We wanted a break. Different strokes for different folks in war fer sure. If you would like to get a copy, and cant find it, let me know, and I will make sure you get one. Ambushed on October 4th,1967. 4329 0 obj <>stream Totally bogus. I know this is a standard cliche, but it is so true, All gave some. 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. Was a door gunner and crew chief for just shy of 18 months (I extended to get out early). I had to rely on my gun more than before. The CACF is the basis for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (The Wall): Average age of 58,148 killed in Vietnam was 23.11 years. 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. As some said, averages are meaningless. Surrounded by an enemy battalion, our hopelessly outnumbered platoon waged a desperate battle for survival. The group found the first man killed and carried him up the hill, placing his body right next to me. 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!! 1 Gun and I survived our first firefight. Veteran Owned Since 1986. 1 gun and was hoping it would stay that way. Id had a premonition, and asked the LT to let me trade off to become the AG. I personally carried 300 rounds of ammo at all times, one belt in the gun and two across my chest. It was the silent power of the pig, I suppose. 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. 1st Platoon, C Company, 2nd Battalion 327th Infantry. Background [ edit] Great story!!! Company B had seven dead, Grandstaff announced, and I was to take No. They have a lower unemployment rate than the same non-vet age groups. The average life expectancy of a Soviet soldier during the height of the battle was just 24 hours. 1 Gun was on my hip with the safety off, ready to rock and roll. If you were an administrative officer or clerk in an air-conditioned trailer in Saigon, your war might be a lot like peacetime duty. However, inaccurately reported, the News Media made the Tet Offensive famous. 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. No trees or anything on the ground. How old are Vietnam vets now? Mech. Vietnam War soldiers endured many hardships and faced many problems. There were two different groups that flew aeromedical evacuations. I spent my year in Vietnam with the 1/22nd infantry part of the 4th division. You seen the enemy you shots him and vice versa. It weighed 24 pounds, was 43.5 inches long and had bipod legs that folded down to stabilize the weapon when firing from a prone position. US Wings recently added to OTEXA's Made in U.S.A. A documentary about our company and our 1st Sgt was made. 1 Gun more than I did. Nothing could be further from the truth. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Address: 9241 13th Ave SW I was an RTO for 9-1/2 months for Hawk Recon 2/327 101AB from dec, 1969 to sept 70. In fact, after the 5-year post-service period, the rate of suicides is less in the Vietnam veterans group. 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? 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. of what was usually 5 or 6 going in and many times the leads would find traps, punji pits or the VC waiting. Contents1 [] Contents 1 Unclear objectives 2 North Vietnamese strategy He pulled the company into a perimeter and dispatched 4th Platoon to recon the trail to the west, while 1st Platoon performed a similar mission to the east-southeast. Also , it I might add that the, Government big wigs, have a quota [percentage]of a lot of the Military equipment etc that had a certain amount of time to function until it was disable, blow up, wrecked, junk, etc. On average US troops served 1-2 years in Vietnam, and the percentage of troops killed was actually fairly low for a war this size, 2.14% of all who served were killed, the life expectancy was roughly around 1 year, 5 months and 3 weeks (taking into account the 1-2 year difference in some troops's serving times) Sponsored by Primal Labs I personally believe and agree with previous posts that when its your time, not much you can do. It was an HONOR and a privilege to serve with these brave men for my 11 month tour. First Sgt. 2,709,918 Americans served in uniform in Vietnam. We were in2dBn 503d . The body felt as though it weighed considerably more than it looked. Five RTOs. Grab some friends and go outside. Enter the the Ksp expression forC2D3 in terms of the molar solubility x.? Name the major nerves that serve the following body areas? 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. I wasnt aware that they kept life expectancy statistics. The blasts from the AMMO, really lit up the whole area. I had been shot in the back early in the battle and was lying behind a log with two other soldiers. No. Half of the company hopped off the Huey on one side of the river, and the rest exited on the other side. US Wings is a veteran-owned business and an official supplier to the US Military. Some of my men didnt. 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. He said when they were ambushed they took defensive positions, returned fire, called for assistance when needed, and retreated when necessary. We could not see any enemy soldiers, but we could see smoke coming from their weapons through the trees. Thanks. This was another example in the Vietnam War of an inaccuracy becoming the perceived truth. These records were transferred into the custody of the National Archives and Records Administration in 2008. Really? I also was 2/327 B company. In total, the 7th Infantry spent four years in Vietnam. The jungle seemed to want No. An interesting essay, even more interesting are the comments. Dap, Hope this helps. Got hit inside 15 minutes, first ambush we walked up too. If it had been up to me, I would have awarded my gun the CIB too. The key may be the word initial since we became more savvy with successive combats and had improved survivability. (and yes, you cant ask them, so it would have to be derived from the AA-reports and survivors). My friend May, I later learned, was doing the same thing in 2nd Platoon. The answer that we have always been given is that 1 year in the Infantry is equivalent to 3 years of hard labor. Some very close calls but I am alive at age 74. Hey Robert I was with the 38th Scout Dog Plt. At this time- senior Army leadership ordered