My good friend who was a RTO was killed. Assigned to HHC 1/77 Armor, 1st, BDE 5th Inf. I met a Marine a few years ago who was stationed North of Da Nang. I packed my own radio and got a Thank you from his Mom. I remember we were always short of replacements throughout 1968 because of the high Kia & wounded rate we suffered at that time ! I was an Infantry Scout Dog handler. El subjuntivo I was an RTO for 9-1/2 months for Hawk Recon 2/327 101AB from dec, 1969 to sept 70. The machine gun was also mounted in the UH-1 Huey helicopter and other Army aircraft. 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. The one number that is really important is 56,220 and we all know what that number represents. HOOAH!!! rice farmer who was still working with is ox like nothing ever The next morning, the blasting could still be, heard. I am 16 years old an 150 pounds qith some good muscle. To my right, Piambino had poked his head out of the trench to fire his M16 rifle. I was never formally trained as an RTO. Fact: The American military was not defeated in Vietnam. Remember he wanted to reenlist for one more year in Vietnam.
The Kb of pyridine, C5H5N, is 1.5 x 10-9. The man listed as missing was machine gunner Joe DeLong, captured along with No. Soldiers from 2nd Platoon, Company C, 87th Infantry Regiment, walk on patrol north of the Long . 1 gun! Everyone laughed. There must have been a real mathematician to come up with those calculations. Four platoons in a rifle company. RIP KOOKIE forever young, Thank god you are still alive, I am age 77. I handled Top Secret Commo on a daily basis. Appx: 6 months in, all of the 543d TC joined forces with the 572d TC. First thing we did was, Set up a complete circular perimeter. 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. Anyway I was wondering about the RTOs in a grunt platoon, was that their MOS or were they 11B that carried a PRC ? Stop staring at your computer already, get up. 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. US Wings provides aviation apparel to the U.S. Government and commercial customers along with the general public. 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. A documentary about our company and our 1st Sgt was made. Everyone in the company hit the dirt. Work Plz. Then we all, loaded on C-147 cargo planes. Your email address will not be published. Phi Pow B.Sc (econ) in Economic History & Economics (college minor), London School of Economics and Political Science Author has 212 answers and 234.6K answer views 2 y Originally Answered: What soldier had the shortest life expectancy? I was with HHC and 1st Platoon C Company in 70-71. 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. Fact: No American had involvement in this incident near Trang Bang that burned Phan Thi Kim Phuc. 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. Around 3 p.m., when Grandstaff realized we were about to be overrun, he called in artillery right on top of our location. First Sgt. Vietnam veterans' personal income exceeds that of our non-veteran age group by more than 18 percent. I never even got a shot off. I just wanted to get off No. 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. I always was told that the life expectancy of a LT was 14 seconds in INITIAL combat versus 9 seconds for an RTO. Isolated atrocities committed by American Soldiers produced torrents of outrage from anti-war critics and the news media while Communist atrocities were so common that they received hardly any media mention at all. 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. 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. An Rtos job was essential, tough,(Carrying the extra weight of the radio transmitter along with his rucksack), and dangerous. hmK#1+yNvA They used the callsign MEDIVAC and were armed. Well he didnt make it. How Many Vietnam War Veterans Are Still Alive? Hey Robert I was with the 38th Scout Dog Plt. Seattle, Washington(WA), 98106. 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. Like you, I carried a PRC-25 for about 5 months and never got hit. 2) by my research, medics suffered 93% casualties with about 33% deaths. Point was the safest place to be,they knew to wait for key elements, RTO, Medica, M60 Gunners. BUT WE MUST ALSO BE COGNIZANT OF OUR REQUIREMENT TO BE COMPASSIONATE HUMAN BEINGS. 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. Your article was quite interesting. Most of us have memories of these kind of experiences. Contents 1 Unclear objectives 2 North Vietnamese strategy We gathered the casualties and set out for Company A. . I also was 2/327 B company. Or is it on display in a Hanoi museum so curious citizens of that city can inspect a weapon captured from American imperialists? They also struggled with logistical problems and the complex political situation in Vietnam. In the 1st Cav medics were right behind the rto making them a very easy find also. 10-4. Now we know. 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 After about 30 minutes, the four enemy soldiers got up and left the area. If you ask people who live in these countries that won the war in Vietnam, they have a different opinion from the American news media. After that initial post-service period, Vietnam veterans were no more likely to die from suicide than non-Vietnam veterans. One out of every 10 Americans who served in Vietnam was a casualty. An interesting essay, even more interesting are the comments. 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%. When Apache Snow began, I was an RTO, after Airborne, and before the CA on Dong Ap Bia, I became the AG for Roeski. 1 Gun over my shoulder, grabbed a corner of a poncho and stumbled off with three other soldiers. I am one lucky SOB. 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! Ed, I was in a Grunt Platoon in Vietnam 70-71. The earliest casualty record contains a date of death of . Despite initial victories by the Communists forces, the Tet Offensive resulted in a major defeat of those forces. I will always think/say, we had absolutely no reason for being in that place. I would carry when on ambush. 99% of infantry men will currently live to die of natural causes. I had scary thoughts about myself humping the bush as a RTO, I was a real puny guy back then. Ernest, Im glad that your first tour with the VN airborne was rewarding. In Vietnam 70% 0f the casualties were Infantry BUT it might be 70% of ALL the Infantry that served in Vietnam. 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 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. Done ranting. In a strange country scared shitless .I was a minesweeper.My first time out on a mission they put me on the drag line fifty yards from the road which was route 1, Then all hell broke lose (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. In all that time, the Tet 1968 fighting in Saigon was the only time the unit fought a pitched urban battlevery unusual during the war. I 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? The most comprehensive and authoritative history site on the Internet. As of the current Census taken during August, 2000, the surviving U.S. Vietnam Veteran population estimate is: 1,002,511. