life expectancy of an infantry soldier in vietnam

Company A searched in vain for the platoon in the dark and finally found the shattered unit on the morning of May 19. Some unfortunately also came home with physical scars. See my calculation below in the comments bogus indeed. Before he was drafted Renza had worked as a hairdresser for women in his hometown of Peekskill, New York. It was more or less next man up . A documentary about our company and our 1st Sgt was made. More importantly, Grandstaff was very gung-ho. is sharing facts, thats truly good, keep up writing. The last American troops departed in their entirety 29 March 1973. 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. 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 infantryman in Vietnam saw about 240 days of combat in one year thanks to the mobility of the helicopter. Joe DeLong joined the company, and Sholly informed me that he would be the M60 gunner. 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. Appx: 6 months in, all of the 543d TC joined forces with the 572d TC. estimated education differentials in life expectancy for Veterans in 2011-14 are close to those of U. S. population in 1979-89. the life expectancy of a LT in Vietnam in major combat was 16 minutes. What Was It Like To Hump The Boonies in 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. As I remember it the life expectancy was based on after the ambush was sprung or the fire fight started. 99% of infantry men will currently live to die of natural causes. Ambushed on October 4th,1967. The Regiment traces its lineage back to World War II. No creo que Susana _____ (seguir) sobre los consejos de su mdico. means: 1 gets killed the 1st second, another one after 9 seconds avg. We were discussing the different units and dangers of each. Carried the prc25 for about 7 months. . In the few firefights and skirmishes we had with local VC, the gun always performed well. Mech. 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. I was an Infantry Scout Dog handler. July 68 to July 69. It is Honor in the Valley of Tears. never happened,we lost two sweep team members and some It was on the Job Training ! I watched in horror as four NVA soldiers ambled through the branches of a downed tree that partially concealed us. No. Roger Loves you too, Im sure. We had 5 kias and roughly 50 wounded in our company so about one in three got hit. Ed, I was in a Grunt Platoon in Vietnam 70-71. We looked for cover and returned fire the best we could. Hats off to them. Oh, and even the Air Force has ground units. Hi, the whole thing is going nicely here and ofcourse every one Americans who deliberately killed civilians received prison sentences while Communists who did so received commendations. Really? Startled, I quickly pointed my M60 at them. 1 Gun. I had an assistant gunner, Spc. RIght there and the NVA we were usually up against knew this. I was still pondering the move to 4th Platoon when U.S. Air Force jets screamed over the treetops with canisters of napalm. 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. Anxiously extending the bipod legs on the M60, I added a 100-round belt to the one I already had in the gun. I remember hearing somewhere about an RTO who wasnt getting the info out correctly and the Lieutenant (Kennedy) grabbed the mic and said My RTO Is Foxtrot Uniform. For example, life expectancy of male and female Veterans with household incomes less than $20,000, at respectively. What was the average life expectancy of a soldier in Vietnam? The Indonesians threw the Soviets out in 1966 because of Americas commitment in Vietnam. We were in2dBn 503d . hb```8fB cBLd2>Tb jz1@E; aK6Tmc.Nn"&gn7hj'wm,h d6p4u0`&88:,TMV& y@ b=e>a&^ >{2b`ZHE3psn QZ 1 Gun and I now faced a new and more formidable foethe North Vietnamese Army. where can i find red bird vienna sausage? Artillery, and ground forces. US Wings recently added to OTEXA's Made in U.S.A. Nixon Presidential Papers. I was told my life expectancy was about 45 secs during a fire fight because of the weapons and demo I carried. I wasnt sure if the VC had moved to right or left, so I sprayed the elephant grass in both directions. 2) by my research, medics suffered 93% casualties with about 33% deaths. I prayed I would not have to fire over the heads of the 4th Platoon troops entering the draw to retrieve our dead. I quit trying to make sense of all the numbers that have been generated about Vietnam. We fought to an agreed stalemate. They were all up there scanning the terrain and looking for signs. I was a 2nd Lt. Infantry platoon Leader. Posterior Thigh _____ 4. How Many Vietnam War Veterans Are Still Alive? 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. I was told to show the new guy how to use it properly. I was on a radar crew and we were told that, during war time, we would most likely be killed within minutes. 11,465 of those killed were younger than 20 years old. Me molesta que mis padres no ______ (cuidar) su alimentacin.. 3. Soldiers also act in the mobilization of vehicles, weaponry, troops, and more. a RTO got killed, it happened within 5 seconds but not that always ALL RTOs got killed. In our spare time we did medevacs and medcaps for the local communities and when required inserted SEALs . 67-67 11B 4th Id. I was shot down on my very first mission in July 1968. In Company A, 22 men had been killedadded to the seven killed in Company B. I spent 10 1/2 months in the jungles of Vietnam. When we reached Company A, we placed our dead in the center of the two-company perimeter. Vietnam Veterans represented 9.7% of their generation. By the time we reached Vietnam in October 1966 I felt the gun had become a part of me. We did interdictions, blocks and other fun things on the river. year old Marine thinking this is my last day on earth. wias. Then we all, loaded on C-147 cargo planes. Often as not he was right beside you with a stolen chicken and a bag of rice. Take out the power center, youve got the edge. The rolling fire burned everything to the ground and undoubtedly killed scores of NVA. 