us all to read the Geneva Convention to our troops because of the My Lai debachle. We did interdictions, blocks and other fun things on the river. They were also in a circular formation. And I know what youre going to say, Because the American cs! Bullcrap!!!! We were all in our Bunkers, and at the ready with our weapons. To my right, Piambino had poked his head out of the trench to fire his M16 rifle. I pumped 200 rounds into that riverbank. said to me. An infantry platoon commander in combat had an average of 6 weeks life expectancy. This Battle changed his life and his future, had it not been for his actions, every man on this FSB Gold would have died. I assisted Vessey and Capt Cartwright by helping prepare the Bee Hive Rounds (first time they were ever used), firing 4 rounds at proximity 0 range into a human wave attack on or weak side after 5 hours of relentless attacks on the opposite side of the perimeter Those 4 rounds killed @ 400 enemy soldiers, of the 881 total enemy losss John Vessey later became a 4 Star general and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs appointed by Reagan 1983, and at retirement became Chair of the POW MIA Commission for 14 years, Passing away in August 2016 just 6 months before our 50th Reunion. None of the enlisted grades have an average age of less than 20. There must have been a real mathematician to come up with those calculations. 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 prayed I would not have to fire over the heads of the 4th Platoon troops entering the draw to retrieve our dead. I was never formally trained as an RTO. After about 30 minutes, the four enemy soldiers got up and left the area. Your email address will not be published. I knew some of this, but certainly not all. Often as not he was right beside you with a stolen chicken and a bag of rice. They also had a 12 gauge, and a M 79 grenade launcher and M 16. I kept the radio because I understood the power of having the first communication with the support mechanisms of the military. I was still pondering the move to 4th Platoon when U.S. Air Force jets screamed over the treetops with canisters of napalm. They were Kims cousins not her brothers. 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. wmy:LsN{/^yzJ] 6.7>n-:FqOa#CW>ia?wt?Xa@ghCd bF)`Schl4*f. There were also wounded. After that initial post-service period, Vietnam veterans were no more likely to die from suicide than non-Vietnam veterans. The 4th Platoon survivors stayed put for the night. The fact is that most machine gunners, RTOs, junior officers and other extremely dangerous jobs survived the war. They were great patriots fighting for their families and their homeland. _____ 1. E)V_5lu[vC3+"vg2L& Just to show that its hard to get an accurate number, note my typo of 56,220. A dense mass of elephant grass hung over the riverbank, and he ducked under it. A typical Patrol Boat River (PBR) was about 31 feet long and had twin 50s forward an M 60 midships and a 50 aft. However, Shermans were very outmatched by the German tanks on the field of battle. I was on a radar crew and we were told that, during war time, we would most likely be killed within minutes. Never knew they had life expectancy stats. But I made it back in one piece. 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. The Bn & Company I was assigned to, was on the last row of Bldgs. Fighters and planes dont make up the Army, thats the Air Force. DeLong had only fired the weapon once in training, so I let him fire off a few rounds to practice. 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. No. ), special forces, combat support, engineering, medics, and vehicle assault weapons. I carried the PRC-25 for most of a year. An Rtos job was essential, tough,(Carrying the extra weight of the radio transmitter along with his rucksack), and dangerous. "And in seizing the firm land at the . Two rounds smashed into a log inches above my head. Both were infantry in WW2. It was a chaotic nightmare. I am 81 now and survived the encounter by terminated the sniper. Hi, the whole thing is going nicely here and ofcourse every one Together we had passed the test. My heart was pounding out of my chest. Explore the Life of a U.S. Infantryman in Vietnam. The enemy fire ceased, and we made arrangements to collect our dead before continuing on to Company A. 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. That same day, I along with 3/4 others was transported to Long Bhin Post. I was told my life expectancy was about 45 secs during a fire fight because of the weapons and demo I carried. What the hell did you hit him with? one of our men shouted. Welcome home brothers and sisters. The article was interesting. !We dont abuse prisoners Now, if he reaches for his weapon to continue the fight BLOW HIS ASS AWAY THIS AINT SUNDAY SCHOOL!!! Such as in the song Jimmy by M.I.A look at aaja in the dictionary My indian boyfriend told me is meaning come to me, 6 Answers I have never had or heard of that particular brand, but have had several here in Canada, plus a number in the Caribbean and Asia, and there all the same, small cut hot dogs in a can, no need q now please.. Name the major nerves that serve the following body areas:? What was the average life expectancy of a soldier in Vietnam? Supported by a shoulder strap, No. 99% of infantry men will currently live to die of natural causes. You of course had the radio plus xtra batteries & handsets plus your rucksack with 7 to 8 canteens , 20 mags ( I used to carry 17 rounds in the mags instead of 20 ) because the springs would force the round into the chamber causing jams . More importantly, Grandstaff was very gung-ho. It was on the Job Training ! I was wasting ammo and didnt even have a target! They also struggled with logistical problems and the complex political situation in Vietnam. If youre American (which you probably are), I could give a f***. located on the South End of, the Post. El subjuntivo The Kb of pyridine, C5H5N, is 1.5 x 10-9. Lowering my gun, I turned around and noticed two VC sitting in the doorway of the hut, staring at me. Before he was drafted Renza had worked as a hairdresser for women in his hometown of Peekskill, New York. Gotta say I think you hit it on the nose.
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