Can I use this word like this: The addressal by the C.E.O. Love this analysis. Ernest, Im glad that your first tour with the VN airborne was rewarding. What was the life expectancy of a point man in Vietnam? 4329 0 obj <>stream The average time lapse between wounding to hospitalization was less than one hour. . See you in the next life!!!!! As the entire platoon hit the ground, I saw guys crawling back toward me. They were not randomly selected but simply the best at doing it. We do have infantry (why do you think we have that MOS? I know the scouts in my company had a slightly longer rate but not much. (Although 58,169 names are in the Nov. 93 database, only 58,148 have both event date and birth date. 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? 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. Well he didnt make it. It was an HONOR and a privilege to serve with these brave men for my 11 month tour. 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 You just do the best job you can and if you got hit, so be it! By this census, FOUR OUT OF FIVE WHO CLAIM TO BE VIETNAM VETS ARE NOT. How Many Vietnam War Veterans Are Still Alive? a RTO got killed, it happened within 5 seconds but not that always ALL RTOs got killed. As far as I knew that was done in the whole battalion in 1968 . His comparison to a FB was that if we were fired on we returned fire and requested assistance when needed. Your email address will not be published. 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. The battalion was sending us to a village with a small river running through it. 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. Despite initial victories by the Communists forces, the Tet Offensive resulted in a major defeat of those forces. 58,148 were killed and 304,000 wounded out of 2.7 million who served. Welcome home. (LogOut/ 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. by Zita Ballinger Fletcher 1/18/2022. I was also told that the Radio did put a target on my back. I too never understood survivor quilt, Enjoyed your article. I will always think/say, we had absolutely no reason for being in that place. I wasnt sure if the VC had moved to right or left, so I sprayed the elephant grass in both directions. The body felt as though it weighed considerably more than it looked. I was still pondering the move to 4th Platoon when U.S. Air Force jets screamed over the treetops with canisters of napalm. Explore the Life of a U.S. Infantryman in Vietnam. They also had a 12 gauge, and a M 79 grenade launcher and M 16. Was No. 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. 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. 1 gun and was hoping it would stay that way. S/F, There were no door gunners on dustoffs. What were the life expectancies of soldiers during the Vietnam War Assigned to HHC 1/77 Armor, 1st, BDE 5th Inf. It is Honor in the Valley of Tears. Thats my experience. He decided to stay even though he had a deep feeling he wasnt going to make it. I remember hearing a Lieutenant (Kennedy) say to one of his two platoon RTOs My RTO is Foxtrot Uniform. (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 was a 2nd Lt. Infantry platoon Leader. Both served in A 2/18 1st Infantry Division. Oh, and even the Air Force has ground units. Different jobs have different life expectancy. The trailer for that video can be seen by googling the title, and it might still be sold on Amazon. We were all in our Bunkers, and at the ready with our weapons. This was another example in the Vietnam War of an inaccuracy becoming the perceived truth. Lived too tell about it. No. 5 Answers There is no word like addressal. 1 Gun was on my hip with the safety off, ready to rock and roll. I had a 20% death rate in my Hospital Corpsman Class. If the enemy was near, we never saw any. What the hell did you hit him with? one of our men shouted. 75,000 Vietnam veterans are severely disabled. I spent my year in Vietnam with the 1/22nd infantry part of the 4th division. The average age of the 58,148 US Servicemembers killed in Vietnam was 23.11 years (CACF) Going backwards (Apr. In the last 5 years the symptoms of PTSD and AO are starting getting worse in me. Two of my classmates were killed within 2 weeks incountry and three wounded I know of. They were well-armed, well-trained and knew how to fight. Everyone in the company hit the dirt. Anxiously extending the bipod legs on the M60, I added a 100-round belt to the one I already had in the gun. In fact, after the 5-year post-service period, the rate of suicides is less in the Vietnam veterans group. Staying alive was kinda of important. The U.S. Infantryman Vietnam Pocket Manual contains gems such as infantry "patrol tips," maneuver techniques, and fighting methods for various environments. We could not see any enemy soldiers, but we could see smoke coming from their weapons through the trees. 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. 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! I was an Artillery Forward Observer 13F20 E-5 at that time. I was a REMF but Ive heard of 05Cs that were stuck out in the boonies on a firebase. Then he said youre on a FB, the enemy always knows your location, can pretty much attack at will, and you really dont have the capability to retreat. Papitto Opportunity Connections Mission: The Papitto Opportunity Connection (POC) is a private foundation dedicated to listening and working together with Rhode Islands BIPOC communities to empower and create individual success stories by investing in education, job skills training, and entrepreneurial ventures. Unable to reach Company A, my company pulled back, formed a perimeter and called in air and artillery support. I pumped 200 rounds into that riverbank. It was just north of Saigon. The smell of those charred bodies, blackened and smoking from the napalm strike, is something I can never forget. It was very nearly my last. Soldier Life Expectancy in Ukraine 'Meat Grinder' Is 4 Hours: Marine In an instant the jungle erupted in gunfire. I am one lucky SOB. My dog and I walked point my whole tour in Vietnam. 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 !!! After a quick lesson, DeLong became the new owner of 4th Platoons No.1 Gun. 91% of Vietnam Veterans say they are glad they served. 2. