This is hard to believe, losing nearly 711,000 between 95 and 00. In January 1967, the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry, was airlifted to Pleiku province in the Central Highlands. Of the . We went out typically in two boat patrols one lead one cover . They were a great bunch. Their personal income exceeds that of our non-veteran age group by more than 18 percent. Our chase after the enemy unwittingly led us into a large ambush. A dense mass of elephant grass hung over the riverbank, and he ducked under it. What was the average life expectancy of a soldier in battle on - Quora Soon after, Pfc. I handled Top Secret Commo on a daily basis. 1 Gun kept a lot of enemy heads down. 85% of Vietnam Veterans made successful transitions to civilian life. I pumped 200 rounds into that riverbank. 1ST MAW 66-68. Walked point way to many times but never had contact. 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. 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. Mech. 9,087,000 military personnel served on active duty during the official Vietnam era from August 5, 1964 to May 7, 1975. A "Sapper" is a combat engineer soldier who is with the front line infantry troops. The Davis Station in Saigon was named for him. 'No. 1 Gun': An M60 Machine Gunner in Vietnam Tells His Story - HistoryNet 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. The trailer for Fury claims that the average life expectancy of an I am proud to have fought alongside of them. Both my tours were in the Delta (IV Corps) where the only ground troops were regular ARVNs and RUFF/PUFFS. 74% say they would serve again, even knowing the outcome. And us the living that served, who suffer from PTSD ,that figure or percent-aged would be about the greatest of all. Great information. Re: Helicopter Crews (Medevac & Dustoff): To my knowledge, only the 1st Cav Medevac had M60s for protection. What is the life expectancy of Vietnam veterans? An Rtos job was essential, tough,(Carrying the extra weight of the radio transmitter along with his rucksack), and dangerous. 2 tour Nam Vet, The Navys First Vietnamese Admiral Saw His Family Killed by an Infamous Viet CongGuerrilla, The Navy's First Vietnamese Admiral Saw His Family Killed by an Infamous Viet Cong Guerrilla, A Day in the Life of an Infantry Point Man in Vietnam, The Story behind the famous Saigon Execution Photo. The machine guns were numbered within each platoon. Our 5th night there, the AMMO area started burning / blowing up. We were in2dBn 503d . Fact: 86% of the men who died in Vietnam were Caucasians, 12.5% were black, 1.2% were other races. I had a 20% death rate in my Hospital Corpsman Class. I kept the radio because I understood the power of having the first communication with the support mechanisms of the military. Was the 7th Infantry in Vietnam? - 2023 As it was, less than 40 did not need evacuation. I DISAGREETHE ENEMY WOULD SHOOT THE GUY NEXT TO THE RTO-KNOWING HE WAS THE COMMANDER. I told by RTO that i could carry my own radio, When he agreed he was humping ammo. Fact: 2/3 of the men who served in Vietnam were volunteers. Contents1 [] For example, life expectancy of male and female Veterans with household incomes less than $20,000, at respectively. Great story!!! We were probably not too far away on that day. 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. They kept coming up the hill bringing more bodies to me until all seven had been found. Company A searched in vain for the platoon in the dark and finally found the shattered unit on the morning of May 19. The first six or seven months I walked point for our platoon and led many ambushes and green eye patrols. I was told my life expectancy was about 45 secs during a fire fight because of the weapons and demo I carried. US Wings provides aviation apparel to the U.S. Government and commercial customers along with the general public. As we approached the battle, we heard intense firing. The gas-operated, belt-fed gun had a maximum rate of fire of 550-650 rounds per minute. However, Shermans were very outmatched by the German tanks on the field of battle. Had multiple Ks and Ws. I would carry when on ambush. 1 Gun, I jumped into a small dry streambed with Domke, my assistant gunner. Everyone in the company hit the dirt. 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. 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. 1 Gun onto a small hill and provide security while others retrieved them. This makes calculations of those alive, even in 2017, difficult to maintain. 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 total, the United States military lost in Vietnam almost 10,000 aircraft, helicopters and UAVs (3,744 planes, 5,607 helicopters and 578 UAVs). And dug Berms, in the area. 