The oldest man killed was 62 years old. Required fields are marked *. I won a few times, and even when I did not I benefited from handling the gun under stress. The average life expectancy of a front-line soldier in eastern Ukraine is four hours, a Marine said. The Tet Offensive succeeded on only one front and that was the News front and the political arena. From a military standpoint, it was almost an unprecedented performance. 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. As a result, less than one percent of all Americans wounded, who survived the first 24 hours, died. 5 Answers There is no word like addressal. They were all up there scanning the terrain and looking for signs. My first tour was as an advisor to the VN Abn. The NVA had wedged a blocking force between our company and Company A, preventing us from advancing any farther. He served as a sergeant with the Big Red One in Lai Khe, Vietnam. The Vietnamese pilot who dropped the napalm in error is currently living in the United States. Our 5th night there, the AMMO area started burning / blowing up. 2 Gun.. I also was 2/327 B company. Combatants on both sides faced physical challenges posed by the climate, terrain and wildlife of the country. I did worry about the strength of my flax vest. In my tour everyone had the same chance of getting shot. In the First Armored Division, now part of the 23rd Infantry Division, commonly known as the Americal Division, combat medics were called into action every day because the fighting was now. Hack received the Purple Heart for major combat injuries, and spent the rest of his military career as a recruiter for the US Army in Akron, Ohio. There were two different groups that flew aeromedical evacuations. I am 16 years old an 150 pounds qith some good muscle. Startled, I quickly pointed my M60 at them. One was holding a carbine. Id love to see the casualties listed by Corps ? These records were transferred into the custody of the National Archives and Records Administration in 2008. The Regiment traces its lineage back to World War II. Cruz quite a lot. John Doever Enter the the Ksp expression forC2D3 in terms of the molar solubility x.? Some were constantly exposed to combat, some not so often. Es ridculo que t ______ (tener) un resfriado en verano. Artillery, and ground forces. Arthur Parker and Spc. As I made it back to the road I remember seeing the After about 30 minutes, the four enemy soldiers got up and left the area. Either way, thats a lot of soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and coast guardsmen, male and female that made the ultimate sacrifice for our country, and there are still people dying as a result of their wounds receiver so very long ago in a place called Vietnam. Here is an 18 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 1 Gun had registered its first kill. Before he was drafted Renza had worked as a hairdresser for women in his hometown of Peekskill, New York. I saw aircraft loaded with troops explode in mid-air. Tumbling end over end, the canisters exploded in a white-hot fireball. Im laying behind a rice paddie dike.I put my whole body as far down in the muck while the bullets were over my head. In my humble opiniona maneven leaders should often recalculate their adversaries capabilities and limitations and his own limitations as wellwhen 10,000 miles from home against a determined worthy foein a strange landThe objective of Lam Son 719? I didnt make a move without that gun beside me. At Fort Lewis, every recruit learned to operate various weapons. A Marine on patrol crosses a rice paddy in Vietnam holding an M60 machine gun in 1966. I saw killed and wounded everywhere in our combat operations. The most comprehensive and authoritative history site on the Internet. 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. History is a guide to navigation in perilous times. Certainly got my attention. I was with HHC and 1st Platoon C Company in 70-71. Some very close calls but I am alive at age 74. .. My shit got weak and a sniper popped three rounds in my young ass. I was also told that the Radio did put a target on my back. by Zita Ballinger Fletcher 1/18/2022. Correct. I for one commend you for your courage and thank you for your service to your country. We were like sitting Ducks. If it had been up to me, I would have awarded my gun the CIB too. Learned a lot from him. They were glad to see me as it had been a while for replacements with the unit. Nevertheless, I swung No. There were also wounded. Fact: The average infantryman in the South Pacific during World War II saw about 40 days of combat in four years. Over 900,000 patients were airlifted (nearly half were American). On the morning of March 22, 1967, companies A and B of my battalion began a search-and-destroy operation along the Cambodian border. I was a 2nd Lt. Infantry platoon Leader. Hack volunteered for service in Vietnam in 1968, joining the 1st Infantry Division. General Westmoreland quoting Douglas Pike (a professor at the University of California, Berkeley), a major military defeat for the VC and NVA. 