life expectancy of an infantry soldier in vietnam

If my memory is correct, only the 1st Cab flew wiith doorgunners. I was to have that experience two more times before it was over. (LogOut/ Vietnam veterans' personal income exceeds that of our non-veteran age group by more than 18 percent. To my right, Piambino had poked his head out of the trench to fire his M16 rifle. The trailer for that video can be seen by googling the title, and it might still be sold on Amazon. I remember hearing somewhere about an RTO who wasnt getting the info out correctly and the Lieutenant (Kennedy) grabbed the mic and said My RTO Is Foxtrot Uniform. 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. 85% of Vietnam Veterans made successful transitions to civilian life. What unit lost the most soldiers in Vietnam? approaching a village and a firefight starts). 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. 1 Gun and I now faced a new and more formidable foethe North Vietnamese Army. The first six or seven months I walked point for our platoon and led many ambushes and green eye patrols. My assistant gunner and my ammo bearer also carried 300 rounds each. 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. I felt the same way jumping off the chopper with my m-60, 300. rounds of ammo,grenades,sandbags and six canteens of water. We took fire all the time and responded. It had a crew of 4 (forward gunner, the coxswain (steering and driving) and the two aft gunners. Rarely do we examine war through the unique bond between a man and his weaponin this case the M60 machine gun. Amen I was a machine gunner for 7 months 503rd infantry 173rd airborne and you hit the nail right on the head. I was an Artillery Forward Observer 13F20 E-5 at that time. Umm..maybe its because we also learn from experience. Interesting but something is missing. Sure, its softer than it was before, but the training they go through is intense, something a loser who spends his time on the computer all day attacking people he doesnt know anything about and all the facts CANNOT do. I was a grunt with c co. 4/31 196th it inf bade. 4 Joey Piambino were to my right in the streambed. Welcome home!! What is the life expectancy of Vietnam veterans? By mid-April 1967 I was pleading with the captain to get a replacement gunner for my M60 in 4th Platoon. 67-67 11B 4th Id. 1 Gun more than I did. 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. The first thing my platoon sgt. Naturally I was excited at the opportunity to join Sanzone, but at the same time I hated leaving 2nd Platoons No. 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. 8h%5HF8r,X'q#Vtgz%)P/Oi#rU(uO&*Xx1t^=xVLi Your email address will not be published. The peace settlement was signed in Paris on 27 January 1973. However, Shermans were very outmatched by the German tanks on the field of battle. by Zita Ballinger Fletcher 1/18/2022. I didnt want any medals. Cruz quite a lot. We were expecting, an attack. It was always quick/quick, load the bodies in and get the hell out. Wow I was 31.8 Gun shot Carried model 1200 Winchester shot gun WIA May 68 Article was great. 2023 CherriesWriter - Vietnam War website, RTO, John Scheur. Overview - Medics and Corpsmen - Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund Both halves quickly swept toward the river to clear the village. As a result, less than one percent of all Americans wounded, who survived the first 24 hours, died. On the morning of March 22, 1967, companies A and B of my battalion began a search-and-destroy operation along the Cambodian border. I had been shot in the back early in the battle and was lying behind a log with two other soldiers. We do have infantry (why do you think we have that MOS? I was never hit by enemy fire even though they had multiple opportunities after that I was an rto for the company commander and I have to say both jobs were not fun. wmy:LsN{/^yzJ] 6.7>n-:FqOa#CW>ia?wt?Xa@ghCd bF)`Schl4*f. He served as a sergeant with the Big Red One in Lai Khe, Vietnam. The oldest man killed was 62 years old. 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. We had 5 kias and roughly 50 wounded in our company so about one in three got hit. Was Billeted near an Army medevac Unit and was offered a chance to lay on my stomach with an M16 and door gun for them I decided not a good Idea. 4322 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<4E412331B845E54EBDFDC79FA0627A18>]/Index[4314 16]/Info 4313 0 R/Length 65/Prev 560501/Root 4315 0 R/Size 4330/Type/XRef/W[1 3 1]>>stream Still shaken, I grabbed the gun and crawled to the left inside the streambed. 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. 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. An interesting essay, even more interesting are the comments. I was never formally trained as an RTO. That was supposed to be 58, 220. but wait, there are more numbers for the same story. Please do not send samples. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_aircraft_losses_of 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 !!! 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 an M-60 machine gunner for a battalion recon platoon in 1967, for the First Infantry Division, Known as The Black Scarf Battalion. 