DeLong had only fired the weapon once in training, so I let him fire off a few rounds to practice. Id had a premonition, and asked the LT to let me trade off to become the AG. We used to provide cover for these guys. Of those killed, 61% were younger than 21 years old. I quit trying to make sense of all the numbers that have been generated about Vietnam. By the time we reached Vietnam in October 1966 I felt the gun had become a part of me. I always was told that the life expectancy of a LT was 14 seconds in INITIAL combat versus 9 seconds for an RTO. In total, the 7th Infantry spent four years in Vietnam. I never understood why they didnt put M60s on Medevacs (once the VC shot them down) but then, we now know they never intended to win that war in the first place. The U.S. Army Infantryman Vietnam Pocket Manual Review - HistoryNet Five RTOs. We can all hold our heads high and be proud of our service. A dense mass of elephant grass hung over the riverbank, and he ducked under it. Amen I was a machine gunner for 7 months 503rd infantry 173rd airborne and you hit the nail right on the head. Learned a lot from him. I carried the PRC-25 for most of a year. Ron. When Roeski got hit, I took over the M-60. We had 5 kias and roughly 50 wounded in our company so about one in three got hit. In January 1967, the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry, was airlifted to Pleiku province in the Central Highlands. Hi, the whole thing is going nicely here and ofcourse every one then youd carry an extra 200 rounds of M60 ammo for the machine gunner , plus drag grenades , one smoke grenade plus etc. . 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). In Vietnam he cut the hair of everyone in his company for free. 11 c mos , meaning I was also cross trained for mortars . I was with HHC and 1st Platoon C Company in 70-71. The first man to die in Vietnam was James Davis, in 1961. I sure feel for all you guys that went outside the wire. PDF Mortality Rates and Life Expectancy of Veterans from 1980 to 2017, and 4 Charlie Ranallo, were on No. The first six or seven months I walked point for our platoon and led many ambushes and green eye patrols. Required fields are marked *. As some said, averages are meaningless. 2,709,918 Americans served in uniform in Vietnam. Staying alive was kinda of important. Very Good , I was a radio operator up in I corps in 68 & to me the worst thing was the walking . Data based on the latest United Nations Population Division estimates. 0 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. The Australian Vietnam veteran study assessed the postservice mortality of 19 205 Vietnam veterans and 25 677 non-Vietnam veterans through 1981. The American military did not lose a battle of any consequence. Men and women die everyday. Me, a vehicle mechanic with Btry E, 41st Arty Quads 1970. The Marine Corps lost 14,836, or 5 percent . In all that time, the Tet 1968 fighting in Saigon was the only time the unit fought a pitched urban battlevery unusual during the war. 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. To my right, Piambino had poked his head out of the trench to fire his M16 rifle. Date: March 8, 2020 Author: pdoggbiker 97 Comments Photo above is of Stanley Kober with RTO, John Scheur. 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! Different jobs have different life expectancy. I was to have that experience two more times before it was over. located on the South End of, the Post. 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 Statistics in the Combat Area Casualty File (CACF 11/93) show an average age of death much higher than that of news reports. We were expecting, an attack. Grab some friends and go outside. The dead were placed on ponchos. 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). (LogOut/ Theres 58,276. Both served in A 2/18 1st Infantry Division For some reason, the written word of this article was somehow deleted and lost. Information presented by SFC (Ret) David Hack. The article was interesting. Mech. What were the life expectancies of soldiers during the Vietnam War? 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. Flipping the safety off, I scanned the jungle in front of me. As far as I knew that was done in the whole battalion in 1968 . I told by RTO that i could carry my own radio, When he agreed he was humping ammo. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Address: 9241 13th Ave SW Five men killed in Vietnam were only 16 years old. Soldiers from 2nd Platoon, Company C, 87th Infantry Regiment, walk on patrol north of the Long . 