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. No. Hi, the whole thing is going nicely here and ofcourse every one This is excellent! The Kb of pyridine, C5H5N, is 1.5 x 10-9. The man with the carbine immediately dropped it, and the two VC surrendered. 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). Veteran Owned Since 1986. Sholly finally agreed and stated that the next time we received replacements I could give one of them my M60. V. Victor Renza was sent home after he was wounded on May 18, 1967. No. Date: March 8, 2020 Author: pdoggbiker 97 Comments Photo above is of Stanley Kober with RTO, John Scheur. After that initial post-service period, Vietnam veterans were no more likely to die from suicide than non-Vietnam veterans. Vietnam veterans' personal income exceeds that of our non-veteran age group by more than 18 percent. Many were killed or wounded ! Like most inexperienced gunners, he underestimated the power of the pig and failed to keep the barrel down when firing. Id had a premonition, and asked the LT to let me trade off to become the AG. 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. 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. Cluster F, SNAFU and FUBAR fer sur. Flipping the safety off, I scanned the jungle in front of me. 2,709,918 Americans served in uniform in Vietnam. I was already lugging around a 24-pound weapon, 300 rounds of ammo and a pack that weighed a good 45 pounds. Really? maybe your question i vauge. I remember we were always short of replacements throughout 1968 because of the high Kia & wounded rate we suffered at that time ! My dad died of cancer at 52. Like you, I carried a PRC-25 for about 5 months and never got hit. 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. I personally believe and agree with previous posts that when its your time, not much you can do. Not to mention that right now its safer than some cities in the us. However, Shermans were very outmatched by the German tanks on the field of battle. I was one of the many others I rode river boats in the Mekong Jan 68 to 69. Welcome home!! 97% of Vietnam Veterans were honorably discharged. The United States sought to minimize and prevent attacks on civilians while North Vietnam made attacks on civilians a centerpiece of its strategy. Still shaken, I grabbed the gun and crawled to the left inside the streambed. Hats off to them. I was never formally trained as an RTO. located on the South End of, the Post. If the NVA shot at the group retrieving the bodies, I was to fire over the heads of the grunts and engage the enemy. First thing we did was, Set up a complete circular perimeter. As we approached the battle, we heard intense firing. 1,713,823 of those who served in Vietnam were still alive as of August, 1995 (census figures). I applaud your courage as I know an RTOs job is essential, difficult (carrying the weight of his radio transmitter, his rifle, his ammo, and his rucksack), and dangerous as the enemy surely wanted to knock out any communications for support. Thats 390 per day. 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:? By the time we reached Vietnam in October 1966 I felt the gun had become a part of me. The average man who fought in World War II was 26 years of age. Company B had seven dead, Grandstaff announced, and I was to take No. 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 Spent my year in a Recon platoon 2/35th 4th ID. We all gotta die sometime, Red. SSgt Barnes, Platoon, its nothing to really concern yourself with, on a long enough time line everyones survival rate is 0%. The peace settlement was signed in Paris on 27 January 1973. For some reason, the written word of this article was somehow deleted and lost. It was on the Job Training ! I was over there twice serving as a Hospital Corpsman with a marine unit. I think those numbers are percentages of US KIA, not mortality times. Americans who deliberately killed civilians received prison sentences while Communists who did so received commendations. Thank You Roger!!! Originally I went to the 543d TC. 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. Got hit inside 15 minutes, first ambush we walked up too. However, inaccurately reported, the News Media made the Tet Offensive famous. US Wings is a veteran-owned business and an official supplier to the US Military. Life expectancy at birth. I look over to As of April 14, 2017, there are 1,611 Americans still unaccounted for from the Vietnam War across Vietnam (1,258), Laos(297), Cambodia(49), and China(7). well I wonder how long your going to last lieutenant? I was in 2nd Platoon and carried the platoons No. I flew Dustoff and our unit did not have M60s for protection, nor did any other Dustoff unit that Im aware of. Thanks. 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. I was a grunt with c co. 4/31 196th it inf bade. I prayed I would not have to fire over the heads of the 4th Platoon troops entering the draw to retrieve our dead. Both my tours were in the Delta (IV Corps) where the only ground troops were regular ARVNs and RUFF/PUFFS. Be glad you served with a soldiers soldier like LTC Herbert. There were no Americans involved in any capacity. We looked for cover and returned fire the best we could. 