After a couple of hours, the Viet Cong stopped shooting and melted back into the jungle. I also was 2/327 B company. I had a 20% death rate in my Hospital Corpsman Class. Vietnam War soldiers 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." Vietnam Veterans represented 9.7% of their generation. In Service to My Men | Article | The United States Army Sometimes on Family Guy when there about to take someones heart out they say, calimar or maybe its spelled different. The one that should be there is the combat medic. Just published my book The Last Goodbye by John Fratangelo, available on line on Barnes and Noble and Amazon Prime Books, Getting great reviews. 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! See also: Population Welcome home. It was reported as an overwhelming success for the Communist forces and a decided defeat for the U.S. forces. Hi, the whole thing is going nicely here and ofcourse every one See you in the next life!!!!! hbbd```b`` ,&Iw sA '#o It called for release of all U.S. prisoners, withdrawal of U.S. forces, limitation of both sides forces inside South Vietnam and a commitment to peaceful reunification. Life expectancy at birth. The CACF is the basis for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (The Wall): Average age of 58,148 killed in Vietnam was 23.11 years. An interesting comment I had. Surrounded by an enemy battalion, our hopelessly outnumbered platoon waged a desperate battle for survival. The machine gun was also mounted in the UH-1 Huey helicopter and other Army aircraft. 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. Stop staring at your computer already, get up. The Republic of Vietnam lost 1,018 aircraft and helicopters from January 1964 to September 1973. Id had a premonition, and asked the LT to let me trade off to become the AG. the life expectancy of a LT in Vietnam in major combat was 16 minutes. Vietnam War soldiers endured many hardships and faced many problems. 1 Gun onto a small hill and provide security while others retrieved them. Saw from mostly safe distance almost all the weapons systems that where there used. Yes, I made E4 at graduation, that was considered a NCO then. What was the life expectancy of a point man in Vietnam? 1 Gun used to kill Americans? The average life expectancy of a front-line soldier in eastern Ukraine is four hours, a Marine said. I did worry about the strength of my flax vest. US Wings recently added to OTEXA's Made in U.S.A. The Indonesians threw the Soviets out in 1966 because of Americas commitment in Vietnam. From 1957 to 1973, the National Liberation Front assassinated 36,725 Vietnamese and abducted another 58,499. He decided to stay even though he had a deep feeling he wasnt going to make it. I was a grunt with c co. 4/31 196th it inf bade. hmK#1+yNvA 2) by my research, medics suffered 93% casualties with about 33% deaths. It was a daily challenge to know who your real enemy was. Military history of African Americans in the Vietnam War 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. 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. My friend May, I later learned, was doing the same thing in 2nd Platoon. Rarely do we examine war through the unique bond between a man and his weaponin this case the . I am 16 years old an 150 pounds qith some good muscle. They also struggled with logistical problems and the complex political situation in Vietnam. So I guess i lasted longer than I was supposed to. It was an HONOR and a privilege to serve with these brave men for my 11 month tour. Totally bogus. 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. Mech. Why is my internet redirecting to gslbeacon.ligit.com and how do I STOP THIS. Answer (1 of 12): It heavily depends. There were no Americans involved in any capacity. It was very nearly my last. Corrections and confirmations to this errored index resulted in the addition of 358 U.S. military personnel confirmed to have served in Vietnam but not originally listed by the Department of Defense (All names are currently on file and accessible 24/7/365). Fact: The domino theory was accurate. The two platoons were to advance no more than 200 yards from the main body of the company. On Sun, Mar 8, 2020 at 4:00 PM CherriesWriter Vietnam War website wrote: > pdoggbiker posted: A friend recently sent me the link to an article > claiming that the life expectancy of a radio operator in the Vietnam War > was only 5 seconds. I always was told that the life expectancy of a LT was 14 seconds in INITIAL combat versus 9 seconds for an RTO. 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 early days of May 1970, I arrived at the Airport, next to Saigon. Our 5th night there, the AMMO area started burning / blowing up. One out of every 10 Americans who served in Vietnam was a casualty. Each company had eight M60s. Contents 1 Unclear objectives 2 North Vietnamese strategy 1: physical position (in the field / column) But I made it back in one piece. I had scary thoughts about myself humping the bush as a RTO, I was a real puny guy back then. At age 55, World War 2 Veterans We went out typically in two boat patrols one lead one cover . I also earned a Combat Infantryman Badge, signifying that I had been actively engaged in combat. In that time 4 us kia and 4 wounded. First thing we did was, Set up a complete circular perimeter. Postservice Mortality in Vietnam Veterans : 30-Year Follow-up - JAMA The Organization of the Viet Cong Units in the South never recovered. We were probably not too far away on that day. In my tour everyone had the same chance of getting shot. The NVA had wedged a blocking force between our company and Company A, preventing us from advancing any farther. 