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Address: 9241 13th Ave SW 1 Gun kept a lot of enemy heads down. Nixon Presidential Papers. In 1964 an Ohio woman took up the challenge that had led to Amelia Earharts disappearance. hb```8fB cBLd2>Tb jz1@E; aK6Tmc.Nn"&gn7hj'wm,h d6p4u0`&88:,TMV& y@ b=e>a&^ >{2b`ZHE3psn QZ 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. No combat assignments for another year of service in Vietnam or get out in about a month. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The Tet Offensive succeeded on only one front and that was the News front and the political arena. He then said that they were generally on patrol moving through their area, both attacking and being attacked depending if the VC knew their location. Two points: 1) at least in Army units, Medevacs (dust offs) flew unarmed aircraft. The Indonesians threw the Soviets out in 1966 because of Americas commitment in Vietnam. Prayers for all. They were located, next to us, in/on Long Bhin Post. 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. He was wounded and suffered permanent disability shortly before his tour was up. The two platoons were to advance no more than 200 yards from the main body of the company. Very Good , I was a radio operator up in I corps in 68 & to me the worst thing was the walking . 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. I was an RTO for 9-1/2 months for Hawk Recon 2/327 101AB from dec, 1969 to sept 70. 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 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_aircraft_losses_of 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. Really no mention of the regular rifleman. Diaphragm _____ 3. When I popped back up to put out some automatic fire, a bullet whizzed by my earno more than an inch from my headand slammed into the tree next to me, shattering the bark. My assistant gunner and my ammo bearer also carried 300 rounds each. The average infantryman in Vietnam saw about 240 days of combat in one year thanks to the mobility of the helicopter. Hey Robert I was with the 38th Scout Dog Plt. Five men killed in Vietnam were only 16 years old. Remember he wanted to reenlist for one more year in Vietnam. 3 Answers C5H5N in water > C5H5NH+ & OH- Kb = [C5H5NH+] [OH-] / [C5H5N] 1.5e-9 = [x] 1. Had multiple Ks and Ws. The casualty rate in the current war today is a fraction. Vietnam War soldiers endured many hardships and faced many problems. LUCK pure LUCK. 67-67 11B 4th Id. The trailer for Fury claims that the average life expectancy of an 79% had a high school education or better. 85% of Vietnam Veterans made successful transitions to civilian life. 6 Answers They say Kali Ma Theyre referencing this scene from the movie Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom: What is the life expectancy of an army infantry soldier? Roger Loves you too, Im sure. In the 1st Cav medics were right behind the rto making them a very easy find also. I was already lugging around a 24-pound weapon, 300 rounds of ammo and a pack that weighed a good 45 pounds. 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. He said fighting was especially deadly in the war-torn city of Bakhmut, dubbed "the meat . First thing we did was, Set up a complete circular perimeter. Life expectancy at birth. year old Marine thinking this is my last day on earth. The man listed as missing was machine gunner Joe DeLong, captured along with No. I was one of the many others I rode river boats in the Mekong Jan 68 to 69. Never knew they had life expectancy stats. An Rtos job was essential, tough,(Carrying the extra weight of the radio transmitter along with his rucksack), and dangerous. Great reading. 1ST MAW 66-68. I handled Top Secret Commo on a daily basis. 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. Sept 69 to Sept 70. No trees or anything on the ground. I was a point man, M60 Gunner and squad leader. Carried the prc25 for about 7 months. Thanks for the reply. Thats why I never understand people talking about survivors guilt it should have been me, why him? etc. Bruce Grandstaff and my best friend, Sgt. Ever since that fateful day in 1967, I have often wondered what became of my beloved M60. BUT WE MUST ALSO BE COGNIZANT OF OUR REQUIREMENT TO BE COMPASSIONATE HUMAN BEINGS. 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 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. Its just (bad) luck, fate, randomness theres no right or wrong, no justice or fairness, no reasoning. 2/3 of the men who served in World War II were drafted. The fall of Saigon happened 30 April 1975, two years AFTER the American military left Vietnam. Fighters and planes dont make up the Army, thats the Air Force. Overview - Medics and Corpsmen - Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund 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." Black fatalities amounted to 12 percent of all Americans killed in Southeast Asia, a figure proportional to the number of blacks in the U.S. population at the time and slightly lower than the proportion of blacks in the Army at the close of the war.. Vietnam War Facts, Stats and Myths - US Wings As a result, less than one percent of all Americans wounded, who survived the first 24 hours, died. 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. We walked the mountains and rice patties all thru Tu Thien Province. Ive always considered myself damn lucky to make it out alive. The jungle seemed to want No. After a couple of hours, the Viet Cong stopped shooting and melted back into the jungle. 17 photos showing the life of an elite US Army Ranger I was shot down on my very first mission in July 1968. Thats 390 per day. 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. 4 Answers aaja Come. These records were transferred into the custody of the National Archives and Records Administration in 2008. Each company had eight M60s. I was an FO back in the day. 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. Vietnam Veterans represented 9.7% of their generation. 1 Gun became my very best friend. That means you lose five RTOs in 5 seconds. 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. This Battle changed his life and his future, had it not been for his actions, every man on this FSB Gold would have died. 101st Airborne Division. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Australian Vietnam veteran study assessed the postservice mortality of 19 205 Vietnam veterans and 25 677 non-Vietnam veterans through 1981. As I remember it the life expectancy was based on after the ambush was sprung or the fire fight started.
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