Thread: Vietnam Vets, sign in please.

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I was an instant winner in the '69 draft lottery. I was assigned to the 1/46th Inf, 196th LIB, in VN from 07/70 to 07/71. I was a regular infantry soldier. I retired from the Army in 2001.

I was a UH-1, AH1, OH56, OH6 and CH47 Chinook Helicopter flight engineer tho i never actually crewed anything but the OH6 LOCH the AH1 Cobra and the UH-1 series including a M model gunship. AND yes, they were very flamable, much of the air frame was magnesium which DOES burn and quite hot too. during my tour i had 5 FORCED LANDINGS(read that crashes) of helicopters i crewed, 4 of which i was on board. The 5th i was not, at that point i was an AH1 Cobra chief and chiefs do not fly on Cobra's, sometimes, depending the mission, not on the OH6 or the OH58 either, and never on the MASH famous OH13.
In Nam i was assigned every mission a Helicopter was used for, including a 2 month stint as a med evac crew chief out of Tahn Se Neiut air base/Saigon/Cholon
and the last 3 moinths of my tour as a cheif on a UH1 Mike Model Gun ship in the 1st Air Cav's 229th Aviation Battalion. Our Charge was cavalry air support for the 1st air cav's 1/9 Artillery, 25th Infantry and the BIG RED 1 infantry in 3 corps( central South Viet-Nam).

I was 16 when my parents signed the papers . Turned 17 in September of 1973 and was active duty by October 10th 1973 . I never left the USA since Nam was winding down . I did use all the benefits that came with it though made me better .

Originally Posted by bluestang67

I was 16 when my parents signed the papers . Turned 17 in September of 1973 and was active duty by October 10th 1973 . I never left the USA since Nam was winding down . I did use all the benefits that came with it though made me better .

bluestang67

Sounds familiar likewise I just turned 17 when I signed up, I took an oath to protect my Country. I stayed Stateside also but my older brother was there. He was in his second term when I joined, he had been in Germany and volunteered for Viet Nam. My brother died from cancer three years ago he just turned 62 got his first S.S Check it had to be sent back because he died before the end of the Month. Like the others had mentioned my brother didn’t talk about his time in Viet Nam.

I wonder how many brothers were in at the same time during Viet Nam.

If I had it to do all over again I would do it in a Heart Beat. I was in from Jan. 64 to Jan 67.

Richard

Originally Posted by ford2custom

bluestang67

Sounds familiar likewise I just turned 17 when I signed up, I took an oath to protect my Country. I stayed Stateside also but my older brother was there. He was in his second term when I joined, he had been in Germany and volunteered for Viet Nam. My brother died from cancer three years ago he just turned 62 got his first S.S Check it had to be sent back because he died before the end of the Month. Like the others had mentioned my brother didn’t talk about his time in Viet Nam.

I wonder how many brothers were in at the same time during Viet Nam.

If I had it to do all over again I would do it in a Heart Beat. I was in from Jan. 64 to Jan 67.

Richard

My brother who is 6 years older was in at the same time . He served 1971 to 1975 stationed at Ft Meyers , He was into computer stuff then like now . He mentioned White House guest lists but also stayed stateside his term . He wears tie's to work and I try getting the grease of my hands works out great .

Bluestang67, tho the war was winding down when u became active duty and u never left the states you did serve during the Viet-Nam era and as such supported those of us who DID serve in Nam.
I was home a few years by 73,(came home in July of 70) there were still service men and women serving in harms way, believe me when i say, whatever capacity u served in or where u served ur support was im sure much appreciated. I am one who does appreciate that, as i do ALL military service personel past present and future.

My brother went to nam before i did, he was back by the time i got in country, but i had an uncle there, my father's youngest brother when i went, he DEROS'd before i did tho.
As for Nam Vet's talking about it, few do unless its to another vet who also served there, reason seems to b that other than that, no opne quite grasps what it was like....
That and the fact that returnin Nam Vets didn't get the best of treatment, even from the general public...
I came back to the world thru Oakland, when we debarked there were a crown of protesters marchin about, most of em grungy hippie types who obviously never served in any capacity protestin US as if we were murderers and such.
Almost went to the stockade bout that, i went off n charged em...

