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I had been shot in the back early in the battle and was lying behind a log with two other soldiers. However, Shermans were very outmatched by the German tanks on the field of battle. No. Its just (bad) luck, fate, randomness theres no right or wrong, no justice or fairness, no reasoning. 240 men were awarded the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War. The average life expectancy of a front-line soldier in eastern Ukraine is four hours, a Marine said. We are a woman-owned small business and Veteran-owned incorporated in Ohio. If it had been up to me, I would have awarded my gun the CIB too. Its not all written down. 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 Thats what I figured but didnt know for sure. As far as I knew that was done in the whole battalion in 1968 . General Vo Nguyen Giap, the designer of the Tet Offensive, is considered by some as ranking with Wellington, Grant, Lee and MacArthur as a great commander. This is hard to believe, losing nearly 711,000 between 95 and 00. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. endstream endobj startxref The Tet Offensive succeeded on only one front and that was the News front and the political arena. Re: Helicopter Crews (Medevac & Dustoff): To my knowledge, only the 1st Cav Medevac had M60s for protection. I am proud to have fought alongside of them. The oldest man killed was 62 years old. The one number that is really important is 56,220 and we all know what that number represents. Different type units, different locations, different opinions on dangers. Combatants on both sides faced physical challenges posed by the climate, terrain and wildlife of the country. 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 DISAGREETHE ENEMY WOULD SHOOT THE GUY NEXT TO THE RTO-KNOWING HE WAS THE COMMANDER. If you look at all of the things the radio operators were tasked with, it becomes abundantly clear why commo guys weren't expected to last long. Just to show that its hard to get an accurate number, note my typo of 56,220. 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. The two platoons were to advance no more than 200 yards from the main body of the company. The machine gun was also mounted in the UH-1 Huey helicopter and other Army aircraft. In the 1st Cav medics were right behind the rto making them a very easy find also. %PDF-1.5 % I had a 20% death rate in my Hospital Corpsman Class. Our home base was Quang Tri fire Base, But I spent about 6 months out at Mai Loc with the rig. In Company A, 22 men had been killedadded to the seven killed in Company B. Sept 69 to Sept 70. Hats off to them. A documentary about our company and our 1st Sgt was made. 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). 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 . Arthur Parker and Spc. However, it was the discretion of the individual crewmen if they wanted to carry personal weapons or not. Spanish Help 11,465 of those killed were younger than 20 years old. 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. So I guess i lasted longer than I was supposed to. After a quick lesson, DeLong became the new owner of 4th Platoons No.1 Gun. Because if only 1 RTO fought for say only 10 or 15 minutes before being killed, that would up the AVG for the total war! The man with the carbine immediately dropped it, and the two VC surrendered. happened. I sure feel for all you guys that went outside the wire. 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. The fact is that most machine gunners, RTOs, junior officers and other extremely dangerous jobs survived the war. After a couple of hours, the Viet Cong stopped shooting and melted back into the jungle. a RTO got killed, it happened within 5 seconds but not that always ALL RTOs got killed. Not to mention that right now its safer than some cities in the us. The next morning, the blasting could still be, heard. B)Enter the the Ksp expression forC2D3 in terms of the molar solubility x. Jimmy aaja -M.I.A. The fall of Saigon happened 30 April 1975, two years AFTER the American military left Vietnam. What were the life expectancies of soldiers during the Vietnam War? The peace settlement was signed in Paris on 27 January 1973. 2) by my research, medics suffered 93% casualties with about 33% deaths. The key may be the word initial since we became more savvy with successive combats and had improved survivability. It was on the Job Training ! I was told to show the new guy how to use it properly. (Although 58,169 names are in the Nov. 93 database, only 58,148 have both event date and birth date. I was a grunt with c co. 4/31 196th it inf bade. Together we had passed the test. The Bn & Company I was assigned to, was on the last row of Bldgs. Overrun and utterly destroyed, the 30-man 4th Platoon had suffered 21 killed and one missing. Both served in A 2/18 1st Infantry Division For some reason, the written word of this article was somehow deleted and lost. Appx: 6 months in, all of the 543d TC joined forces with the 572d TC. I watched in horror as four NVA soldiers ambled through the branches of a downed tree that partially concealed us. My shit got weak and a sniper popped three rounds in my young ass. I knew some of this, but certainly not all. 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? Thats my experience. wmy:LsN{/^yzJ] 6.7>n-:FqOa#CW>ia?wt?Xa@ghCd bF)`Schl4*f. Life Expectancy of the World Population. 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. Gotta say I think you hit it on the nose. HOOAH!!! That means you lose five RTOs in 5 seconds. How old are Vietnam vets now? My friend May, I later learned, was doing the same thing in 2nd Platoon. I pumped 200 rounds into that riverbank. We walked the mountains and rice patties all thru Tu Thien Province. 