74% say they would serve again, even knowing the outcome. Was No. As a result, less than one percent of all Americans wounded, who survived the first 24 hours, died. 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. I was an Artillery Forward Observer 13F20 E-5 at that time. Your Dad and I had the same job. My second tour was as the S3 for LTC Anthony Herbertone of Americas greatest leaders and WARRIORS OF ALL TIME. The average infantryman in Vietnam saw about 240 days of combat in one year thanks to the mobility of the helicopter. Was it left behind on some forgotten battlefield? The oldest man killed was 62 years old. NFS. I was drafted on Nov. 10, 1965, and assigned to the 4th Infantry Division. 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%. However, Shermans were very outmatched by the German tanks on the field of battle. Different strokes for different folks in war fer sure. 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. One was holding a carbine. AS LEADERS IN AMERICAS SERVICES WE MUST BE PROFICIENT AND READY TO ACCOMPLISH OUR MISSIONS- estimated education differentials in life expectancy for Veterans in 2011-14 are close to those of U. S. population in 1979-89. I pumped 200 rounds into that riverbank. BS but ia a way you are correct. I got shot on a mission with 45 days left. We observed the rules of the Geneva Convention while the bad guys had no interest in doing so. Overrun and utterly destroyed, the 30-man 4th Platoon had suffered 21 killed and one missing. Be glad you served with a soldiers soldier like LTC Herbert. What Is The Average Life Expectancy Of A Vietnam Veteran? From 1957 to 1973, the National Liberation Front assassinated 36,725 Vietnamese and abducted another 58,499. Suddenly, I heard my name shouted from the Company B command group. How many draftees died in Vietnam? - 2023 Cause-specific . Assigned to HHC 1/77 Armor, 1st, BDE 5th Inf. They used the callsign MEDIVAC and were armed. 82nd 2/505th. Both served in A 2/18 1st Infantry Division. The fact is that most machine gunners, RTOs, junior officers and other extremely dangerous jobs survived the war. 2 Gun to Ranallo. The Vietnam War gave us trouble because we didnt know how to counteract against guerrilla warfare in a jungle (dont forget that the US Army was switching to M16s, which often jammed). I was still pondering the move to 4th Platoon when U.S. Air Force jets screamed over the treetops with canisters of napalm. 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. May was eventually able to hand off 2nd Platoons No. I spent 10 1/2 months in the jungles of Vietnam. In that time 4 us kia and 4 wounded. I was constantly untangling the barrel and bipod of the gun from grasping vines and branches. The most comprehensive and authoritative history site on the Internet. I did worry about the strength of my flax vest. Great information. Contents1 [] Hack volunteered for service in Vietnam in 1968, joining the 1st Infantry Division. PDF Mortality Rates and Life Expectancy of Veterans - Veterans Affairs Rarely do we examine war through the unique bond between a man and his weaponin this case the . 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. Their personal income exceeds that of our non-veteran age group by more than 18 percent. I was an Infantry Scout Dog handler. 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. well I wonder how long your going to last lieutenant? To an, open area. The rule of thumb was , any new guys would get the radio and keep it until another new guy came in. means: 1 gets killed the 1st second, another one after 9 seconds avg. See you in the next life!!!!! All of the next day, we could see SMOKE from the fire caused by the explosions of the AMMO at, the AMMO DUMP. Soldier Life Expectancy in Ukraine 'Meat Grinder' Is 4 Hours: Marine We were about 700 yards east of Company A when it was ambushed by an NVA battalion. He said when they were ambushed they took defensive positions, returned fire, called for assistance when needed, and retreated when necessary. As we approached the battle, we heard intense firing. 