life expectancy of an infantry soldier in vietnam

To cut the Ho Chi Minh Traila week after the mission endedthe trail was booming with business from the north.. As we approached the battle, we heard intense firing. As I made it back to the road I remember seeing the One of them gazed in our direction, lowered his AK 47 assault rifle and fired six shots. Some of my men didnt. Photo above is of Stanley Kober with RTO, John Scheur. 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. Back in 1965, I was a door gunner on Medevac recovery operations. It was more or less next man up . He said fighting was especially deadly in the war-torn city of Bakhmut, dubbed "the meat . An Rtos job was essential, tough,(Carrying the extra weight of the radio transmitter along with his rucksack), and dangerous. 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. After that initial post-service period, Vietnam veterans were no more likely to die from suicide than non-Vietnam veterans. (LogOut/ Rules may have changed, I was in the Delta region. 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 A Marine on patrol crosses a rice paddy in Vietnam holding an M60 machine gun in 1966. The Kb of pyridine, C5H5N, is 1.5 x 10-9. 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. 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. The Republic of Vietnam lost 1,018 aircraft and helicopters from January 1964 to September 1973. 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. Two of my closest friends in the company, Spc. It was very nearly my last. What were the life expectancies of soldiers during the VietnamWar? The most comprehensive and authoritative history site on the Internet. Screaming Eagles! Few areas of the world have been as hotly contested as the India-Pakistan border. Nixon Presidential Papers. I handled Top Secret Commo on a daily basis. The man with the carbine immediately dropped it, and the two VC surrendered. See also: Population I am 81 now and survived the encounter by terminated the sniper. I was to have that experience two more times before it was over. What is the life expectancy of Vietnam veterans? I am proud to have fought alongside of them. Nicknamed "the pig" due to its size, weight and sound, the gun struck fear into enemy troops. Sholly finally agreed and stated that the next time we received replacements I could give one of them my M60. As the entire platoon hit the ground, I saw guys crawling back toward me. 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. Of the eight who remained, seven were wounded. 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. 9,087,000 military personnel served on active duty during the official Vietnam era from August 5, 1964 to May 7, 1975. Welcome home. I couldnt disagree. I was trained as a RTO in 1970 at Fort Ord then went to Fort Gordon for teletype school, my MOS was 05C20 when I finished. Soon I could take the gun apart and put it back together in the dark. 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. then youd carry an extra 200 rounds of M60 ammo for the machine gunner , plus drag grenades , one smoke grenade plus etc. The oldest man killed was 62 years old. Not much different than his unit. It was just north of Saigon. Once we turned on the radar they could hit us with a harm missile. The average infantryman in Vietnam saw about 240 days of combat in one year thanks to the mobility of the helicopter. 1 Gun. The U.S. Infantryman Vietnam Pocket Manual contains gems such as infantry "patrol tips," maneuver techniques, and fighting methods for various environments. I traveled to Fort Lewis, Washington, and trained there for 10 months before deploying to Vietnam as specialist 4. Two points: 1) at least in Army units, Medevacs (dust offs) flew unarmed aircraft. As an infantry platoon Sgt of a platoon made up of all draftees my age 21 plus or minus a year We fought the largest single one day battle of the war March 21, 1967 known as the Battle of Soui Tre, fire support base Gold operation Junction City, that base was commanded by LtCol John Vessey of the 2/77 FA Vessey was a 25 year veteran of WWII fame with a DSC at Anzio, and on this day he was looking at the end of his career after that tour in Vietnam. My shit got weak and a sniper popped three rounds in my young ass. 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. Just to show that its hard to get an accurate number, note my typo of 56,220. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. meaning what is the chance of me getting killed in combat. 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%. 1st Platoon, C Company, 2nd Battalion 327th Infantry. We were in2dBn 503d . Correct. During this Census count, the number of Americans falsely claiming to have served in-country is: 13,853,027. That means you lose five RTOs in 5 seconds. The Marine Corps lost 14,836, or 5 percent . In January 1967, the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry, was airlifted to Pleiku province in the Central Highlands. Hey Robert I was with the 38th Scout Dog Plt. None of the enlisted grades have an average age of less than 20. He was killed in an ambush along with three others. What unit lost the most soldiers in Vietnam? I never thought of it that way before but have many times since. Some were constantly exposed to combat, some not so often. I also was 2/327 B company. Walked point way to many times but never had contact. Needless too say I depended on Sgt. Even the AP photographer, Nick Ut, who took the picture, was Vietnamese. 