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. When Apache Snow began, I was an RTO, after Airborne, and before the CA on Dong Ap Bia, I became the AG for Roeski. Postservice Mortality in Vietnam Veterans : 30-Year Follow-up - JAMA C Co, 1st-12th 66-67. 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. The one number that is really important is 56,220 and we all know what that number represents. The casualty rate in the current war today is a fraction. As of April 14, 2017, there are 1,611 Americans still unaccounted for from the Vietnam War across Vietnam (1,258), Laos(297), Cambodia(49), and China(7). Eventually I found a spot where the bed leveled off and began firing on the NVA. Once we turned on the radar they could hit us with a harm missile. Five men killed in Vietnam were only 16 years old. 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. Me, a vehicle mechanic with Btry E, 41st Arty Quads 1970. My assistant gunner and my ammo bearer also carried 300 rounds each. 2. One afternoon, while Company B was still in the Tuy Hoa area, we received orders to gather up our gear and get ready to board choppers for an assault into a hot landing zone. 3 Answers C5H5N in water > C5H5NH+ & OH- Kb = [C5H5NH+] [OH-] / [C5H5N] 1.5e-9 = [x] 1. Data based on the latest United Nations Population Division estimates. Not much different than his unit. We were about 700 yards east of Company A when it was ambushed by an NVA battalion. We were discussing the different units and dangers of each. From the Landing Zone, we were carried not too far. 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. Got hit inside 15 minutes, first ambush we walked up too. HistoryNet.com contains daily features, photo galleries and over 25,000 articles originally published in our nine magazines. Totally bogus. Hurrying forward with No. Soldier Life Expectancy in Ukraine 'Meat Grinder' Is 4 Hours: Marine We had 5 kias and roughly 50 wounded in our company so about one in three got hit. Approximately 70% of those killed in Vietnam were volunteers. BUT WE MUST ALSO BE COGNIZANT OF OUR REQUIREMENT TO BE COMPASSIONATE HUMAN BEINGS. He decided to stay even though he had a deep feeling he wasnt going to make it. Though I flew only about 1/2 dozen missions as a Huey door gunner, I was initially told to sit on my flak jacket I always did so (personal protection first). I always was told that the life expectancy of a LT was 14 seconds in INITIAL combat versus 9 seconds for an RTO. 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. The other group of aeromedical evacuation were divisional, i.e. Love this analysis. Vietnam Veterans were the best educated forces our nation had ever sent into combat. The CACF is the basis for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (The Wall): Average age of 58,148 killed in Vietnam was 23.11 years. Flipping the safety off, I scanned the jungle in front of me. Our patrols were typically about 14 hours 24/7 We operated of old LSTs and large barges. Ive always considered myself damn lucky to make it out alive. 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. I traveled to Fort Lewis, Washington, and trained there for 10 months before deploying to Vietnam as specialist 4. In Vietnam he cut the hair of everyone in his company for free. !We dont abuse prisoners Now, if he reaches for his weapon to continue the fight BLOW HIS ASS AWAY THIS AINT SUNDAY SCHOOL!!! No combat assignments for another year of service in Vietnam or get out in about a month. We used to provide cover for these guys. Nicknamed "the pig" due to its size, weight and sound, the gun struck fear into enemy troops. Soldiers from 2nd Platoon, Company C, 87th Infantry Regiment, walk on patrol north of the Long . I didnt want any medals. 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. Even the AP photographer, Nick Ut, who took the picture, was Vietnamese. Total fantasy. 1 gun! Everyone laughed. Interesting but something is missing. No. 1 Gun. History is a guide to navigation in perilous times. Some of my men didnt. Seattle, Washington(WA), 98106. But I made it back in one piece. We were expecting, an attack. Completa las oraciones con la forma correcta del presente de subjuntivo de los verbos entre parntesis.? I was also told that the Radio did put a target on my back. What were the life expectancies of soldiers during the Vietnam War? However, it was the discretion of the individual crewmen if they wanted to carry personal weapons or not. Out of thousands of men that invaded that town in southern Afghanistan, we have lost 19. An infantry platoon commander in combat had an average of 6 weeks life expectancy. 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. I flew Dustoff and our unit did not have M60s for protection, nor did any other Dustoff unit that Im aware of. Both were infantry in WW2. How Many Vietnam War Veterans Are Still Alive? I wasnt aware that they kept life expectancy statistics. I carried the PRC-25 Radio most of that time. We ambushed and got ambushed, firebase got attacked who carried what or did what had no bearing. 