15 May he was killed by friendly fire, and a host of us were WIA, myself included. Was a door gunner and crew chief for just shy of 18 months (I extended to get out early). happened. Of the eight who remained, seven were wounded. How Many Vietnam War Veterans Are Still Alive? No. 1 Gun more than I did. Got hit inside 15 minutes, first ambush we walked up too. I knew some of this, but certainly not all. We wanted a break. Combatants on both sides faced physical challenges posed by the climate, terrain and wildlife of the country. The one number that is really important is 56,220 and we all know what that number represents. Fighters and planes dont make up the Army, thats the Air Force. ), special forces, combat support, engineering, medics, and vehicle assault weapons. I also earned a Combat Infantryman Badge, signifying that I had been actively engaged in combat. We took fire all the time and responded. We had been carrying machine guns for over seven months. Wortman, another RTO never made it back to The World. Both my tours were in the Delta (IV Corps) where the only ground troops were regular ARVNs and RUFF/PUFFS. The Tet Offensive succeeded on only one front and that was the News front and the political arena. We gathered the casualties and set out for Company A. Amazingly, the NVA men then walked a short distance away, sat down and ate lunch. But it was my jobso I tried not to think about it much. The Army suffered the most total casualties, 38,179 or 2.7 percent of its force. We looked for cover and returned fire the best we could. No. 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. 4314 0 obj <> endobj At that time, an infantry company consisted of about 150 men. This makes calculations of those alive, even in 2017, difficult to maintain. Work Plz. He decided to stay even though he had a deep feeling he wasnt going to make it. Point, slack and compass. He was with the 509th Radio Research Station. As I carried a PRC25 radio for over seven-months in the > Nam, I was curious to find out what I did RIGHT to surv >, One MOS I figured was a sure short timer was POL{Fuel} Truck Driver. As the entire platoon hit the ground, I saw guys crawling back toward me. Nevertheless, I swung No. 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. On the morning of March 22, 1967, companies A and B of my battalion began a search-and-destroy operation along the Cambodian border. This is not Vietnam where a machine gunner's life expectancy was short because you had an entire army shooting at them. Despite initial victories by the Communists forces, the Tet Offensive resulted in a major defeat of those forces. May they rest in peace. Your email address will not be published. LUCK pure LUCK. Nicknamed "the pig" due to its size, weight and sound, the gun struck fear into enemy troops. 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 . 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 . Prayers for all. 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. We flew north, then made a stop, in Cam Rahn Bay. Please do not send samples. I was wounded 3 times during the 10 1/2 months I was in-country before being medevacd out in Apr of 68. In Vietnam 70% 0f the casualties were Infantry BUT it might be 70% of ALL the Infantry that served in Vietnam. I remember we were always short of replacements throughout 1968 because of the high Kia & wounded rate we suffered at that time ! From Cam Rahn, we kept flying north to, a Landing Zone near QUANG TRI. rice farmer who was still working with is ox like nothing ever 4 Paul Domke, who carried extra belts of ammo and fed them into the gun. Ha Ha always enjoyed being a volunteer! Background [ edit] The ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand stayed free of Communism because of the U.S. commitment to Vietnam. 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. Our chase after the enemy unwittingly led us into a large ambush. 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. I just wanted to get off No. My dog and I walked point my whole tour in Vietnam. Thats what I figured but didnt know for sure. 4. Welcome Home Brothers ! Enter the the Ksp expression forC2D3 in terms of the molar solubility x.? 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. If the NVA shot at the group retrieving the bodies, I was to fire over the heads of the grunts and engage the enemy. I think those numbers are percentages of US KIA, not mortality times. His comparison to a FB was that if we were fired on we returned fire and requested assistance when needed. A typical Patrol Boat River (PBR) was about 31 feet long and had twin 50s forward an M 60 midships and a 50 aft. While I was in training, my motivation was to get these wings and I wear them today proudly, the airman recalled in 2015. 10 1/2 months in the bush. The average age of the men killed: 23.1 years. 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. EACH OF US CARRIES OUR OWN MEMORIES AND THEY RUN THE GAMUT. History is who we are and why we are the way we are.. We (Americans) had nothing to do with controlling VNAF, according to Lieutenant General (Ret) James F. Hollingsworth, the Commanding General of TRAC at that time.