life expectancy of an infantry soldier in vietnam life expectancy of an infantry soldier in vietnam

Surrounded by an enemy battalion, our hopelessly outnumbered platoon waged a desperate battle for survival. I put the M60s bipod legs down, lifted the weapon and positioned it on the ground outside the streambed facing the NVA. Naturally I was excited at the opportunity to join Sanzone, but at the same time I hated leaving 2nd Platoons No. hb```8fB cBLd2>Tb jz1@E; aK6Tmc.Nn"&gn7hj'wm,h d6p4u0`&88:,TMV& y@ b=e>a&^ >{2b`ZHE3psn QZ Prayers for all. He said when they were ambushed they took defensive positions, returned fire, called for assistance when needed, and retreated when necessary. A typical Patrol Boat River (PBR) was about 31 feet long and had twin 50s forward an M 60 midships and a 50 aft. Of those killed, 61% were younger than 21 years old. We had 5 kias and roughly 50 wounded in our company so about one in three got hit. I always felt that Infantry units were in more danger because of ambush issues and no permanent defensive structures. I quit trying to make sense of all the numbers that have been generated about Vietnam. The casualty rate in the current war today is a fraction. 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 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. Calculate the pH of a solution of 0.157 M pyridine. To my right, Piambino had poked his head out of the trench to fire his M16 rifle. An interesting comment I had. we were getting it with machine gun and mortars. Proudly holding my M60 over my head, I screamed at the top of my lungs, No. I told by RTO that i could carry my own radio, When he agreed he was humping ammo. I do remember when I got short I thought about it a lot more. My friend May, I later learned, was doing the same thing in 2nd Platoon. Sociologists Charles C. Moskos and John Sibley Butler, in their recently published book All That We Can Be, said they analyzed the claim that blacks were used like cannon fodder during Vietnam and can report definitely that this charge is untrue. 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. wias. Nervous, I set up my gun on the hill and loaded a new hundred-round belt. I was an FO back in the day. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. This Battle changed his life and his future, had it not been for his actions, every man on this FSB Gold would have died. We used to provide cover for these guys. I wasnt aware that they kept life expectancy statistics. I didnt want any medals. 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. The two platoons were to advance no more than 200 yards from the main body of the company. Mech. The oldest man killed was 62 years old. I was told to help carry one of the bodies. Spent my year in a Recon platoon 2/35th 4th ID. I was in the AF a Reo in a F4-C. Who had time to worry about the life Thats why they called us GRUNTS ! The incredibly important role in the U.S. Army is responsible for defending the country through real-life combat. 1 Gun before my luck ran out. If you were an administrative officer or clerk in an air-conditioned trailer in Saigon, your war might be a lot like peacetime duty. It is Honor in the Valley of Tears. And dug Berms, in the area. This is excellent! Very memorable comments. 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. Im laying behind a rice paddie dike.I put my whole body as far down in the muck while the bullets were over my head. Of the eight who remained, seven were wounded. They were located, next to us, in/on Long Bhin Post. This article appeared in the October 2021 issue of Vietnam magazine. The battalion was sending us to a village with a small river running through it. He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star in 1974. Cruz quite a lot. As mentioned, who kept track of that in the first place? 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 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." As with much of the Vietnam War, the news media misreported and misinterpreted the 1968 Tet Offensive. No. We had run patrols for about a month when I first saw action. My shit got weak and a sniper popped three rounds in my young ass. But I made it back in one piece. Now, to calmly answer your question, air strikes have actually been an efficient technique used by us for years now. Your article was quite interesting. Their personal income exceeds that of our non-veteran age group by more than 18 percent. Rarely do we examine war through the unique bond between a man and his weaponin this case the M60 machine gun. 