The Vietnam Story

[Deere Dude]

houstonscott I served with men in S.F. that were WW2,Korea and had up to 6 tours in Nam. I volunteered for the Army ,jump school S.F. and Nam. I'm proud of my service but kept it quiet for yrs. I worked 34 yrs at the V.A. and worked w/ professionals that didn't like Nam vets. I made the mistake once in a staff meeting that I served in VN and a shrink called me a baby killer. You can call me a complainer if you want,my SIL just retired, has 5 deployments as 11b. I respect all those that served honorably. If you served in combat whether for a day or 12 tours you have a right to complain more than those that let others do it for them. For the record I served with the 173 ABN in VN and S.F. at Bragg. russ

houstonscott ,I think you are a wannabe poser. Anybody that was KIA ,WIA etc. in ANY WAR will always have my RESPECT !!! You and the other wannabes that WISH SO MUCH TO BE A COMBAT VET. are the problem w/this country.This country made a huge mistake when it did not reinstate the draft after 911. The men and women w/ multiple tours will have the same problems the vet from any other war had, This country used them up and will spit them out the same way as they did the war vet from other wars.I wish you would have served w/me in NAM,I would of put you on point or strapped a prc25 on your back to see what you are really made of. In closing I won't say because it would probably get me kicked me off this forum.enough said....russ

Thank you for your service. I don't see HS being a wannabe poser because he has an opinion on the Vietnam war. We all do to some extent. I do find it interesting as what shrink would call a vet a baby killer especially when they are supposed to be helping folks.

Just curious as to your MOS. For clarification, what were you doing with the 173rd. You went to basic, AIT, Jump school then off to VN with that group and came back and were attached somehow to a SF unit in Fort Bragg to some degree? Just wondering what your job was.

 

[6thgpSF]

served in 6th GP SF FT. BRAGG mos:05B4S,11B4P. 173rd ABN VN ..A group of us from the HERD were attached to a MACV unit and worked w/the ARVN unit in TamQuan in BinDin prov....russ

 

[YardBikeBob]

Some talk of Military Industrial Complex & following the money. So something I have pondered: Do helicopters used as troop carriers to carry our soldiers into dangerous places really represent a sound military strategy? America has certainly never won a war since the advent of Air Cav.

It seems our military strategy since 'Nam is to drop our soldiers in places to get shot at. After a few dozen casualties on our side we abandon the position and regroup the survivors to drop them someplace else. To what purpose?

It would seem to be a strategy to use up as much material as possible within some definition of "reasonable" casualties.

Yet the geographical boundaries of the conflict do not change while the number of enemies created expands greatly.

Bob
Turned 18 the year Nixon cancelled the draft.

 

[bunyip]

RAAF 35 Sqd Caribou's, lots of flak holes to show for it, great aircraft if you could stand the noise and always got you home.

 

[Deere Dude]

Today solders do a year tour every other year, Vietnam guys look like complainers compared to today's military situation. Any Vietnam guys have 12 one year tours? I have a healthy respect for today's guys.

A healthy respect as opposed to those who fought in NV? Look at the KIA from both wars. 2500 vs. 58,000. Both are bad but I would rather take my chances with the 2500 group.

 

[QRTRHRS]

During Viet Nam most soldiers were draftees. 2yrs was the obligation. Now we have a volunteer army. You might say they are pro. soldiers. Big difference I think.

I got drafted in 1970 but ended up in Germany. Every other week, Fort Sill was sending most of the graduates to VN but when they got to us it was Germany and Korea. Except for the platoon leaders who's original class had gone to VN. Those guys got VN orders.

 

[Gunny]

Just gotta tell my story:

Just before we finished up our final training they passed around "dream sheets", where you give your three locations that you'd like to posted to. As the senior instructor was handing out the sheets, he told the class that we could put whatever location we wanted, but 90% of the class was going to Viet Nam because of personnel shortages in our MOS.
We were required to submit three locations, couldn't turn in a blank sheet, so I played their game, I entered Viet Nam on all three lines.

This was a class with 15 students, 4 got assigned to Australia (sweetheart location), 1 got Korea, 3 went to Germany, 5 were assigned to stateside jobs. Me and one other guy got Viet Nam.

 

[6thgpSF]

bunyip ,I jumped 119 flying boxcar and the c141 in jump school. At bragg did jumps out of Uh 1 hueys ,C130 s,C123s and again the C141.It wasn't until I came into CamRon bay we boarded a CARIBOU. I'd never seen one and wondered what the heck this thing is.We got airborne and it developed engine problems soon after takeoff and had to land.Then we got on another one. My respect to you. YardBikeBob ,it wasn't about keeping ground,it was body count.One of the many failed strategies...russ

 

[houstonscott]

bunyip ,I jumped 119 flying boxcar and the c141 in jump school. At bragg did jumps out of Uh 1 hueys ,C130 s,C123s and again the C141.It wasn't until I came into CamRon bay we boarded a CARIBOU. I'd never seen one and wondered what the heck this thing is.We got airborne and it developed engine problems soon after takeoff and had to land.Then we got on another one. My respect to you. YardBikeBob ,it wasn't about keeping ground,it was body count.One of the many failed strategies...russ

Remember the guys running the strategies were the greatest generation.

 

[Creamer]

Remember the guys running the strategies were the greatest generation.

But they weren't the greatest of the self-named greatest generation.