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. What was the average life expectancy of a soldier in battle on - Quora The group found the first man killed and carried him up the hill, placing his body right next to me. It was on the Job Training ! 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. I was a 2nd Lt. Infantry platoon Leader. What were the life expectancies of soldiers during the VietnamWar? I was told to help carry one of the bodies. The American military did not lose a battle of any consequence. By this census, FOUR OUT OF FIVE WHO CLAIM TO BE VIETNAM VETS ARE NOT. While traveling through the boonies the first few men were usually always shot first. They also had a 12 gauge, and a M 79 grenade launcher and M 16. 1 Gun was on my hip with the safety off, ready to rock and roll. The Marine Corps lost 14,836, or 5 percent . He decided to stay even though he had a deep feeling he wasnt going to make it. Sometimes on Family Guy when there about to take someones heart out they say, calimar or maybe its spelled different. 97% of Vietnam Veterans were honorably discharged. Tumbling end over end, the canisters exploded in a white-hot fireball. I never thought of it that way before but have many times since. Some 23% of Vietnam vets had fathers with professional, managerial The most comprehensive and authoritative history site on the Internet. You of course had the radio plus xtra batteries & handsets plus your rucksack with 7 to 8 canteens , 20 mags ( I used to carry 17 rounds in the mags instead of 20 ) because the springs would force the round into the chamber causing jams . 101st Airborne Division. As I made my way to the river, I saw a VC guerrilla jump into the water on the other side. And yes, please God, bless America. In January 1967, the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry, was airlifted to Pleiku province in the Central Highlands. Very Good , I was a radio operator up in I corps in 68 & to me the worst thing was the walking . Thats what I figured but didnt know for sure. Thank You for your courageous service as an RTO with the legendary Hawk Recon Platoon. An infantry platoon commander in combat had an average of 6 weeks life expectancy. 1 Gun became my very best friend. After about 30 minutes, the four enemy soldiers got up and left the area. In 1964 an Ohio woman took up the challenge that had led to Amelia Earharts disappearance. 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! History is a guide to navigation in perilous times. The early days of May 1970, I arrived at the Airport, next to Saigon. El subjuntivo Like most inexperienced gunners, he underestimated the power of the pig and failed to keep the barrel down when firing. Back home he returned to hairdressing and got a job at Kenneth Salon in New York City working with top models and fashion magazine editors. I know this is a standard cliche, but it is so true, All gave some. 2 Gun team, Ranallo and May, without any support. Was a door gunner and crew chief for just shy of 18 months (I extended to get out early). As I remember it the life expectancy was based on after the ambush was sprung or the fire fight started. Well he didnt make it. Ed, I was in a Grunt Platoon in Vietnam 70-71. Express your answer in terms of x. Welcome home brothers and sisters. I was a helicopter pilot I saw killed and wounded everywhere in our combat operations. Saw from mostly safe distance almost all the weapons systems that where there used. Es ridculo que t ______ (tener) un resfriado en verano. Here is an 18 'No. 1 Gun': An M60 Machine Gunner in Vietnam Tells His Story - HistoryNet Fighters and planes dont make up the Army, thats the Air Force. Life Expectancy by Country and in the World (2023) - Worldometer Whether they produced battlefield images of the dead or daguerreotype portraits of common soldiers, []. 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. PDF Mortality Rates and Life Expectancy of Veterans from 1980 to 2017, and 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. We walked the mountains and rice patties all thru Tu Thien Province. Over the next two months, we exchanged fire with groups of the NVA. Five men killed in Vietnam were only 16 years old. Vietnam War U.S. Military Fatal Casualty Statistics I was with HHC and 1st Platoon C Company in 70-71. If you were an administrative officer or clerk in an air-conditioned trailer in Saigon, your war might be a lot like peacetime duty. To an, open area. The Regiment traces its lineage back to World War II. Ever since that fateful day in 1967, I have often wondered what became of my beloved M60. (LogOut/ 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. They used the callsign MEDIVAC and were armed. If anything went wrong, I could easily kill some of our soldiers. HOOAH!!! Cluster F, SNAFU and FUBAR fer sur. 1 Gun before my luck ran out. I had yet to fire a shot with No. 