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. 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. As a point of reference, Patterson explained that combat troops in World War II, on average, spent 36 days in a combat environment; the average infantryman in Vietnam spent 245 days in constant. Work Plz. It resulted in the death of some 45,000 NVA troops and the complete, if not total destruction of the Viet Cong elements in South Vietnam. An Hinglish word (Hindi/English). I was a cmbt engr demolition specialist carried a 45 auto and an M70 grenade launcher in addition to the C-4 and Det Cord. How Many Vietnam War Veterans Are Still Alive? Walked point way to many times but never had contact. Fact: Servicemen who went to Vietnam from well-to-do areas had a slightly elevated risk of dying because they were more likely to be pilots or infantry officers. I was an Infantry Scout Dog handler. Also, it has been incorrectly reported that two of Kim Phucs brothers were killed in this incident. At age 55, World War 2 Veterans I know the scouts in my company had a slightly longer rate but not much. 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. Then I dropped back down in the streambed to organize our ammo. How old are Vietnam vets now? Not long after the artillery barrage ended, the North Vietnamese swept through 4th Platoon and executed some of the survivors. Remember he wanted to reenlist for one more year in Vietnam. Jimmy aaja, jimmy aaja. I just wanted to get off No. Hurrying forward with No. We were very, lucky. I was an Artillery Forward Observer with the Infantry. 1 Gun. I had an assistant gunner, Spc. 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. Units would send a thorough report of their KIA and WIA, battle action coordinates, estimated enemy troop strength, enemy unit KIA/captured and any known direction heading. both tours. The Republic of Vietnam lost 1,018 aircraft and helicopters from January 1964 to September 1973. As of the current Census taken during August, 2000, the surviving U.S. Vietnam Veteran population estimate is: 1,002,511. If the enemy was near, we never saw any. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Address: 9241 13th Ave SW (Although 58,169 names are in the Nov. 93 database, only 58,148 have both event date and birth date. As mentioned, who kept track of that in the first place? However, it was the discretion of the individual crewmen if they wanted to carry personal weapons or not. 1 gun and was hoping it would stay that way. The key may be the word initial since we became more savvy with successive combats and had improved survivability. I know this is a standard cliche, but it is so true, All gave some. Then we learned, appx: 1 mile to our North was, an American AMMO storage area. (and yes, you cant ask them, so it would have to be derived from the AA-reports and survivors). Really no mention of the regular rifleman. Was a door gunner and crew chief for just shy of 18 months (I extended to get out early). Re: Helicopter Crews (Medevac & Dustoff): To my knowledge, only the 1st Cav Medevac had M60s for protection. When Apache Snow began, I was an RTO, after Airborne, and before the CA on Dong Ap Bia, I became the AG for Roeski. Ed, I was in a Grunt Platoon in Vietnam 70-71. US Wings provides aviation apparel to the U.S. Government and commercial customers along with the general public. 99% of infantry men will currently live to die of natural causes. 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. is sharing facts, thats truly good, keep up writing. No trees or anything on the ground. No. El subjuntivo It was always quick/quick, load the bodies in and get the hell out. He was with the 509th Radio Research Station. What the hell did you hit him with? one of our men shouted. The battalion was sending us to a village with a small river running through it. 15 May he was killed by friendly fire, and a host of us were WIA, myself included. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Your article was quite interesting. It was an honor indeed to serve with some of the finest soldiers I have ever met. Although the percent that died is similar to other wars, amputations or crippling wounds were 300 percent higher than in World War II. Their personal income exceeds that of our non-veteran age group by more than 18 percent. I spent 10 1/2 months in the jungles of Vietnam. May was eventually able to hand off 2nd Platoons No. Were talking averages, obviously so, an RTO, with an expectancy of 5 seconds (!) Ernest, Im glad that your first tour with the VN airborne was rewarding. year old Marine thinking this is my last day on earth. 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. The average age of the 58,148 US Servicemembers killed in Vietnam was . Well he didnt make it. 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. . Sure, its softer than it was before, but the training they go through is intense, something a loser who spends his time on the computer all day attacking people he doesnt know anything about and all the facts CANNOT do. 