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. Id love to see the casualties listed by Corps ? By mid-April 1967 I was pleading with the captain to get a replacement gunner for my M60 in 4th Platoon. The average age of the 58,148 US Servicemembers killed in Vietnam was . Shortly before 11 a.m. on May 18, the point squad in Company Bs 2nd Platoon spotted three NVA soldiers walking on a trail near the Cambodian border and attempted to capture them, but the NVA dashed off into the jungle. As far as I knew that was done in the whole battalion in 1968 . The machine guns were numbered within each platoon. the life expectancy of a LT in Vietnam in major combat was 16 minutes. The Organization of the Viet Cong Units in the South never recovered. Four platoons in a rifle company. I had to rely on my gun more than before. 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. Before he was drafted Renza had worked as a hairdresser for women in his hometown of Peekskill, New York. 1 Gun. I had an assistant gunner, Spc. I sure feel for all you guys that went outside the wire. Approximately 70% of those killed in Vietnam were volunteers. It was always quick/quick, load the bodies in and get the hell out. Of the . Yes, I made E4 at graduation, that was considered a NCO then. Welcome home brothers and sisters. According to the American War Library, as of February 28, 2019, it is estimated that approximately 610,000 Americans who served in land forces during the Vietnam War or in air missions over Vietnam between 1954 and 1975 are still alive to this day. KICK ASS AS NEEDED!!! 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 The Department of Defense Vietnam War Service Index officially provided by The War Library originally reported with errors that 2,709,918 U.S. military personnel as having served in-country. Thanks for the reply. May was eventually able to hand off 2nd Platoons No. We did interdictions, blocks and other fun things on the river. Nothing could be further from the truth. Love this analysis. We had been carrying machine guns for over seven months. As I remember it the life expectancy was based on after the ambush was sprung or the fire fight started. The fact is that most machine gunners, RTOs, junior officers and other extremely dangerous jobs survived the war. It doesnt make any sense statistically/mathematically it is impossible. Helicopters, F4 fighters. It was on the Job Training ! Also, it would mean the killed RTOs died within seconds of the fight (it doesnt distinguish between ambush or regular fight, eg. Thanks for posting! We were expecting, an attack. . 1 Gun onto a small hill and provide security while others retrieved them. 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. The Army suffered the most total casualties, 38,179 or 2.7 percent of its force. Its not all written down. 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 . As some said, averages are meaningless. Were talking averages, obviously so, an RTO, with an expectancy of 5 seconds (!) Learned a lot from him. What unit lost the most soldiers in Vietnam? to the empployees was very informative. The average age of the 58,148 US Servicemembers killed in Vietnam was 23.11 years (CACF) Going backwards (Apr. happened. S/F, There were no door gunners on dustoffs. Then we all, loaded on C-147 cargo planes. 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. A soldier or Marine in Vietnam had a 98% chance of survival if he was evacuated within the first hour of being injured the best odds in the history of American warfare up to that time. I was wasting ammo and didnt even have a target! For example, life expectancy of male and female Veterans with household incomes less than $20,000, at respectively. One out of every 10 Americans who served in Vietnam was a casualty. At Fort Lewis, every recruit learned to operate various weapons. I was a REMF but Ive heard of 05Cs that were stuck out in the boonies on a firebase. said to me. Unable to reach Company A, my company pulled back, formed a perimeter and called in air and artillery support. My assistant gunner and my ammo bearer also carried 300 rounds each. Some very close calls but I am alive at age 74. of what was usually 5 or 6 going in and many times the leads would find traps, punji pits or the VC waiting. The rule of thumb was , any new guys would get the radio and keep it until another new guy came in. We wanted a break. I had yet to fire a shot with No. Had multiple Ks and Ws. I was a helicopter pilot The American military did not lose a battle of any consequence. Also, it has been incorrectly reported that two of Kim Phucs brothers were killed in this incident. 1ST MAW 66-68. 1 gun! Everyone laughed. 99% of infantry men will currently live to die of natural causes. Mi hermana se sorprende N-F C-F Cl-F F-F 2 Answers C-F is the most polar. Life expectancy at birth. Two of my classmates were killed within 2 weeks incountry and three wounded I know of. Ron. Company B had seven dead, Grandstaff announced, and I was to take No. 2/3 of the men who served in World War II were drafted. Thanks. 