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.. I look over to where can i find red bird vienna sausage? Fact: The American military was not defeated in Vietnam. We could not see any enemy soldiers, but we could see smoke coming from their weapons through the trees. Suddenly I realized that my platoon sergeant was screaming at me to stop firing. No trees or anything on the ground. I was already lugging around a 24-pound weapon, 300 rounds of ammo and a pack that weighed a good 45 pounds. I was shot down on my very first mission in July 1968. I picked up my M60 and walked to the center of the perimeter, where I found the company commander, Capt. How Many Vietnam War Veterans Are Still Alive? . You seen the enemy you shots him and vice versa. We did interdictions, blocks and other fun things on the river. Still, militarily, the Tet Offensive was a total defeat of the Communist forces on all fronts. Really? No. They were glad to see me as it had been a while for replacements with the unit. 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. See also: Population Hi, the whole thing is going nicely here and ofcourse every one I sure feel for all you guys that went outside the wire. The key may be the word initial since we became more savvy with successive combats and had improved survivability. Information presented by SFC (Ret) David Hack. What Is The Average Life Expectancy Of A Vietnam Veteran? I have a fried Who is killed in Vietnam six months before I got there cause of death was other how would I find out since his parents are long gone, Do a search for his name n Coffeltdatabase.org, Sir, would you mind me translating this into Spanish and getting it posted in our blog? Change). 1 Gun kept a lot of enemy heads down. I got shot on a mission with 45 days left. I am proud to have fought alongside of them. Assigned to HHC 1/77 Armor, 1st, BDE 5th Inf. 2) by my research, medics suffered 93% casualties with about 33% deaths. 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. .. In Vietnam he cut the hair of everyone in his company for free. After that initial post-service period, Vietnam veterans were no more likely to die from suicide than non-Vietnam veterans. One out of every 10 Americans who served in Vietnam was a casualty. Two of my classmates were killed within 2 weeks incountry and three wounded I know of. Our patrols were typically about 14 hours 24/7 We operated of old LSTs and large barges. A Co, 1/5 Cav, 1 Cav Division. No. I always found life expectancy numbers interesting in that I could never find any supporting information that could be validated. Lt lost a finger, same time. 1 gun and was hoping it would stay that way. Eventually I found a spot where the bed leveled off and began firing on the NVA. The 140,000 evacuees in April 1975 during the fall of Saigon consisted almost entirely of civilians and Vietnamese military, NOT American military running for their lives. Nervous, I set up my gun on the hill and loaded a new hundred-round belt. said to me. Then I dropped back down in the streambed to organize our ammo. As we approached the battle, we heard intense firing. Overrun and utterly destroyed, the 30-man 4th Platoon had suffered 21 killed and one missing. Now we know. Arthur Parker and Spc. A much better approach would be/have been: of all the combat-casualties, what was their Both served in A 2/18 1st Infantry Division For some reason, the written word of this article was somehow deleted and lost. Jimmy aaja, jimmy aaja. It was a chaotic nightmare. Sorry,I was one of your Brothers in Arms that helped talk you out of enlisting for another year in Vietnam. then youd carry an extra 200 rounds of M60 ammo for the machine gunner , plus drag grenades , one smoke grenade plus etc. The average age of the men killed: 23.1 years. 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. There must have been a real mathematician to come up with those calculations. As some said, averages are meaningless. They were Kims cousins not her brothers. 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. 91% of Vietnam Veterans say they are glad they served. What were the life expectancies of soldiers during the Vietnam War? The Davis Station in Saigon was named for him. Thanks for the reply. As a Huey door gunner, when we left the ground on a mission, I always thought that this mission would be my last! Mech. 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. Foot soldiers went by the grace of God, but had a better chance than the infantry platoon commander in combat. 9,087,000 military personnel served on active duty during the official Vietnam era from August 5, 1964 to May 7, 1975. Fact: 2/3 of the men who served in Vietnam were volunteers. Three-fourths had family incomes above the poverty level; 50% were from middle income backgrounds. 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 packed my own radio and got a Thank you from his Mom. The three of us had trained together at Fort Lewis and were good friends. 0 Some of my men didnt. 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." Not much different than his unit. The casualty rate in the current war today is a fraction. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. These records were transferred into the custody of the National Archives and Records Administration in 2008. Michael Doolittle..I was with 1/8 inf, 1st Brigade, and that day, March 22nd was also our darkest day. The last American troops departed in their entirety 29 March 1973. The fact that PDoggbiker cant find any decent calculation/explanation, tells us a lot.

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