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 fall of Saigon happened 30 April 1975, two years AFTER the American military left Vietnam. I just wanted to get off No. That means you lose five RTOs in 5 seconds. 2/3 of the men who served in World War II were drafted. I look over to The man listed as missing was machine gunner Joe DeLong, captured along with No. 1: physical position (in the field / column) A Co, 1/5 Cav, 1 Cav Division. See you in the next life!!!!! of what was usually 5 or 6 going in and many times the leads would find traps, punji pits or the VC waiting. Life Expectancy of the World Population. They were lazy, cowardly and of questionable loyalty, especially the RUFF/PUFFS, and they would steal your under ware if given half a chance. There were usually 3 man (At least 2) point teams. Your article was quite interesting. Calculate the pH of a solution of 0.157 M pyridine. Can I use this word like this: The addressal by the C.E.O. I am one lucky SOB. I was to have that experience two more times before it was over. The machine gun was also mounted in the UH-1 Huey helicopter and other Army aircraft. Theres 58,276. I've never heard about the life expectancy of 6 weeks (even with a short google search). Lt lost a finger, same time. Vietnam Veterans represented 9.7% of their generation. Good article. 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. I couldnt disagree. The Vietnam Conflict Extract Data File of the Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) Extract Files contains records of 58,220 U.S. military fatal casualties of the Vietnam War. Very memorable comments. This is not Vietnam where a machine gunners life expectancy was short because you had an entire army shooting at them. (LogOut/ 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." Fact: Servicemen who went to Vietnam from well-to-do areas had a slightly elevated risk of dying because they were more likely to be pilots or infantry officers. The Indonesians threw the Soviets out in 1966 because of Americas commitment in Vietnam. Over 900,000 patients were airlifted (nearly half were American). 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 . The Bn & Company I was assigned to, was on the last row of Bldgs. Foot soldiers went by the grace of God, but had a better chance than the infantry platoon commander in combat. (LogOut/ 10-4. Thank God I made it. Done ranting. To cut the Ho Chi Minh Traila week after the mission endedthe trail was booming with business from the north.. The fact that PDoggbiker cant find any decent calculation/explanation, tells us a lot. Deltoid muscle _____ 2. Contents 1 Unclear objectives 2 North Vietnamese strategy I was a point man, M60 Gunner and squad leader. . 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. 1 Gun over my shoulder, grabbed a corner of a poncho and stumbled off with three other soldiers. Correct. And yes, please God, bless America. I had to rely on my gun more than before. said to me. Combatants on both sides faced physical challenges posed by the climate, terrain and wildlife of the country. 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. In the last 5 years the symptoms of PTSD and AO are starting getting worse in me. 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. There were two different groups that flew aeromedical evacuations. I put the M60s bipod legs down, lifted the weapon and positioned it on the ground outside the streambed facing the NVA. hbbd```b`` ,&Iw sA '#o %PDF-1.5 % 0 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 Of those killed, 61% were younger than 21 years old. Bob Sanzone. I know this is a standard cliche, but it is so true, All gave some. Jimmy aaja, jimmy aaja. The first thing my platoon sgt. Commanders like him were few and far between many were afraid of their own shadow and were only there to get their ticket punched. What Is The Average Life Expectancy Of A Vietnam Veteran? The Regiment traces its lineage back to World War II. (Although 58,169 names are in the Nov. 93 database, only 58,148 have both event date and birth date. We are a woman-owned small business and Veteran-owned incorporated in Ohio. Carried the prc25 for about 7 months. 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. 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. A battery of big 155 mm howitzers blasted the tiny platoon perimeter, tearing trees out of the ground and hurling chunks of red-hot shell splinters through the air. In the 1st Cav medics were right behind the rto making them a very easy find also. 