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. According to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) there are now officially 58, 318 names on the wall. If you would like to get a copy, and cant find it, let me know, and I will make sure you get one. They were lazy, cowardly and of questionable loyalty, especially the RUFF/PUFFS, and they would steal your under ware if given half a chance. I also earned a Combat Infantryman Badge, signifying that I had been actively engaged in combat. Three-fourths had family incomes above the poverty level; 50% were from middle income backgrounds. 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. 79% had a high school education or better. 58,148 were killed and 304,000 wounded out of 2.7 million who served. Then we learned, appx: 1 mile to our North was, an American AMMO storage area. There were two different groups that flew aeromedical evacuations. I never thought of it that way before but have many times since. HistoryNet.com contains daily features, photo galleries and over 25,000 articles originally published in our nine magazines. A Co, 1/5 Cav, 1 Cav Division. 1 Gun, as always, thumped out a throaty roar as I fought desperately to push the enemy back. Hack volunteered for service in Vietnam in 1968, joining the 1st Infantry Division. I saw aircraft loaded with troops explode in mid-air. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. The first thing my platoon sgt. Corrections and confirmations to this errored index resulted in the addition of 358 U.S. military personnel confirmed to have served in Vietnam but not originally listed by the Department of Defense (All names are currently on file and accessible 24/7/365). As a Huey door gunner, when we left the ground on a mission, I always thought that this mission would be my last! Fact: 86% of the men who died in Vietnam were Caucasians, 12.5% were black, 1.2% were other races. 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 . The three of us had trained together at Fort Lewis and were good friends. 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. The first six or seven months I walked point for our platoon and led many ambushes and green eye patrols. meaning what is the chance of me getting killed in combat. There is no difference in drug usage between Vietnam Veterans and non-Vietnam Veterans of the same age group (Source: Veterans Administration Study). The one that should be there is the combat medic. The average man who fought in World War II was 26 years of age. Few areas of the world have been as hotly contested as the India-Pakistan border. Fact: The American military was not defeated in Vietnam. At this time- senior Army leadership ordered us all to read the Geneva Convention to our troops because of the My Lai debachle. Hurrying forward with No. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. No. Both were infantry in WW2. When Apache Snow began, I was an RTO, after Airborne, and before the CA on Dong Ap Bia, I became the AG for Roeski. 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. It didnt matter who you were or where you were. I was a medic on one for two yrs and the only weapon I was issue was a six-shot .38. My first tour was as an advisor to the VN Abn. 4329 0 obj <>stream LUCK pure LUCK. As I was running to the rivers edge, ready to unload on the VC hiding in the elephant grass, I ran past a grass hut and never bothered to clear it. Answer (1 of 12): It heavily depends. I, in turn, would take an M16 rifle, which felt like a feather in comparison. both tours. I was a 2nd Lt. Infantry platoon Leader. 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. 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? Out of the 3,000,000 men and women in our armed forces and reserves, we have lost 4,500 in this 9 year war. Work Plz. Two of my closest friends in the company, Spc. No creo que Susana _____ (seguir) sobre los consejos de su mdico. I was wounded 3 times during the 10 1/2 months I was in-country before being medevacd out in Apr of 68. An Hinglish word (Hindi/English). 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. The gas-operated, belt-fed gun had a maximum rate of fire of 550-650 rounds per minute. How Many Vietnam War Veterans Are Still Alive? Lowering my gun, I turned around and noticed two VC sitting in the doorway of the hut, staring at me. hmK#1+yNvA . We were in2dBn 503d . Welcome home!! Done ranting. 1 Gun was firing. I am convinced the same NVA soldier who shot at me moments before had killed my good friend, a budding doo-wop singer from Long Island, New York. What were the life expectancies of soldiers during the Vietnam War? Enemy fire greeted as us as soon as we landed near the village. