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

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. The Army suffered the most total casualties, 38,179 or 2.7 percent of its force. (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. A much better approach would be/have been: of all the combat-casualties, what was their Not to mention that right now its safer than some cities in the us. Id had a premonition, and asked the LT to let me trade off to become the AG. We soon learned that the NVA troops were very different from the local guerrillas we had fought around Tuy Hoa. To cut the Ho Chi Minh Traila week after the mission endedthe trail was booming with business from the north.. Then I dropped back down in the streambed to organize our ammo. 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. We gathered the casualties and set out for Company A. They were held in special regard after the Normandy landings, when 225 Rangers scaled cliffs at Pointe Du Hoc on June 6, 1944 under intense enemy fire. A "Sapper" is a combat engineer soldier who is with the front line infantry troops. Even the AP photographer, Nick Ut, who took the picture, was Vietnamese. Stop staring at your computer already, get up. As soon as he did, a round hit him in the forehead, blowing out the back of his skull. 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." Despite initial victories by the Communists forces, the Tet Offensive resulted in a major defeat of those forces. News media have reported tha an American commander ordered the air strike that burned Kim Phuc.Those are incorrect. Many were killed or wounded ! Out of thousands of men that invaded that town in southern Afghanistan, we have lost 19. It was a daily challenge to know who your real enemy was. Thank You for your courageous service as an RTO with the legendary Hawk Recon Platoon. I just wanted to get off No. Tumbling end over end, the canisters exploded in a white-hot fireball. HistoryNet.com is brought to you by HistoryNet LLC, the worlds largest publisher of history magazines. They were Kims cousins not her brothers. Vietnam War the helicopters that came in to transport soldiers were the hardest hit with mass casualties . They kept coming up the hill bringing more bodies to me until all seven had been found. The body felt as though it weighed considerably more than it looked. BUT WE MUST ALSO BE COGNIZANT OF OUR REQUIREMENT TO BE COMPASSIONATE HUMAN BEINGS. We killed a lot of the enemy but we took few serious casualties. Everyone in the company hit the dirt. The first six or seven months I walked point for our platoon and led many ambushes and green eye patrols. 4329 0 obj <>stream 74% say they would serve again, even knowing the outcome. He was not the type to hump a radio. 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. But I made it back in one piece. From Cam Rahn, we kept flying north to, a Landing Zone near QUANG TRI. Arthur Parker and Spc. Was it left behind on some forgotten battlefield? both tours. One of them gazed in our direction, lowered his AK 47 assault rifle and fired six shots. Very Good , I was a radio operator up in I corps in 68 & to me the worst thing was the walking . !We dont abuse prisoners Now, if he reaches for his weapon to continue the fight BLOW HIS ASS AWAY THIS AINT SUNDAY SCHOOL!!! Thank You Roger!!! The average time lapse between wounding to hospitalization was less than one hour. S/F, There were no door gunners on dustoffs. 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. By this census, FOUR OUT OF FIVE WHO CLAIM TO BE VIETNAM VETS ARE NOT. waving then I realized they Werent shooting at him only at the 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. 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 Company A, 22 men had been killedadded to the seven killed in Company B. 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. 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. In 1964 an Ohio woman took up the challenge that had led to Amelia Earharts disappearance. As mentioned, who kept track of that in the first place? The rolling fire burned everything to the ground and undoubtedly killed scores of NVA. In your rucksack . is sharing facts, thats truly good, keep up writing. . Theres 58,276. 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. Assigned to HHC 1/77 Armor, 1st, BDE 5th Inf. I may not have hit anyone that day, but I am certain that No. 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. He served as a sergeant with the Big Red One in Lai Khe, Vietnam. Company A searched in vain for the platoon in the dark and finally found the shattered unit on the morning of May 19. I kept the radio because I understood the power of having the first communication with the support mechanisms of the military. rice farmer who was still working with is ox like nothing ever Mech. I personally believe and agree with previous posts that when its your time, not much you can do. Me molesta que mis padres no ______ (cuidar) su alimentacin.. 3. After about 30 minutes, the four enemy soldiers got up and left the area. 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. During that same Census count, the number of Americans falsely claiming to have served was: 9,492,958. 1 Gun over my shoulder, grabbed a corner of a poncho and stumbled off with three other soldiers. 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. I had scary thoughts about myself humping the bush as a RTO, I was a real puny guy back then. Fighters and planes dont make up the Army, thats the Air Force. of what was usually 5 or 6 going in and many times the leads would find traps, punji pits or the VC waiting. It resulted in the death of some 45,000 NVA troops and the complete, if not total destruction of the Viet Cong elements in South Vietnam. 