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). No combat assignments for another year of service in Vietnam or get out in about a month. Some Brothers said why spend another year in this hellhole???? Was the 7th Infantry in Vietnam? - 2023 1 Gun was on my hip with the safety off, ready to rock and roll. I flew Dustoff and our unit did not have M60s for protection, nor did any other Dustoff unit that Im aware of. My second tour was as the S3 for LTC Anthony Herbertone of Americas greatest leaders and WARRIORS OF ALL TIME. In your rucksack . Well, according to current mortality and morbidity statistics for the USright around 77.5 Years! I won a few times, and even when I did not I benefited from handling the gun under stress. We took fire all the time and responded. estimated education differentials in life expectancy for Veterans in 2011-14 are close to those of U. S. population in 1979-89. Very memorable comments. The average age of the 58,148 US Servicemembers killed in Vietnam was 23.11 years (CACF) Going backwards (Apr. 75,000 Vietnam veterans are severely disabled. I couldnt disagree. They used the callsign MEDIVAC and were armed. Fact: No American had involvement in this incident near Trang Bang that burned Phan Thi Kim Phuc. The Army suffered the most total casualties, 38,179 or 2.7 percent of its force. How many soldiers were killed on their first day in Vietnam? - 2023 Sholly finally agreed and stated that the next time we received replacements I could give one of them my M60. Non-divisional aeromedical evacuation units went by the callsign DUSTOFF. 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. The incredibly important role in the U.S. Army is responsible for defending the country through real-life combat. Your email address will not be published. Overrun and utterly destroyed, the 30-man 4th Platoon had suffered 21 killed and one missing. They were also in a circular formation. means: 1 gets killed the 1st second, another one after 9 seconds avg. 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. He was with the 509th Radio Research Station. History is who we are and why we are the way we are.. His best friend is 86 and still alive. Vietnam War Facts, Stats and Myths - US Wings 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 . I would carry when on ambush. E)V_5lu[vC3+"vg2L& It was just part of the job. Most of us have memories of these kind of experiences. Vietnam Veterans are less likely to be in prison only one-half of one percent of Vietnam Veterans have been jailed for crimes. Once we turned on the radar they could hit us with a harm missile. Was I lucky ? DeLong had only fired the weapon once in training, so I let him fire off a few rounds to practice. The first six or seven months I walked point for our platoon and led many ambushes and green eye patrols. Can I use this word like this: The addressal by the C.E.O. Originally I went to the 543d TC. Both served in A 2/18 1st Infantry Division. Overview - Medics and Corpsmen - Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund If the NVA shot at the group retrieving the bodies, I was to fire over the heads of the grunts and engage the enemy. 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. I am one lucky SOB. Point, slack and compass. I am 81 now and survived the encounter by terminated the sniper. Remember he wanted to reenlist for one more year in Vietnam. Event date is used instead of declared dead date for some of those who were listed as missing in action). Certainly got my attention. I was to have that experience two more times before it was over. Great reading. I was an Artillery Forward Observer with the Infantry. Amen I was a machine gunner for 7 months 503rd infantry 173rd airborne and you hit the nail right on the head. Bob Sanzone. No. Fact: Mortality studies show that 9,000 is a better estimate. Data based on the latest United Nations Population Division estimates. Now, to calmly answer your question, air strikes have actually been an efficient technique used by us for years now. Correct. My shit got weak and a sniper popped three rounds in my young ass. In 1973, Renza opened his own salon in Peekskill. 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 Thats what I figured but didnt know for sure. Nixon Presidential Papers. The U.S. Army Infantryman Vietnam Pocket Manual Review - HistoryNet 76% of the men sent to Vietnam were from lower middle/working class backgrounds. 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? 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. 4 Bill May and Spc. Still, militarily, the Tet Offensive was a total defeat of the Communist forces on all fronts. 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. Sorry,I was one of your Brothers in Arms that helped talk you out of enlisting for another year in Vietnam. Company B had seven dead, Grandstaff announced, and I was to take No. Theres 58,276. 