Originally Posted by MrWizard455

My brother went to nam before i did, he was back by the time i got in country, but i had an uncle there, my father's youngest brother when i went, he DEROS'd before i did tho.
As for Nam Vet's talking about it, few do unless its to another vet who also served there, reason seems to b that other than that, no opne quite grasps what it was like....
That and the fact that returnin Nam Vets didn't get the best of treatment, even from the general public...
I came back to the world thru Oakland, when we debarked there were a crown of protesters marchin about, most of em grungy hippie types who obviously never served in any capacity protestin US as if we were murderers and such.
Almost went to the stockade bout that, i went off n charged em...

I understand what you are saying. I was spit on, called baby killer...etc when I returned home. As far as the public was concerned we were lower than snakes bellies for being over there doing what we were sent there to do.

This pass Friday I was at the largest Army/Navy surplus store in this area looking for a box to make my tool box from and I felt like screaming at the clecks in the store for the lack of Vietnam era items to buy. It was like the whole Nam era has been pushed back in some dark corner to cover its shame. Oh there were a few bumper stickers and a couple of old unit patches for sale but when I ask if they had anything from the 2nd Field Forces, Vietnam era, I was told no. One older man said, "We havent had any of that stuff in years, alot of new wars have come and gone since then so are only carry whats resent now". Talk about a hit in the gut, that was one. As I walked out I thought to myself,"Its been 39 years since I was there and we have been forgotten".

Thats why we dont talk about it. Only those who were there understand.

Larry

Crazyrat, i was fortunate that after AIT, and Jump sch, i was in the 1st Air Cav, when i came home i was stationed at Ft. Hood, the remainder of my 6 years service.
The hell of it was, it was my intention to make a career of the military, but i was starting to have bouts of illness b4 i left country. by the time i was home a couple years it was worse. the military response turned from minor medical treatment, to corporal punishment because THEY couldn't figure out what happened to me between the time i went and the time i came home. Of course they decided it was nothing........
once it was clear that not only was i NOT going to get any medical assistance, i was going to suffer corporal punishment for being sick, it was time to go. I managed to recover my hghest rank by the end of my last enlistment and got out; 12/4/68-12/3/74 Company A, B, D,HHQ 229th aviation battalion, 1st air cavalry division..6/23/69-7/13/70......RPSV
Still, im able to get my unit patches, my unit still exists...silver lining to every cloud huh ?
Hey Guys, vets to vets, those of us who SAW combat in any service, any time...
despite it all, wasn't it the most alive time u had in ur life ? the time u were most alert, most supportive, most dependable in ur whole life ?
that time when u could honestly feel u had the whole weight of country on ur shoulders...and tho u mourn u brothers, AND sisters in war lost, ur proud of them AND urself...FOR them and urself ?....Amen ?

amen!!!!!!!!:d

Wow....Im glad this thread was revived....I didnt realize how many of my Viet Nam brothers were here!....I was in country stationed in Long Than North with the 2nd Signal group, Aviation Det. 68-69.......Fun times, is all Im gonna say....Welcome home brothers!!!!

I went to Viet Nam in October of 1972. The Paris Peace Talks had just broken down, so President Nixon started a huge bombing campaign on Hanoi. We started getting increasing rocket attacks. By then, we were staying in our "secure" area, but we did have to provide our own area defense of course. I was made a M-60 gunner on M-113 APC and had no idea of what I was doing! Fortunately, we never got the expected attack, only rocket fire. Perhaps the other side was just waiting for the end also.
The Vietnamese came back to the table and a plan was resolved. I think the date for cease fire was Feb 11, 1973? Anyway, we were on perimeter defense that night, into the morning. In the early morning darkness, we began to get some rockets fired into our area. At the predetermined time of cease-fire, the rockets stopped. Eight AM if I remember correctly. I recall this as being a very strange and surreal moment. We were told that we had been in the last combat action of the war. But this is embarrassing to me as I had not experienced anything like others had endured.
Anyway, the war was over. I sure wish it had been the last one.