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. Date: March 8, 2020 Author: pdoggbiker 97 Comments Photo above is of Stanley Kober with RTO, John Scheur. Our 5th night there, the AMMO area started burning / blowing up. . US Wings is a veteran-owned business and an official supplier to the US Military. At age 55, World War 2 Veterans Different strokes for different folks in war fer sure. Was it left behind on some forgotten battlefield? Terrified, I dropped down as fast as I could, pulling the gun and two ammo belts of 100 rounds apiece on top of me as I fell back into the dry streambed. Required fields are marked *. As we were, steadily building up, our area for protection. Despite initial victories by the Communists forces, the Tet Offensive resulted in a major defeat of those forces. The answer that we have always been given is that 1 year in the Infantry is equivalent to 3 years of hard labor. In my tour everyone had the same chance of getting shot. I was told my life expectancy was about 45 secs during a fire fight because of the weapons and demo I carried. Without the helicopter it would have taken three times as many troops to secure the 800 mile border with Cambodia and Laos (the politicians thought the Geneva Conventions of 1954 and the Geneva Accords or 1962 would secure the border). Few areas of the world have been as hotly contested as the India-Pakistan border. I picked up my M60 and walked to the center of the perimeter, where I found the company commander, Capt. In total, the 7th Infantry spent four years in Vietnam. They were not randomly selected but simply the best at doing it. There must have been a real mathematician to come up with those calculations. Fact: Assuming KIAs accurately represented age groups serving in Vietnam, the average age of an infantryman (MOS 11B) serving in Vietnam to be 19 years old is a myth, it is actually 22. 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!! Originally I went to the 543d TC. 1 Gun. 1,713,823 of those who served in Vietnam were still alive as of August, 1995 (census figures). 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 . 2,709,918 Americans served in uniform in Vietnam. 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. Certainly got my attention. In an instant the jungle erupted in gunfire. I prayed I would not have to fire over the heads of the 4th Platoon troops entering the draw to retrieve our dead. 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. The average infantryman in Vietnam saw about 240 days of combat in one year thanks to the mobility of the helicopter. Expenditures for a body in a combat zone? We did interdictions, blocks and other fun things on the river. I put the M60s bipod legs down, lifted the weapon and positioned it on the ground outside the streambed facing the NVA. Veteran Owned Since 1986. It was very nearly my last. In the hands of a well-trained machine gunner, the M60 was a devastating weaponso feared by our opponents that they usually aimed their first shots at the machine gunners, who were often in positions exposed to enemy fire. 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. 1 Gun kept a lot of enemy heads down. The Republic of Vietnam lost 1,018 aircraft and helicopters from January 1964 to September 1973. Do the math. Not long after the artillery barrage ended, the North Vietnamese swept through 4th Platoon and executed some of the survivors. Walked point way to many times but never had contact. We flew north, then made a stop, in Cam Rahn Bay. Company B arrived in-country with four rifle platoons, and each platoon was armed with two M60s. Be glad you served with a soldiers soldier like LTC Herbert. 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. They were all up there scanning the terrain and looking for signs. 58,148 were killed and 304,000 wounded out of 2.7 million who served. Thanks for the reply. It doesnt make any sense statistically/mathematically it is impossible. A dense mass of elephant grass hung over the riverbank, and he ducked under it. Like you, I carried a PRC-25 for about 5 months and never got hit. You just do the best job you can and if you got hit, so be it! 2/3 of the men who served in World War II were drafted. 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. 15 May he was killed by friendly fire, and a host of us were WIA, myself included. Ernest, Im glad that your first tour with the VN airborne was rewarding. The man listed as missing was machine gunner Joe DeLong, captured along with No. We had 5 kias and roughly 50 wounded in our company so about one in three got hit. "And in seizing the firm land at the . Over 600 Navy FMF Hospital Corpsmen were killed in Vietnam. Interesting, I carried a Prick 25, for 2 months. We all have opinions, this is mine. (LogOut/ And dug Berms, in the area. Ambulances are not supposed to be armed (either) though in training, medics are told they and their vehicles will be a prime target. The average life expectancy of a Soviet soldier during the height of the battle was just 24 hours. If you have other information let me know. Every single . Interesting reading. year old Marine thinking this is my last day on earth. I think the number of Army and Hospital Corpsmen serving with the Marine Corp was very high, with the ratio of the number of them over there. This article appeared in the October 2021 issue of Vietnam magazine. Soldier,this is a wardont forget that, and anytime we are in a fight we will be toughest SOBs in the fight!! My heart was pounding out of my chest. I was an Artillery Forward Observer with the Infantry. They were well-armed, well-trained and knew how to fight. 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. I carried the PRC-25 for most of a year. It began just as, it was getting dark. Name the major nerves that serve the following body areas? I applaud the courage and difficult and all so dangerous job of Roger Herforth when he served as an RTO for the Hawk Recon Platoon of the 101st airborne division in Vietnam.. 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. Also: for years I have read those life-expectancy numbers never really understanding them, but also noting that they wildly vary. Sholly finally agreed and stated that the next time we received replacements I could give one of them my M60. Your email address will not be published. The earliest casualty record contains a date of death of . 