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). The Bronze Star was awarded to ALL that were awarded the CIB in WWII because the Infantry accounted for over 70% of the casualties in WWLL BUT NOT 70% )F ALL THE INFANTRY !!! Calculate the pH of a solution of 0.157 M pyridine. African Americans played a prominent role in the Vietnam War. What was the average life expectancy of a soldier in Vietnam? 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. That means you lose five RTOs in 5 seconds. Army Infantrymen (11B) are the main land combat force, and known as "Eleven Bravo.". Different strokes for different folks in war fer sure. 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. Well he didnt make it. 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. Or is it on display in a Hanoi museum so curious citizens of that city can inspect a weapon captured from American imperialists? All that other stuff about seconds and minutes were story tellers, embellishing things to impress some listeners back home. 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. In Vietnam he cut the hair of everyone in his company for free. While traveling through the boonies the first few men were usually always shot first. Our home base was Quang Tri fire Base, But I spent about 6 months out at Mai Loc with the rig. Do the math. The Vietnam War was the turning point for Communism. 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. As with much of the Vietnam War, the news media misreported and misinterpreted the 1968 Tet Offensive. July 68 to July 69. The average age of the 58,148 killed in Vietnam was 23.11 years (Although 58,169 names are in the Nov. 93 database, only 58,148 have both event date and birth date. Day in the life of a Vietnam Soldier | History 118: US History Since 1877 US Wings is a verified SAM Contractor and DLA Supplier and is officially listed as a manufacturer/retailer in the US Department of Commerce's Office of Textile and Apparel (OTEXA) Made in the USA database. 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. It doesnt make any sense statistically/mathematically it is impossible. hb```8fB cBLd2>Tb jz1@E; aK6Tmc.Nn"&gn7hj'wm,h d6p4u0`&88:,TMV& y@ b=e>a&^ >{2b`ZHE3psn QZ It was the silent power of the pig, I suppose. 2023 CherriesWriter - Vietnam War website, RTO, John Scheur. Some of my men didnt. Interesting, I carried a Prick 25, for 2 months. I was one of the many others I rode river boats in the Mekong Jan 68 to 69. It was an honor indeed to serve with some of the finest soldiers I have ever met. Good article. wias. %PDF-1.5 % 4322 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<4E412331B845E54EBDFDC79FA0627A18>]/Index[4314 16]/Info 4313 0 R/Length 65/Prev 560501/Root 4315 0 R/Size 4330/Type/XRef/W[1 3 1]>>stream Background [ edit] Nobody attacked, where we were. I am proud to have fought alongside of them. I've never heard about the life expectancy of 6 weeks (even with a short google search). 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. To an, open area. As I made my way to the river, I saw a VC guerrilla jump into the water on the other side. (many of the Soviet casualties were POWs, though). For example: 7*x^2. The other group of aeromedical evacuation were divisional, i.e. The man listed as missing was machine gunner Joe DeLong, captured along with No. well I wonder how long your going to last lieutenant? He was wounded and suffered permanent disability shortly before his tour was up. Express your answer in terms of x. Approximately 70% of those killed in Vietnam were volunteers. Enter the the Ksp expression forC2D3 in terms of the molar solubility x.? His comparison to a FB was that if we were fired on we returned fire and requested assistance when needed. I didnt make a move without that gun beside me. Great information. 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!! Americans who deliberately killed civilians received prison sentences while Communists who did so received commendations. The enemy fire ceased, and we made arrangements to collect our dead before continuing on to Company A. I was already lugging around a 24-pound weapon, 300 rounds of ammo and a pack that weighed a good 45 pounds. I remember we were always short of replacements throughout 1968 because of the high Kia & wounded rate we suffered at that time ! 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. Anyway I was wondering about the RTOs in a grunt platoon, was that their MOS or were they 11B that carried a PRC ? ), special forces, combat support, engineering, medics, and vehicle assault weapons. None of the enlisted grades have an average age of less than 20. My dad died of cancer at 52. 2. Were talking averages, obviously so, an RTO, with an expectancy of 5 seconds (!) 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. I wasnt sure if the VC had moved to right or left, so I sprayed the elephant grass in both directions. well i have been army infantry for 12 years with 2 deployments, and still going strong. Cluster F, SNAFU and FUBAR fer sur. We were discussing the different units and dangers of each. What were the life expectancies of soldiers during the Vietnam War Vietnam veterans' personal income exceeds that of our non-veteran age group by more than 18 percent. 