trail near the Cambodian border and attempted to capture them, but the NVA dashed off into the jungle. (You can unsubscribe anytime), The US Wings website is ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) and WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) compliant and adheres to their standards for accessibility of the internet so people with disabilities can surf the web more easily & efficiently. Hats off to them. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. You can find the polarity of a compound by finding electronegativities (an atoms desire for an electron) of the atoms; Carbon has an electronegativity of 2.5, compared to Fluorines A) Enter the the Ksp expression for the solid AB2 in terms of the molar solubility x. The man with the carbine immediately dropped it, and the two VC surrendered. Fact: 86% of the men who died in Vietnam were Caucasians, 12.5% were black, 1.2% were other races. I couldnt disagree. I worried about that kind of leadership style in the highlands. And I know what youre going to say, Because the American cs! Bullcrap!!!! It was just part of the job. Amen I was a machine gunner for 7 months 503rd infantry 173rd airborne and you hit the nail right on the head. What unit lost the most soldiers in Vietnam? 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 . I flew Dustoff and our unit did not have M60s for protection, nor did any other Dustoff unit that Im aware of. 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. We could not see any enemy soldiers, but we could see smoke coming from their weapons through the trees. Lucky you. wmy:LsN{/^yzJ] 6.7>n-:FqOa#CW>ia?wt?Xa@ghCd bF)`Schl4*f. His comparison to a FB was that if we were fired on we returned fire and requested assistance when needed. Some very close calls but I am alive at age 74. My father was on a lrrp team!65-67never was shot but killed alot.He never really got over it though died in 2012! Death by a Bottle! We gathered the casualties and set out for Company A. LUCK pure LUCK. To an, open area. I was wasting ammo and didnt even have a target! Calculate the pH of a solution of 0.157 M pyridine. Before he was drafted Renza had worked as a hairdresser for women in his hometown of Peekskill, New York. Address: 561 E Hines Hill Road Hudson, Ohio 44236 Phone: 1-800-650-0659 / 330-655-5050 Fax: 330-653-3750 Email: [emailprotected], Retail Store Hours: Monday-Friday: 9am - 5pm EST Saturdays: 10am -3pm (Oct-Jan) Sundays: Closed. I felt the same way jumping off the chopper with my m-60, 300. rounds of ammo,grenades,sandbags and six canteens of water. I told by RTO that i could carry my own radio, When he agreed he was humping ammo. An interesting comment I had. Sholly injured an ankle, and 1st Lt. Cary Allen took command of Company B. Still shaken, I grabbed the gun and crawled to the left inside the streambed. I watched in horror as four NVA soldiers ambled through the branches of a downed tree that partially concealed us. 1 Gun was firing. My dog and I walked point my whole tour in Vietnam. 1 gun and was hoping it would stay that way. Men and women die everyday. .. well i have been army infantry for 12 years with 2 deployments, and still going strong. Much smaller income differentials in life expectancy, 0.2 to 3.6 life-years smaller for Veterans in 2010-17 are estimated. During this Census count, the number of Americans falsely claiming to have served in-country is: 13,853,027. They have a lower unemployment rate than the same non-vet age groups. 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 answer that we have always been given is that 1 year in the Infantry is equivalent to 3 years of hard labor. Helicopters, F4 fighters. Vietnam Veterans represented 9.7% of their generation. EACH OF US CARRIES OUR OWN MEMORIES AND THEY RUN THE GAMUT. Seattle, Washington(WA), 98106. Hurrying forward with No. If there was anything to this life expectancy of a few minutes then myself and many of my friends that are still alive today would be a long time dead. hmK#1+yNvA I was never formally trained as an RTO. By this census, FOUR OUT OF FIVE WHO CLAIM TO BE VIETNAM VETS ARE NOT. 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. In Vietnam, 1 in 400 of the wounded died of their . 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. In 1964 an Ohio woman took up the challenge that had led to Amelia Earharts disappearance. Cause-specific . I think what is missing is the fact that the life expectancy of those firing at us was much shorter than those that they were firing at. This makes calculations of those alive, even in 2017, difficult to maintain. We then took all Trucks and equipment to the Port Of Saigon. Nevertheless, I swung No. History is a guide to navigation in perilous times. I think convoy truck drivers had one of the most dangerous job. Thanks for the reply. The Vietnamese pilot who dropped the napalm in error is currently living in the United States. 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!! US Wings recently added to OTEXA's Made in U.S.A. All that other stuff about seconds and minutes were story tellers, embellishing things to impress some listeners back home. Calculate the pH of a solution of 0.157 M pyridine.? Some were constantly exposed to combat, some not so often. I know this is a standard cliche, but it is so true, All gave some. 82nd 2/505th. More importantly, Grandstaff was very gung-ho. Originally I went to the 543d TC. Remember he wanted to reenlist for one more year in Vietnam. We were like sitting Ducks. Four platoons in a rifle company. Thats why I never understand people talking about survivors guilt it should have been me, why him? etc. 1 Gun, I jumped into a small dry streambed with Domke, my assistant gunner. 1 Gun and I survived our first firefight. I wasnt sure if the VC had moved to right or left, so I sprayed the elephant grass in both directions. 23,24 This study found that the death rate for Vietnam veterans was 1.3 times that for non-Vietnam veterans; however, the excess deaths were limited to Engineer Corps members (RR, 2.5).
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