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? 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. We can all hold our heads high and be proud of our service. Robert Sholly, standing with Platoon Sgt. If it had been up to me, I would have awarded my gun the CIB too. Shermans had fairly thin armor (76mm at the thickest compared to a Tiger with 180mm at the thickest with most around 100mm). 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 . If youre American (which you probably are), I could give a f***. Really no mention of the regular rifleman. I was an O5C-20 in Vietnam. Company B had seven dead, Grandstaff announced, and I was to take No. Soon after, Pfc. He also worked on Jacqueline Kennedys hair pieces and wigs. The enemy fire ceased, and we made arrangements to collect our dead before continuing on to Company A. 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 average age of the 58,148 US Servicemembers killed in Vietnam was . I picked up my M60 and walked to the center of the perimeter, where I found the company commander, Capt. Do the math. The gas-operated, belt-fed gun had a maximum rate of fire of 550-650 rounds per minute. The article was interesting. The man with the carbine immediately dropped it, and the two VC surrendered. Our home base was Quang Tri fire Base, But I spent about 6 months out at Mai Loc with the rig. (LogOut/ 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. I was lucky too but VN never left me. Lt lost a finger, same time. His best friend is 86 and still alive. For example: 7*x^2. Then I dropped back down in the streambed to organize our ammo. These records were transferred into the custody of the National Archives and Records Administration in 2008. Or is it on display in a Hanoi museum so curious citizens of that city can inspect a weapon captured from American imperialists? His comparison to a FB was that if we were fired on we returned fire and requested assistance when needed. I am 16 years old an 150 pounds qith some good muscle. Deltoid muscle _____ 2. Welcome home brothers and sisters. The Kb of pyridine, C5H5N, is 1.5 x 10-9. 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. And I know what youre going to say, Because the American cs! Bullcrap!!!! 1 Gun before my luck ran out. 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. 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. Background [ edit] Ambulances are not supposed to be armed (either) though in training, medics are told they and their vehicles will be a prime target. Some gave all. Forget the statistics, we all had a job to do, we went where we were told. I had yet to fire a shot with No. hbbd```b`` ,&Iw sA '#o The three of us had trained together at Fort Lewis and were good friends. Thank You Roger!!! Nobody attacked, where we were. 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. If you would like to get a copy, and cant find it, let me know, and I will make sure you get one. 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. both tours. Great story!!! So I guess i lasted longer than I was supposed to. Expenditures for a body in a combat zone? The battalion was sending us to a village with a small river running through it. African Americans played a prominent role in the Vietnam War. 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. I credit my longetivity to great training at Ft Benning. _____ 1. The U.S. Infantryman Vietnam Pocket Manual contains gems such as infantry "patrol tips," maneuver techniques, and fighting methods for various environments. !We dont abuse prisoners Now, if he reaches for his weapon to continue the fight BLOW HIS ASS AWAY THIS AINT SUNDAY SCHOOL!!! (Getty Images) Most war stories are about soldiers and battles. I also earned a Combat Infantryman Badge, signifying that I had been actively engaged in combat. After that initial post-service period, Vietnam veterans were no more likely to die from suicide than non-Vietnam veterans. 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. At Fort Lewis, every recruit learned to operate various weapons. I always felt that Infantry units were in more danger because of ambush issues and no permanent defensive structures. The life expectancy of a radio operator in the Vietnam War ranged between five to six seconds all the way up to a slightly-more-optimistic thirty seconds, depending on your source. Well, according to current mortality and morbidity statistics for the USright around 77.5 Years! And us the living that served, who suffer from PTSD ,that figure or percent-aged would be about the greatest of all. We were very, lucky. 87% of Americans hold Vietnam Veterans in high esteem. 1 Gun, as always, thumped out a throaty roar as I fought desperately to push the enemy back. An Rtos job was essential, tough,(Carrying the extra weight of the radio transmitter along with his rucksack), and dangerous. I was drafted on Nov. 10, 1965, and assigned to the 4th Infantry Division. However, inaccurately reported, the News Media made the Tet Offensive famous. Explore the Life of a U.S. Infantryman in Vietnam. Sholly finally agreed and stated that the next time we received replacements I could give one of them my M60. I would carry when on ambush. They were located, next to us, in/on Long Bhin Post. It began just as, it was getting dark. Of the eight who remained, seven were wounded. He was with the 509th Radio Research Station. Five RTOs. The most comprehensive and authoritative history site on the Internet. The 4th Platoon survivors stayed put for the night. The Vietnam War was the first American war in which Black and White troops were not formally segregated, and even saw significant growth in the number of African Americans engaged in battlefield combat, [1] though some de facto segregation still occurred. As of the current Census taken during August, 2000, the surviving U.S. Vietnam Veteran population estimate is: 1,002,511. But, once the enemy lays down his weapon, I want YOU TO REMEMBER THREE THINGS: 1, HE IS A SOLDIER, JUST LIKE YOU.2, HE IS AWAY FROM HOME And family, just like you. I had been shot in the back early in the battle and was lying behind a log with two other soldiers. 