4 Answers aaja Come. No. The jungle seemed to want No. We were discussing the different units and dangers of each. In January 1967, the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry, was airlifted to Pleiku province in the Central Highlands. The most comprehensive and authoritative history site on the Internet. In fact, after the 5-year post-service period, the rate of suicides is less in the Vietnam veterans group. A much better approach would be/have been: of all the combat-casualties, what was their ), special forces, combat support, engineering, medics, and vehicle assault weapons. 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 Kb of pyridine, C5H5N, is 1.5 x 10-9. If the NVA shot at the group retrieving the bodies, I was to fire over the heads of the grunts and engage the enemy. Really no mention of the regular rifleman. We could not see any enemy soldiers, but we could see smoke coming from their weapons through the trees. I was on a radar crew and we were told that, during war time, we would most likely be killed within minutes. The Vietnam War was the turning point for Communism. Thank You General Vessey for the almost 53 years I have lived since that day. What is the life expectancy of Vietnam veterans? I saw killed and wounded everywhere in our combat operations. Yes, I made E4 at graduation, that was considered a NCO then. 1 Gun more than I did. The casualty rate in the current war today is a fraction. Foot soldiers went by the grace of God, but had a better chance than the infantry platoon commander in combat. I was wounded 3 times during the 10 1/2 months I was in-country before being medevacd out in Apr of 68. As with much of the Vietnam War, the news media misreported and misinterpreted the 1968 Tet Offensive. Approximately 70% of those killed in Vietnam were volunteers. That was supposed to be 58, 220. but wait, there are more numbers for the same story. Shermans had fairly thin armor (76mm at the thickest compared to a Tiger with 180mm at the thickest with most around 100mm). My assistant gunner and my ammo bearer also carried 300 rounds each. Roger Loves you too, Im sure. Tumbling end over end, the canisters exploded in a white-hot fireball. If my memory is correct, only the 1st Cab flew wiith doorgunners. I couldnt see DeLong and didnt know if No. 1st Platoon, C Company, 2nd Battalion 327th Infantry. An Rtos job was essential, tough,(Carrying the extra weight of the radio transmitter along with his rucksack), and dangerous. For example: 7*x^2. Explore the Life of a U.S. Infantryman in Vietnam. For example, life expectancy of male and female Veterans with household incomes less than $20,000, at respectively. 1 Gun. I had an assistant gunner, Spc. Ever since that fateful day in 1967, I have often wondered what became of my beloved M60. One out of every 10 Americans who served in Vietnam was a casualty. He decided to stay even though he had a deep feeling he wasnt going to make it. 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 always found life expectancy numbers interesting in that I could never find any supporting information that could be validated. Soldiers also act in the mobilization of vehicles, weaponry, troops, and more. The Australian Vietnam veteran study assessed the postservice mortality of 19 205 Vietnam veterans and 25 677 non-Vietnam veterans through 1981. I look over to Mech. The average age of the 58,148 US Servicemembers killed in Vietnam was . By this census, FOUR OUT OF FIVE WHO CLAIM TO BE VIETNAM VETS ARE NOT. (many of the Soviet casualties were POWs, though). Rules may have changed, I was in the Delta region. Bloody May 1968 Mini TET. The one that should be there is the combat medic. by Zita Ballinger Fletcher 1/18/2022. I didnt make a move without that gun beside me. 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. An NVA soldier had evidently spotted the gun and waited patiently for me to stick my head up. The next three weeks passed uneventfully. 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! Thanks. And yes, please God, bless America. 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. Some were constantly exposed to combat, some not so often. Carried the prc25 for about 7 months. It had a crew of 4 (forward gunner, the coxswain (steering and driving) and the two aft gunners. As the entire platoon hit the ground, I saw guys crawling back toward me. See my calculation below in the comments bogus indeed. Your article was quite interesting. 2 Gun.. We ambushed and got ambushed, firebase got attacked who carried what or did what had no bearing. The other group of aeromedical evacuation were divisional, i.e. 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. At this time- senior Army leadership ordered us all to read the Geneva Convention to our troops because of the My Lai debachle. As it was, less than 40 did not need evacuation. I was with HHC and 1st Platoon C Company in 70-71. 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 But it was my jobso I tried not to think about it much. It was just north of Saigon. E)V_5lu[vC3+"vg2L& They have a lower unemployment rate than the same non-vet age groups. Soldiers from 2nd Platoon, Company C, 87th Infantry Regiment, walk on patrol north of the Long . It was more or less next man up . 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. US Wings recently added to OTEXA's Made in U.S.A. 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. Anxiously extending the bipod legs on the M60, I added a 100-round belt to the one I already had in the gun. Fact: The domino theory was accurate. They were Kims cousins not her brothers. 1 Gun had registered its first kill. My bud, Price took over as RTO. Thanks for posting! . means: 1 gets killed the 1st second, another one after 9 seconds avg. Also, it has been incorrectly reported that two of Kim Phucs brothers were killed in this incident.