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. One out of every 10 Americans who served in Vietnam was a casualty. 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. Then the tempo changed suddenly and violently. The man listed as missing was machine gunner Joe DeLong, captured along with No. My heart was pounding out of my chest. Thanks. A typical Patrol Boat River (PBR) was about 31 feet long and had twin 50s forward an M 60 midships and a 50 aft. Welcome Home Roger. Nobody attacked, where we were. My shit got weak and a sniper popped three rounds in my young ass. Half of the company hopped off the Huey on one side of the river, and the rest exited on the other side. hmK#1+yNvA They were well-armed, well-trained and knew how to fight. And yes, please God, bless America. 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. Were talking averages, obviously so, an RTO, with an expectancy of 5 seconds (!) We were very, lucky. 79% had a high school education or better. 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.. Company B had seven dead, Grandstaff announced, and I was to take No. . I spent my year in Vietnam with the 1/22nd infantry part of the 4th division. Ive always considered myself damn lucky to make it out alive. There must have been a real mathematician to come up with those calculations. 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. So I guess i lasted longer than I was supposed to. The first man to die in Vietnam was James Davis, in 1961. The man with the carbine immediately dropped it, and the two VC surrendered. They were also in a circular formation. to the empployees was very informative. 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. What was the life expectancy of a point man in Vietnam? History is who we are and why we are the way we are.. 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. 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 (and yes, you cant ask them, so it would have to be derived from the AA-reports and survivors). After a couple of hours, the Viet Cong stopped shooting and melted back into the jungle. After that initial post-service period, Vietnam veterans were no more likely to die from suicide than non-Vietnam veterans. 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 91% of Vietnam Veterans say they are glad they served. Flipping the safety off, I scanned the jungle in front of me. Helicopters, F4 fighters. I know this is a standard cliche, but it is so true, All gave some. then youd carry an extra 200 rounds of M60 ammo for the machine gunner , plus drag grenades , one smoke grenade plus etc. The smell of those charred bodies, blackened and smoking from the napalm strike, is something I can never forget. As of the current Census taken during August, 2000, the surviving U.S. Vietnam Veteran population estimate is: 1,002,511. Two of my classmates were killed within 2 weeks incountry and three wounded I know of. 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. We were all in our Bunkers, and at the ready with our weapons. It was just north of Saigon. In Vietnam he cut the hair of everyone in his company for free. I was a grunt with c co. 4/31 196th it inf bade. I met a Marine a few years ago who was stationed North of Da Nang. 4. It was an HONOR and a privilege to serve with these brave men for my 11 month tour. The helicopter provided unprecedented mobility. Event date is used instead of declared dead date for some of those who were listed as missing in action). 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. Two of my closest friends in the company, Spc. 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. This is not Vietnam where a machine gunner's life expectancy was short because you had an entire army shooting at them. I am 16 years old an 150 pounds qith some good muscle. These records were transferred into the custody of the National Archives and Records Administration in 2008. the life expectancy of a LT in Vietnam in major combat was 16 minutes. 87% of Americans hold Vietnam Veterans in high esteem. 8h%5HF8r,X'q#Vtgz%)P/Oi#rU(uO&*Xx1t^=xVLi 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 last American troops departed in their entirety 29 March 1973. Wortman, another RTO never made it back to The World. Ambushed on October 4th,1967. I saw killed and wounded everywhere in our combat operations. Still shaken, I grabbed the gun and crawled to the left inside the streambed. Also: for years I have read those life-expectancy numbers never really understanding them, but also noting that they wildly vary. We looked for cover and returned fire the best we could. 1 Gun more than I did. The average life expectancy of a Soviet soldier during the height of the battle was just 24 hours. Hats off to them. 1 Gun onto a small hill and provide security while others retrieved them. I am one lucky SOB. El subjuntivo Required fields are marked *. An infantry platoon commander in combat had an average of 6 weeks life expectancy. I personally carried 300 rounds of ammo at all times, one belt in the gun and two across my chest. In January 1967, the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry, was airlifted to Pleiku province in the Central Highlands. Although we do tend to bomb a lot, thats only half of what we do. Point, slack and compass. Some Brothers said why spend another year in this hellhole???? In 1973, Renza opened his own salon in Peekskill. By the time we reached Vietnam in October 1966 I felt the gun had become a part of me. The oldest man killed was 62 years old. Both halves quickly swept toward the river to clear the village. HistoryNet.com contains daily features, photo galleries and over 25,000 articles originally published in our nine magazines. We were like sitting Ducks. Vietnam veterans' personal income exceeds that of our non-veteran age group by more than 18 percent. We took fire all the time and responded. 