91% of Vietnam Veterans say they are glad they served. An NVA soldier had evidently spotted the gun and waited patiently for me to stick my head up. And yes, please God, bless America. The group found the first man killed and carried him up the hill, placing his body right next to me. 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. Much smaller income differentials in life expectancy, 0.2 to 3.6 life-years smaller for Veterans in 2010-17 are estimated. TONY DISAGREED> hE SAID TAKE A 19 YEAR OLD, WHO HAS JUST TAKEN TWO ROUNDS TO HIS BODY, And IS watching his best friend die from multiple, bleeding wounds he wont give a shit about the Geneva Convention. 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. Id had a premonition, and asked the LT to let me trade off to become the AG. I lost my cherry very early. I was an O5C-20 in Vietnam. He decided to stay even though he had a deep feeling he wasnt going to make it. My heart was pounding out of my chest. As far as I knew that was done in the whole battalion in 1968 . 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. Expenditures for a body in a combat zone? If you would like to get a copy, and cant find it, let me know, and I will make sure you get one. 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.. Welcome home brothers and sisters. Still, militarily, the Tet Offensive was a total defeat of the Communist forces on all fronts. Some 23% of Vietnam vets had fathers with professional, managerial The average infantryman in Vietnam saw about 240 days of combat in one year thanks to the mobility of the helicopter. 4314 0 obj <> endobj How could we lose a war we had already stopped fighting? Interesting but something is missing. This makes calculations of those alive, even in 2017, difficult to maintain. Their personal income exceeds that of our non-veteran age group by more than 18 percent. Eventually I found a spot where the bed leveled off and began firing on the NVA. The NVA had wedged a blocking force between our company and Company A, preventing us from advancing any farther. Commanders like him were few and far between many were afraid of their own shadow and were only there to get their ticket punched. Two rounds smashed into a log inches above my head. 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. .. In the 1st Cav medics were right behind the rto making them a very easy find also. A documentary about our company and our 1st Sgt was made. It means, IF (!) My assistant gunner and my ammo bearer also carried 300 rounds each. I prayed I would not have to fire over the heads of the 4th Platoon troops entering the draw to retrieve our dead. The earliest casualty record contains a date of death of . To keep busy on the boat ride to Vietnam, my unitCompany B, 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regimentheld competitions where we took the gun apart and put it back together while blindfolded to see who could do it fastest. 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. That was a hell of a responsibility to take on. 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. I had to rely on my gun more than before. Over 600 Navy FMF Hospital Corpsmen were killed in Vietnam. 76% of the men sent to Vietnam were from lower middle/working class backgrounds. rice farmer who was still working with is ox like nothing ever I picked up my M60 and walked to the center of the perimeter, where I found the company commander, Capt. Now we know. Be glad you served with a soldiers soldier like LTC Herbert. I couldnt see DeLong and didnt know if No. Enter the the Ksp expression forC2D3 in terms of the molar solubility x.? US Wings is a veteran-owned business and an official supplier to the US Military. I had scary thoughts about myself humping the bush as a RTO, I was a real puny guy back then. RIght there and the NVA we were usually up against knew this. Cause-specific . What were the life expectancies of soldiers during the Vietnam War? And us the living that served, who suffer from PTSD ,that figure or percent-aged would be about the greatest of all. Of those killed, 61% were younger than 21 years old. 2) by my research, medics suffered 93% casualties with about 33% deaths. 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! Carried the prc25 for about 7 months. Posterior Thigh _____ 4. Was it left behind on some forgotten battlefield? 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). I knew some of this, but certainly not all. I flew Dustoff and our unit did not have M60s for protection, nor did any other Dustoff unit that Im aware of. . 4 Joey Piambino were to my right in the streambed. 