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 . We had been carrying machine guns for over seven months. https://www.historynet.com/no-1-gun-an-m60-machine-gunner-in-vietnam-tells-his-story/, Jerrie Mock: Record-Breaking American Female Pilot, When 21 Sikh Soldiers Fought the Odds Against 10,000 Pashtun Warriors, Few Red Tails Remain: Tuskegee Airman Dies at 96. Here are statistics from the Combat Area Casualty File (CACF) as of November 1993. I never even got a shot off. If you have other information let me know. My good friend who was a RTO was killed. The Indonesians threw the Soviets out in 1966 because of Americas commitment in Vietnam. 1st Cav, 101st, etc. I was sitting on the ground one day trying to dry out my gear and better configure my ruck when my squad leader came walking over to me and said, Gow, youve got the radio. As he turned and walked away! That means you lose five RTOs in 5 seconds. Thats why they called us GRUNTS ! Very memorable comments. By this census, FOUR OUT OF FIVE WHO CLAIM TO BE VIETNAM VETS ARE NOT. Videos, Film, Music, and Movies about VN War, Author interview War & Life: Discussions with a Veteran, A Chat Between Three Veterans [live video with author], Lest We Forget Meet the Authors & Book Signing April 4th: Cherries and Donut Dolly, Interview with author John Podlaski in Examiner Magazine, American Heroes Radio interviews author of Cherries A Vietnam War Novel, Cherries Author Interviewed on British Website, U.K. Blogspot posts interviews author, John Podlaski, More Book Reviews and author interviews about Cherries, Les Scates, U.S. Army (Ret.) First Sgt. 4 Paul Domke, who carried extra belts of ammo and fed them into the gun. hbbd```b`` ,&Iw sA '#o 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. Out of the 3,000,000 men and women in our armed forces and reserves, we have lost 4,500 in this 9 year war. It was just north of Saigon. I was on a radar crew and we were told that, during war time, we would most likely be killed within minutes. That was a hell of a responsibility to take on. I told by RTO that i could carry my own radio, When he agreed he was humping ammo. 1 Gun. Sgt. We went out typically in two boat patrols one lead one cover . Soldier,this is a wardont forget that, and anytime we are in a fight we will be toughest SOBs in the fight!! 76% of the men sent to Vietnam were from lower middle/working class backgrounds. approaching a village and a firefight starts). We did interdictions, blocks and other fun things on the river. The rule of thumb was , any new guys would get the radio and keep it until another new guy came in. Shermans had fairly thin armor (76mm at the thickest compared to a Tiger with 180mm at the thickest with most around 100mm). As some said, averages are meaningless. While traveling through the boonies the first few men were usually always shot first. Our chase after the enemy unwittingly led us into a large ambush. They were not randomly selected but simply the best at doing it. I was in the AF a Reo in a F4-C. Who had time to worry about the life Cause-specific . Done ranting. Most of us have memories of these kind of experiences. The last American troops departed in their entirety 29 March 1973. The body felt as though it weighed considerably more than it looked. Rarely do we examine war through the unique bond between a man and his weaponin this case the . Diaphragm _____ 3. 1 Gun and I now faced a new and more formidable foethe North Vietnamese Army. So I guess I defied the odds. As I remember it the life expectancy was based on after the ambush was sprung or the fire fight started. I always felt that Infantry units were in more danger because of ambush issues and no permanent defensive structures. Or is it on display in a Hanoi museum so curious citizens of that city can inspect a weapon captured from American imperialists? 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. But I made it back in one piece. It was an HONOR and a privilege to serve with these brave men for my 11 month tour. Needless too say I depended on Sgt. Sergeant Galiano's experience does not deny Brands depiction of the battle in Vietnam, but offers a typically overlooked perspective of a drafted soldier fighting in the central highlands of Vietnam. Was it left behind on some forgotten battlefield? I kept the radio because I understood the power of having the first communication with the support mechanisms of the military. 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." All that other stuff about seconds and minutes were story tellers, embellishing things to impress some listeners back home. I was wounded 3 times during the 10 1/2 months I was in-country before being medevacd out in Apr of 68. (LogOut/ The dead were placed on ponchos. If my memory is correct, only the 1st Cab flew wiith doorgunners. Stop staring at your computer already, get up. wias. As I made my way to the river, I saw a VC guerrilla jump into the water on the other side. Me molesta que mis padres no ______ (cuidar) su alimentacin.. 3. As I was running to the rivers edge, ready to unload on the VC hiding in the elephant grass, I ran past a grass hut and never bothered to clear it.

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