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. If the enemy was near, we never saw any. I won a few times, and even when I did not I benefited from handling the gun under stress. I assisted Vessey and Capt Cartwright by helping prepare the Bee Hive Rounds (first time they were ever used), firing 4 rounds at proximity 0 range into a human wave attack on or weak side after 5 hours of relentless attacks on the opposite side of the perimeter Those 4 rounds killed @ 400 enemy soldiers, of the 881 total enemy losss John Vessey later became a 4 Star general and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs appointed by Reagan 1983, and at retirement became Chair of the POW MIA Commission for 14 years, Passing away in August 2016 just 6 months before our 50th Reunion. However, Shermans were very outmatched by the German tanks on the field of battle. I was a grunt with c co. 4/31 196th it inf bade. Units would send a thorough report of their KIA and WIA, battle action coordinates, estimated enemy troop strength, enemy unit KIA/captured and any known direction heading. I know the scouts in my company had a slightly longer rate but not much. From Cam Rahn, we kept flying north to, a Landing Zone near QUANG TRI. Take out the power center, youve got the edge. The ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand stayed free of Communism because of the U.S. commitment to Vietnam. The TOTAL number of CIB and CMB awarded would give you the answer !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ha Ha always enjoyed being a volunteer! The 4th Platoons single machine gun crewthe platoon had entered the fight short a gunhad been killed in the fighting, and I was to be moved there. Our chase after the enemy unwittingly led us into a large ambush. (LogOut/ The casualty rate in the current war today is a fraction. I couldnt disagree. 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. A documentary about our company and our 1st Sgt was made. Our 5th night there, the AMMO area started burning / blowing up. RIght there and the NVA we were usually up against knew this. Carried the prc25 for about 7 months. Diaphragm _____ 3. I flew Dustoff and our unit did not have M60s for protection, nor did any other Dustoff unit that Im aware of. Hats off to them. Contents 1 Unclear objectives 2 North Vietnamese strategy We then took all Trucks and equipment to the Port Of Saigon. I was in 2nd Platoon and carried the platoons No. 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. 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. Some 23% of Vietnam vets had fathers with professional, managerial The smell of those charred bodies, blackened and smoking from the napalm strike, is something I can never forget. That same day, I along with 3/4 others was transported to Long Bhin Post. The dead were placed on ponchos. 4 Bill May and Spc. 2023 CherriesWriter - Vietnam War website, RTO, John Scheur. I remember we were always short of replacements throughout 1968 because of the high Kia & wounded rate we suffered at that time ! Foot soldiers went by the grace of God, but had a better chance than the infantry platoon commander in combat. I had scary thoughts about myself humping the bush as a RTO, I was a real puny guy back then. 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. Found NVA bunker complex. located on the South End of, the Post. Tumbling end over end, the canisters exploded in a white-hot fireball. approaching a village and a firefight starts). I agree with all of the comments, however I would add Tunnel Rats to the group I was one and saw many of my friends die in those tunnels I was very fortunate or very lucky and was never a lead but was at the tail end. After that initial post-service period, Vietnam veterans were no more likely to die from suicide than non-Vietnam veterans. 67-67 11B 4th Id. 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. While I was in training, my motivation was to get these wings and I wear them today proudly, the airman recalled in 2015. Here are statistics from the Combat Area Casualty File (CACF) as of November 1993. I was an Infantry Scout Dog handler. Wow I was 31.8 Gun shot Carried model 1200 Winchester shot gun WIA May 68 Article was great. An NVA soldier had evidently spotted the gun and waited patiently for me to stick my head up. This is not Vietnam where a machine gunner's life expectancy was short because you had an entire army shooting at them. I was one of the lucky ones I came home without a physical scratch. In an instant the jungle erupted in gunfire. Theres 58,276. Supported by a shoulder strap, No. See also: Population 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. Out of thousands of men that invaded that town in southern Afghanistan, we have lost 19. Great information. In the last 5 years the symptoms of PTSD and AO are starting getting worse in me. Nicknamed "the pig" due to its size, weight and sound, the gun struck fear into enemy troops. Subscribe to receive our weekly newsletter with top stories from master historians. Change). I had been shot in the back early in the battle and was lying behind a log with two other soldiers. El subjuntivo When we reached Company A, we placed our dead in the center of the two-company perimeter.