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. maybe your question i vauge. I was told to show the new guy how to use it properly. Remember he wanted to reenlist for one more year in Vietnam. To my right, Piambino had poked his head out of the trench to fire his M16 rifle. They were well-armed, well-trained and knew how to fight. I was never formally trained as an RTO. 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. BS but ia a way you are correct. In Vietnam 70% 0f the casualties were Infantry BUT it might be 70% of ALL the Infantry that served in Vietnam. 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 There were also wounded. I was told to help carry one of the bodies. HOOAH!!! 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 As a Huey door gunner, when we left the ground on a mission, I always thought that this mission would be my last! No. More importantly, Grandstaff was very gung-ho. The average life expectancy of a front-line soldier in eastern Ukraine is four hours, a Marine said. If it had been up to me, I would have awarded my gun the CIB too. The first thing my platoon sgt. How old are Vietnam vets now? The fact that PDoggbiker cant find any decent calculation/explanation, tells us a lot. His comparison to a FB was that if we were fired on we returned fire and requested assistance when needed. Unable to reach Company A, my company pulled back, formed a perimeter and called in air and artillery support. I was shot down on my very first mission in July 1968. Re: Helicopter Crews (Medevac & Dustoff): To my knowledge, only the 1st Cav Medevac had M60s for protection. Welcome home!! As some said, averages are meaningless. U.S. Wings is a manufacturer and a supplier. The machine guns were numbered within each platoon. We had one RTO killed because he was too close to a 2ND Lt, same thing happened to another RTO. At Fort Lewis, every recruit learned to operate various weapons. 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. No. estimated education differentials in life expectancy for Veterans in 2011-14 are close to those of U. S. population in 1979-89. Spent my year in a Recon platoon 2/35th 4th ID. It was the silent power of the pig, I suppose. the life expectancy of a LT in Vietnam in major combat was 16 minutes. News media have reported tha an American commander ordered the air strike that burned Kim Phuc.Those are incorrect. Very memorable comments. Arthur Parker and Spc. To an, open area. (tirotactico.net). I credit my longetivity to great training at Ft Benning. For example, life expectancy of male and female Veterans with household incomes less than $20,000, at respectively. Different type units, different locations, different opinions on dangers. 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. When Apache Snow began, I was an RTO, after Airborne, and before the CA on Dong Ap Bia, I became the AG for Roeski. Mi hermana se sorprende N-F C-F Cl-F F-F 2 Answers C-F is the most polar. I was a helicopter pilot Ever since that fateful day in 1967, I have often wondered what became of my beloved M60. 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. I saw aircraft loaded with troops explode in mid-air. Certainly got my attention. 2 Gun.. EACH OF US CARRIES OUR OWN MEMORIES AND THEY RUN THE GAMUT. Explore the Life of a U.S. Infantryman in Vietnam. I always found life expectancy numbers interesting in that I could never find any supporting information that could be validated. The article was interesting. is sharing facts, thats truly good, keep up writing. Over the next two months, we exchanged fire with groups of the NVA. Contents 1 Unclear objectives 2 North Vietnamese strategy For his actions, he was awarded the Congressional Medal if Honor. This Battle changed his life and his future, had it not been for his actions, every man on this FSB Gold would have died. Were talking averages, obviously so, an RTO, with an expectancy of 5 seconds (!) No. Around 3 p.m., when Grandstaff realized we were about to be overrun, he called in artillery right on top of our location. Startled, I quickly pointed my M60 at them. The income differentials in life expectancy for Veterans in 2011-14, however, are estimated to be smaller. Not long after the artillery barrage ended, the North Vietnamese swept through 4th Platoon and executed some of the survivors. Point, slack and compass. So do us all a favor and please learn to be tolerant, intelligent, and active. 1 Gun used to kill Americans? I was stationed on 2 FSBs (8 & 175mm guns) west of Tay Ninh on the Cambodian boarder in the Ho Chi Minh trail and was wounded but nothing as bad as he was. The Organization of the Viet Cong Units in the South never recovered. The Army suffered the most total casualties, 38,179 or 2.7 percent of its force. And I know what youre going to say, Because the American cs! Bullcrap!!!! Calculate the pH of a solution of 0.157 M pyridine. Fortunately, it was recorded on Spotify and can be listened to here: Thank you for both articles: (1)Going up river to port and (2) the flight from Italy back to Nam. I am 16 years old an 150 pounds qith some good muscle. I was lucky too but VN never left me. Subscribe to receive our weekly newsletter with top stories from master historians. An Hinglish word (Hindi/English). (Getty Images) Most war stories are about soldiers and battles. Answer (1 of 12): It heavily depends. We were about 700 yards east of Company A when it was ambushed by an NVA battalion. Seattle, Washington(WA), 98106. I was wounded 3 times during the 10 1/2 months I was in-country before being medevacd out in Apr of 68. Sept 69 to Sept 70. This makes our site more accessible to the blind, visually impaired, motor disabled, people with cognitive disabilities and more. Ive always considered myself damn lucky to make it out alive. 