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. I know the scouts in my company had a slightly longer rate but not much. Proudly holding my M60 over my head, I screamed at the top of my lungs, No. The planes doing the bombing near the village were VNAF (Vietnam Air Force) and were being flown by Vietnamese pilots in support of South Vietnamese troops on the ground. Then one hot, sunny day, while walking across rice paddies, we suddenly received small-arms fire from Viet Cong in some distant hills. Knowing I had a 100-round belt in my M60, I opened up on that hillside, my gun getting so hot that the barrel smoked. I never thought of it that way before but have many times since. Moving west down the trail, 4th Platoon exchanged fire with a single NVA soldier, then a handful and finally a group of about 10-15 around noon. The U.S. Infantryman Vietnam Pocket Manual contains gems such as infantry "patrol tips," maneuver techniques, and fighting methods for various environments. What was the life expectancy of a point man in Vietnam? Does this mean addressing to a crowd? It began just as, it was getting dark. 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 key may be the word initial since we became more savvy with successive combats and had improved survivability. Whether they produced battlefield images of the dead or daguerreotype portraits of common soldiers, []. I personally believe and agree with previous posts that when its your time, not much you can do. PDF Mortality Rates and Life Expectancy of Veterans - Veterans Affairs 1,713,823 of those who served in Vietnam were still alive as of August, 1995 (census figures). Some gave all. Forget the statistics, we all had a job to do, we went where we were told. Expenditures for a body in a combat zone? I prayed I would not have to fire over the heads of the 4th Platoon troops entering the draw to retrieve our dead. El subjuntivo Michael Doolittle..I was with 1/8 inf, 1st Brigade, and that day, March 22nd was also our darkest day. The incredibly important role in the U.S. Army is responsible for defending the country through real-life combat. What unit lost the most soldiers in Vietnam? Explore the Life of a U.S. Infantryman in Vietnam. Yes, I made E4 at graduation, that was considered a NCO then. Dont know why, but generally, their aircraft were not armed (door gunners, etc.). I may not have hit anyone that day, but I am certain that No. I was an M-60 machine gunner for a battalion recon platoon in 1967, for the First Infantry Division, Known as The Black Scarf Battalion. 15 May he was killed by friendly fire, and a host of us were WIA, myself included. HOOAH!!! Most of us have memories of these kind of experiences. My first tour was as an advisor to the VN Abn. 99% of infantry men will currently live to die of natural causes. I got shot on a mission with 45 days left. Shermans had fairly thin armor (76mm at the thickest compared to a Tiger with 180mm at the thickest with most around 100mm). One was holding a carbine. Point, slack and compass. happened. It is Honor in the Valley of Tears. I watched in horror as four NVA soldiers ambled through the branches of a downed tree that partially concealed us. In Vietnam 70% 0f the casualties were Infantry BUT it might be 70% of ALL the Infantry that served in Vietnam. For his actions, he was awarded the Congressional Medal if Honor. RIght there and the NVA we were usually up against knew this. Both served in A 2/18 1st Infantry Division For some reason, the written word of this article was somehow deleted and lost. aND, mAY GOD BLESS AMERICA!!! https://open.spotify.com/show/5Th7BCpIKDE1hVTqNL3u0Q. I was an FO back in the day. Enemy fire greeted as us as soon as we landed near the village. We had been carrying machine guns for over seven months. Welcome Home Brothers ! I was sitting on the ground one day trying to dry out my gear and better configure my ruck when my squad leader came walking over to me and said, Gow, youve got the radio. As he turned and walked away! Thank You Roger!!! RIP KOOKIE forever young, Thank god you are still alive, I am age 77. In our spare time we did medevacs and medcaps for the local communities and when required inserted SEALs . Robert Sholly, standing with Platoon Sgt. I packed my own radio and got a Thank you from his Mom. Really? Most war stories are about soldiers and battles. Nevertheless, I swung No. Welcome Home Roger. That was supposed to be 58, 220. but wait, there are more numbers for the same story. The average life expectancy of a Soviet soldier during the height of the battle was just 24 hours. And I know what youre going to say, Because the American cs! Bullcrap!!!! Rarely do we examine war through the unique bond between a man and his weaponin this case the M60 machine gun. Hey Robert I was with the 38th Scout Dog Plt. Interesting reading. News media have reported tha an American commander ordered the air strike that burned Kim Phuc.Those are incorrect.

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