1 Gun had registered its first kill. "And in seizing the firm land at the . Welcome home. The average age of the 58,148 US Servicemembers killed in Vietnam was 23.11 years (CACF) Going backwards (Apr. The Indonesians threw the Soviets out in 1966 because of Americas commitment in Vietnam. Vietnam Veterans were the best educated forces our nation had ever sent into combat. The average man who fought in World War II was 26 years of age. (Getty Images) Most war stories are about soldiers and battles. 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. Point was the safest place to be,they knew to wait for key elements, RTO, Medica, M60 Gunners. We could not see any enemy soldiers, but we could see smoke coming from their weapons through the trees. 23,24 This study found that the death rate for Vietnam veterans was 1.3 times that for non-Vietnam veterans; however, the excess deaths were limited to Engineer Corps members (RR, 2.5). Vietnam War soldiers endured many hardships and faced many problems. Lt lost a finger, same time. I always was told that the life expectancy of a LT was 14 seconds in INITIAL combat versus 9 seconds for an RTO. No. From the Landing Zone, we were carried not too far. None of the enlisted grades have an average age of less than 20. Nicknamed "the pig" due to its size, weight and sound, the gun struck fear into enemy troops. We then took all Trucks and equipment to the Port Of Saigon. Non-divisional aeromedical evacuation units went by the callsign DUSTOFF. I couldnt see DeLong and didnt know if No. It was just part of the job. Approximately 70% of those killed in Vietnam were volunteers. If it was 1941 and you were an average Soviet soldier, your life expectancy on the front line was days, not weeks, thanks to the ongoing german offence. Thank You General Vessey for the almost 53 years I have lived since that day. May they rest in peace. 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. I was told to help carry one of the bodies. Can I use this word like this: The addressal by the C.E.O. I was told my life expectancy was about 45 secs during a fire fight because of the weapons and demo I carried. An NVA soldier had evidently spotted the gun and waited patiently for me to stick my head up. 97% of Vietnam Veterans were honorably discharged. Some very close calls but I am alive at age 74. THANKS! We ambushed and got ambushed, firebase got attacked who carried what or did what had no bearing. The rule of thumb was , any new guys would get the radio and keep it until another new guy came in. Wow I was 31.8 Gun shot Carried model 1200 Winchester shot gun WIA May 68 Article was great. What was the average life expectancy of a soldier in Vietnam? Together we had passed the test. As we approached the battle, we heard intense firing. I knew some of this, but certainly not all. Much smaller income differentials in life expectancy, 0.2 to 3.6 life-years smaller for Veterans in 2010-17 are estimated. My assistant gunner and my ammo bearer also carried 300 rounds each. Certainly got my attention. The group found the first man killed and carried him up the hill, placing his body right next to me. To an, open area. 1 gun and was hoping it would stay that way. 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. Fact: Mortality studies show that 9,000 is a better estimate. 1 Gun used to kill Americans? They were glad to see me as it had been a while for replacements with the unit. See my calculation below in the comments bogus indeed. I was a 2LT on Hamburger Hill and had 4 RTOs over a 7 day period (excluding the times I ended up carrying my own radio). What the hell did you hit him with? one of our men shouted. I was never formally trained as an RTO. 1,713,823 of those who served in Vietnam were still alive as of August, 1995 (census figures). July 68 to July 69. It was very nearly my last. 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 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! 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. Calculate the pH of a solution of 0.157 M pyridine. "The Rangers pulled themselves over the top," President Ronald Reagan said of the men, in 1984. After a quick lesson, DeLong became the new owner of 4th Platoons No.1 Gun. Americans who deliberately killed civilians received prison sentences while Communists who did so received commendations. I was an Artillery Forward Observer with the Infantry. 9,087,000 military personnel served on active duty during the official Vietnam era from August 5, 1964 to May 7, 1975. I was in 2nd Platoon and carried the platoons No. I was lucky too but VN never left me. Interesting reading. Hey Robert I was with the 38th Scout Dog Plt. The answer that we have always been given is that 1 year in the Infantry is equivalent to 3 years of hard labor. At Fort Lewis, every recruit learned to operate various weapons. From 1957 to 1973, the National Liberation Front assassinated 36,725 Vietnamese and abducted another 58,499. Your article was quite interesting. Dont know why, but generally, their aircraft were not armed (door gunners, etc.). Very interesting I carried theM 60 for 5 months that gun would cut down anything. I was still pondering the move to 4th Platoon when U.S. Air Force jets screamed over the treetops with canisters of napalm. At age 55, World War 2 Veterans The Kb of pyridine, C5H5N, is 1.5 x 10-9. If it had been up to me, I would have awarded my gun the CIB too. 82nd 2/505th. That same day, I along with 3/4 others was transported to Long Bhin Post.