2 Gun to Ranallo. The income differentials in life expectancy for Veterans in 2011-14, however, are estimated to be smaller. Subscribe to receive our weekly newsletter with top stories from master historians. One out of every 10 Americans who served in Vietnam was a casualty. Every single . I quit trying to make sense of all the numbers that have been generated about Vietnam. I was never hit by enemy fire even though they had multiple opportunities after that I was an rto for the company commander and I have to say both jobs were not fun. I saw killed and wounded everywhere in our combat operations. What was the average life expectancy for soldiers during World War 2 EACH OF US CARRIES OUR OWN MEMORIES AND THEY RUN THE GAMUT. And dug Berms, in the area. That same day, I along with 3/4 others was transported to Long Bhin Post. Bravo, 3/187th Inf, 101st Airborne Div, 2nd Plt, 2nd Sq, Hamburger Hill, May 69. Deltoid muscle _____ 2. Of the eight who remained, seven were wounded. Work Plz. Anxiously extending the bipod legs on the M60, I added a 100-round belt to the one I already had in the gun. Does this mean addressing to a crowd? 1st Platoon, C Company, 2nd Battalion 327th Infantry. Was it left behind on some forgotten battlefield? Company B arrived in-country with four rifle platoons, and each platoon was armed with two M60s. Diaphragm _____ 3. Your article was quite interesting. What was the life expectency of a private soldier in vietnam? The answer that we have always been given is that 1 year in the Infantry is equivalent to 3 years of hard labor. I packed my own radio and got a Thank you from his Mom. 99% of infantry men will currently live to die of natural causes. I know the scouts in my company had a slightly longer rate but not much. There were two different groups that flew aeromedical evacuations. There were also wounded. Rarely do we examine war through the unique bond between a man and his weaponin this case the M60 machine gun. 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.) The next three weeks passed uneventfully. Ernest, Im glad that your first tour with the VN airborne was rewarding. Walked point way to many times but never had contact. For example, life expectancy of male and female Veterans with household incomes less than $20,000, at respectively. They were all up there scanning the terrain and looking for signs. I didnt want any medals. HistoryNet.com is brought to you by HistoryNet LLC, the worlds largest publisher of history magazines. It was a chaotic nightmare. I was a point man, M60 Gunner and squad leader. If my memory is correct, only the 1st Cab flew wiith doorgunners. What unit lost the most soldiers in Vietnam? Database. More importantly, Grandstaff was very gung-ho. How old are Vietnam vets now? Everyone in the company hit the dirt. This is not Vietnam where a machine gunners life expectancy was short because you had an entire army shooting at them. Name the major nerves that serve the following body areas? Sept 69 to Sept 70. then youd carry an extra 200 rounds of M60 ammo for the machine gunner , plus drag grenades , one smoke grenade plus etc. Thats why they called us GRUNTS ! Also: for years I have read those life-expectancy numbers never really understanding them, but also noting that they wildly vary. Look for the blue accessibility symbol floating on every page of our website and click on it to tailor your viewing experience to your particular disability. 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. . Interesting reading. Some very close calls but I am alive at age 74. Back in 1965, I was a door gunner on Medevac recovery operations. Fact: The American military was not defeated in Vietnam. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. We had one RTO killed because he was too close to a 2ND Lt, same thing happened to another RTO. A typical Patrol Boat River (PBR) was about 31 feet long and had twin 50s forward an M 60 midships and a 50 aft. where can i find red bird vienna sausage? The death squads focused on leaders at the village level and on anyone who improved the lives of the peasants such as medical personnel, social workers, and school teachers. 4314 0 obj <> endobj 2 Gun team, Ranallo and May, without any support. In our spare time we did medevacs and medcaps for the local communities and when required inserted SEALs . 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. BS but ia a way you are correct. And us the living that served, who suffer from PTSD ,that figure or percent-aged would be about the greatest of all. We walked the mountains and rice patties all thru Tu Thien Province. Life Expectancy of the World Population. my left and saw this rice paddie farmer and his ox and I was trying to motion him to get down he just looks at me and starts BUT WE MUST ALSO BE COGNIZANT OF OUR REQUIREMENT TO BE COMPASSIONATE HUMAN BEINGS. I want to know what the life expectancy of a us infantry army soldier is. I will always think/say, we had absolutely no reason for being in that place. The jungle seemed to want No. Some gave all. Forget the statistics, we all had a job to do, we went where we were told. That was supposed to be 58, 220. but wait, there are more numbers for the same story.