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! This is excellent! Four platoons in a rifle company. I would suspect that stating with any accuracy the life span of a grunt like me, or any other MOS, would be pretty much pure speculation. Spent my year in a Recon platoon 2/35th 4th ID. During that same Census count, the number of Americans falsely claiming to have served was: 9,492,958. Not much different than his unit. I got shot on a mission with 45 days left. by Zita Ballinger Fletcher 1/18/2022. A "Sapper" is a combat engineer soldier who is with the front line infantry troops. From Cam Rahn, we kept flying north to, a Landing Zone near QUANG TRI. I was to have that experience two more times before it was over. 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. Point, slack and compass. Army Infantrymen (11B) are the main land combat force, and known as "Eleven Bravo.". We gathered the casualties and set out for Company A. So I guess I defied the odds. I was a REMF but Ive heard of 05Cs that were stuck out in the boonies on a firebase. Most of us have memories of these kind of experiences. John Doever I sure feel for all you guys that went outside the wire. 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. When Roeski got hit, I took over the M-60. Stop staring at your computer already, get up. See you in the next life!!!!! Lucky you. to the empployees was very informative. RIP KOOKIE forever young, Thank god you are still alive, I am age 77. I couldnt disagree. First Sgt. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. 82nd 2/505th. El subjuntivo You just do the best job you can and if you got hit, so be it! The planes doing the bombing near the village were VNAF (Vietnam Air Force) and were being flown by Vietnamese pilots in support of South Vietnamese troops on the ground. Fact: The average infantryman in the South Pacific during World War II saw about 40 days of combat in four years. My first tour was as an advisor to the VN Abn. 1 Gun was on my hip with the safety off, ready to rock and roll. Of the . 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). If it was your day to get hit or die, it happened. 240 men were awarded the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War. The Tet Offensive succeeded on only one front and that was the News front and the political arena. During this Census count, the number of Americans falsely claiming to have served in-country is: 13,853,027. Grab some friends and go outside. I think convoy truck drivers had one of the most dangerous job. Our patrols were typically about 14 hours 24/7 We operated of old LSTs and large barges. It had a crew of 4 (forward gunner, the coxswain (steering and driving) and the two aft gunners. I was one of the many others I rode river boats in the Mekong Jan 68 to 69. aND, mAY GOD BLESS AMERICA!!! We could not see any enemy soldiers, but we could see smoke coming from their weapons through the trees. Es ridculo que t ______ (tener) un resfriado en verano. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Address: 9241 13th Ave SW I am one lucky SOB. Amazingly, the NVA men then walked a short distance away, sat down and ate lunch. 99% of infantry men will currently live to die of natural causes. 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. 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. 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! Soon I could take the gun apart and put it back together in the dark. 2 Gun to Ranallo. How could we lose a war we had already stopped fighting? Some were constantly exposed to combat, some not so often. As the entire platoon hit the ground, I saw guys crawling back toward me. LUCK pure LUCK. Our chase after the enemy unwittingly led us into a large ambush. I did worry about the strength of my flax vest. 8h%5HF8r,X'q#Vtgz%)P/Oi#rU(uO&*Xx1t^=xVLi Sorry,I was one of your Brothers in Arms that helped talk you out of enlisting for another year in Vietnam. 4 Answers aaja Come. Combatants on both sides faced physical challenges posed by the climate, terrain and wildlife of the country. 4314 0 obj <> endobj 2. What is the life expectancy of Vietnam veterans? Why is my internet redirecting to gslbeacon.ligit.com and how do I STOP THIS. A much better approach would be/have been: of all the combat-casualties, what was their Many were killed or wounded ! I, in turn, would take an M16 rifle, which felt like a feather in comparison. Totally bogus. Does this mean addressing to a crowd? 1 Gun kept a lot of enemy heads down. First thing we did was, Set up a complete circular perimeter. Jimmy aaja, jimmy aaja. The fall of Saigon happened 30 April 1975, two years AFTER the American military left 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 . (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. I will always think/say, we had absolutely no reason for being in that place. Me, a vehicle mechanic with Btry E, 41st Arty Quads 1970. Tony told me that either he or I would greet all incoming troops and we did- and here is the speech we gave to them. Spanish Help Both my tours were in the Delta (IV Corps) where the only ground troops were regular ARVNs and RUFF/PUFFS. %%EOF (many of the Soviet casualties were POWs, though). My 31-months in-country was in three Direct Support US Army aviation units, 15TC BN, First Cav, 335TH, Americal and 17TH Cav 101ST ABD65-71In the last battle I was directly involved, LAM SON 719, into Laos, cost army aviation units over 600-helicopters shot down or battle damagedthe NVA were waiting for our SECRET mission in early 71I was glad to go home at battles end, in March 71 , almost unscathed, I was TDY for my absurd third tourTo the point, many ARVN Rangers, airborne and their other best died in Lam Son 719US Army Infantry were forbidden entry to Laos in 71.. the ARVN were massacredand many US Army pilots and crew mambers were KIA & WIAeven MIA.

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