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Our patrols were typically about 14 hours 24/7 We operated of old LSTs and large barges. Grab some friends and go outside. 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. Our home base was Quang Tri fire Base, But I spent about 6 months out at Mai Loc with the rig. Prayers for all. 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.. The battalion was sending us to a village with a small river running through it. The incredibly important role in the U.S. Army is responsible for defending the country through real-life combat. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. 91% of Vietnam Veterans say they are glad they served. No. RIght there and the NVA we were usually up against knew this. 240 men were awarded the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War. The fact is that most machine gunners, RTOs, junior officers and other extremely dangerous jobs survived the war. 5 Answers There is no word like addressal. 4 Answers aaja Come. Sholly finally agreed and stated that the next time we received replacements I could give one of them my M60. Soldier,this is a wardont forget that, and anytime we are in a fight we will be toughest SOBs in the fight!! And dug Berms, in the area. 5 seconds. by Zita Ballinger Fletcher 1/18/2022. Thanks for the reply. In fact, after the 5-year post-service period, the rate of suicides is less in the Vietnam veterans group. We then took all Trucks and equipment to the Port Of Saigon. Every mission, I had the same thought. It was reported as an overwhelming success for the Communist forces and a decided defeat for the U.S. forces. Soon after, Pfc. The average time lapse between wounding to hospitalization was less than one hour. They were a great bunch. Shermans had fairly thin armor (76mm at the thickest compared to a Tiger with 180mm at the thickest with most around 100mm). Combatants on both sides faced physical challenges posed by the climate, terrain and wildlife of the country. A Co, 1/5 Cav, 1 Cav Division. 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. Both served in A 2/18 1st Infantry Division For some reason, the written word of this article was somehow deleted and lost. Before he was drafted Renza had worked as a hairdresser for women in his hometown of Peekskill, New York. They kept coming up the hill bringing more bodies to me until all seven had been found. I was an Artillery Forward Observer 13F20 E-5 at that time. The answer that we have always been given is that 1 year in the Infantry is equivalent to 3 years of hard labor. Totally bogus. Nixon Presidential Papers. I was one of the many others I rode river boats in the Mekong Jan 68 to 69. The first thing my platoon sgt. 58,148 were killed and 304,000 wounded out of 2.7 million who served. I was also told that the Radio did put a target on my back. The United States sought to minimize and prevent attacks on civilians while North Vietnam made attacks on civilians a centerpiece of its strategy. In the First Armored Division, now part of the 23rd Infantry Division, commonly known as the Americal Division, combat medics were called into action every day because the fighting was now. Total fantasy. But it was my jobso I tried not to think about it much. I DISAGREETHE ENEMY WOULD SHOOT THE GUY NEXT TO THE RTO-KNOWING HE WAS THE COMMANDER. He was wounded and suffered permanent disability shortly before his tour was up. 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. Great story!!! They were all up there scanning the terrain and looking for signs. I was in 2nd Platoon and carried the platoons No. U.S. Wings is a manufacturer and a supplier. I had to rely on my gun more than before. The smell of those charred bodies, blackened and smoking from the napalm strike, is something I can never forget. Our Aussie Dust off choppers had door gunners, we worked on the theory if the Noggies would shot at Red Cross choppers, we would return fire, Aussie grunt, 60000 00 Aussies fought in Vietnam, Up the Old Red Rooster and more beer. maybe your question i vauge. A dense mass of elephant grass hung over the riverbank, and he ducked under it. The TOTAL number of CIB and CMB awarded would give you the answer !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Carried the prc25 for about 7 months. Calculate the pH of a solution of 0.157 M pyridine. 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. 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. 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. DeLong was later killed attempting to escape from a North Vietnamese prisoner of war camp in Cambodia. Both were infantry in WW2. The Bn & Company I was assigned to, was on the last row of Bldgs. 1 Gun onto a small hill and provide security while others retrieved them. I was constantly untangling the barrel and bipod of the gun from grasping vines and branches. They run into the fire to help the wounded and many get wounded or killed. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. I too never understood survivor quilt, Enjoyed your article. Some very close calls but I am alive at age 74. Company B arrived in-country with four rifle platoons, and each platoon was armed with two M60s. 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 If my memory is correct, only the 1st Cab flew wiith doorgunners. If anything went wrong, I could easily kill some of our soldiers. If it had been up to me, I would have awarded my gun the CIB too. According to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) there are now officially 58, 318 names on the wall. It doesnt make any sense statistically/mathematically it is impossible. It had a crew of 4 (forward gunner, the coxswain (steering and driving) and the two aft gunners. 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. My bud, Price took over as RTO. We looked for cover and returned fire the best we could. Surrounded by an enemy battalion, our hopelessly outnumbered platoon waged a desperate battle for survival. Sorry,I was one of your Brothers in Arms that helped talk you out of enlisting for another year in Vietnam. Sgt. 76% of the men sent to Vietnam were from lower middle/working class backgrounds. What was the average life expectancy of a soldier in Vietnam? I couldnt see DeLong and didnt know if No. I do remember when I got short I thought about it a lot more. The trailer for that video can be seen by googling the title, and it might still be sold on Amazon. (LogOut/ Background [ edit] Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account.