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. Really no mention of the regular rifleman. The next morning, the blasting could still be, heard. Thats why I never understand people talking about survivors guilt it should have been me, why him? etc. African Americans played a prominent role in the Vietnam War. wias. In your rucksack . 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. Work Plz. 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). 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. Then we all, loaded on C-147 cargo planes. said to me. 2,709,918 Americans served in uniform in Vietnam. 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. 101st Airborne Division. Joe DeLong joined the company, and Sholly informed me that he would be the M60 gunner. I do remember when I got short I thought about it a lot more. Ha Ha always enjoyed being a volunteer! NFS. We all have opinions, this is mine. They also had a 12 gauge, and a M 79 grenade launcher and M 16. 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. Over 900,000 patients were airlifted (nearly half were American). (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. And dug Berms, in the area. I think convoy truck drivers had one of the most dangerous job. But I made it back in one piece. 87% of Americans hold Vietnam Veterans in high esteem. First thing we did was, Set up a complete circular perimeter. I was drafted on Nov. 10, 1965, and assigned to the 4th Infantry Division. AS LEADERS IN AMERICAS SERVICES WE MUST BE PROFICIENT AND READY TO ACCOMPLISH OUR MISSIONS- Bob Sanzone. 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. From the Landing Zone, we were carried not too far. Thank You Roger!!! 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 too never understood survivor quilt, Enjoyed your article. Hack volunteered for service in Vietnam in 1968, joining the 1st Infantry Division. Point was the safest place to be,they knew to wait for key elements, RTO, Medica, M60 Gunners. I never even got a shot off. 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 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. Of the . 1 Gun and I survived our first firefight. Required fields are marked *. 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 average age of the 58,148 US Servicemembers killed in Vietnam was . The helicopter provided unprecedented mobility. El subjuntivo Carrying a dead man some 300 yards through thick jungle in 100-degree heat was extraordinarily difficult. Not to mention that right now its safer than some cities in the us. 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. We flew north, then made a stop, in Cam Rahn Bay. No. From a military standpoint, it was almost an unprecedented performance. 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. Three-fourths had family incomes above the poverty level; 50% were from middle income backgrounds. 240 men were awarded the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War. If the NVA shot at the group retrieving the bodies, I was to fire over the heads of the grunts and engage the enemy. We had 5 kias and roughly 50 wounded in our company so about one in three got hit. He retired in 2012 and lives in Delray Beach, Florida. 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 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. 1 Gun before my luck ran out. The three of us had trained together at Fort Lewis and were good friends. We went out typically in two boat patrols one lead one cover . By mid-April 1967 I was pleading with the captain to get a replacement gunner for my M60 in 4th Platoon. At age 55, World War 2 Veterans The TOTAL number of CIB and CMB awarded would give you the answer !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Five RTOs. Oh, and even the Air Force has ground units. We can all hold our heads high and be proud of our service. A "Sapper" is a combat engineer soldier who is with the front line infantry troops. 2 Gun to Ranallo. The rolling fire burned everything to the ground and undoubtedly killed scores of NVA. DeLong was later killed attempting to escape from a North Vietnamese prisoner of war camp in Cambodia. B)Enter the the Ksp expression forC2D3 in terms of the molar solubility x. Jimmy aaja -M.I.A. Originally I went to the 543d TC. ), special forces, combat support, engineering, medics, and vehicle assault weapons. Like most inexperienced gunners, he underestimated the power of the pig and failed to keep the barrel down when firing. Anxiously extending the bipod legs on the M60, I added a 100-round belt to the one I already had in the gun.