i seem to have been a bit older than MOST when i went into the military as well as when i ended up IN-Country...had my 20th Bday IN-COUNTRY less than halfway thru my tour.
I was a bit over a year out of hgh school, graduated June 14, 1967, and jus shy of 3 months past my 19th Bday, Sept. 11, 1968, on Dec 4 1968 when i enlisted into the military RA67165179, Basic at Ft. Campbell, KY; AIT at Ft. Eustis , VA; Jump at Ft. Bragg N.C..67n10 Primary, Helicopter Flight Engineer; 67n20 secondary Rotory Wing Turbine engine Acraft Repairman. Trained on ALL the UH1 series, The AH1, The OH13, OH6, OH57, and the CH47 Chinook... I worked on all at one point or another during my 6 years in the military, I actually crewed all the UH1 series, includin a Mike Model Gunship which was a gun laden A or B model UH1, the AH1, the OH6 LOCH, and before the end of my time in the military at Ft. Hood, the CH47. A Co 15 S&T BN 1st Air cav.
In-Country 6/23/69@ CamRahn Bay;to Bien Hoa for orientation; to A CO. 229th AVN BN 1st Air Cav, Tahn Ninh RSVN, crewed H and 1 B model UH1; HHQ. CO. 229th AVN BN 1st Air Cav Tahn Ninh RSVN crewed OH6; D. CO. 229th AVN BN 1st Air Cav Dau Tieng RSVN crewed AH1's; TDY 1/9 HHQ CO 1st Air Cav Bu Dopp Forward Fire support Base, Bu Dopp RSVN crewed OH6 FAC Support and Spotter w/ AF OV10 Squaudron from Tayh Ninh; B CO. 229th AVN BN 1st Air Cav Dau Tieng RSVN crewed UH1D; TDY B CO. 229th AVN BN DET 1st Air Cav Cu Chi RSVN crewed UH1H;HHQ CO 229th AVN BN DET Tahn SE Neiut AFB RSVN crewed UH1H; TDY B CO. 229th AVN BN DET 1st Air Cav crewed OH6 Song Be Forward Fire Support Base 1/9 D CO. ART 1st Air Cav crewed OH6 FAC support/spotter; B CO. 229th AVN BN 1st Air Cav Dau Tieng RSVN crewed UH1M Nitehawk Gunship..6brrl 7.62mm minigun, 2 x 17ea 2.5" rocket pods, 20mm Cannon, 40mm nose mount grenade launcher. a distinction, the A,B,C and M model Huey is essentually the 2dr version, 7 full pacs/troops max, D and H models are essentually the 4dr UH1's 11 full pac/troop capacity.
Most would have considered much of what i did as a FE in Nam, Crazy or brave or both, I felt niether, actually scared chitless from day one to day last. IM told that is bravery, since bravery isn't action in the absence of fear but in the face of it, for me, when the action was hot as it often was, i was busy as a cat covering do do, too much so to feel brave or fear till afterwards at which time im shakin like a leaf on a tree but can't wait to go do it again. as flight personel, Army personell generally got 4 of 24hrs or so to rest in a relatively safe base camp, with showers, clean hooches, fresh cooked chow etc, all of which was great, and points of great envy by most other service personell, in fact, DOOR GUNNERS flew right door and were ALL volenteers, usually beginin with ZERO flight experience who the chief was charged to train who THOUGHT that job was so much better than whatever they were doin b4, most didn't THINK that very long after they got into it tho. Like most any JOB; from the outside lookin in, someone good at the JOB makes it LOOK easy and ALL GOOD, its always a lot more to it than u know tho and a lot less glamorous than u usually think. For me, the best thing about my Job was the diversity of action in my field of service 2cnd to the unbelievable gratitude from those troops in ground pounder and or ground positions i flew in support of, even whether i was medi vac crew, or mail drop, didn't seem to matter to those guys,gratitude and appreciation seemed to b bout tit for tat.
For those of u folk in support of whom i may have flown during my time in Nam, thanx guys, AND gals, trust me when i say, whatever i may have done for YOU, the gratitude u showed me for it was 10 times that to ME...and welcome home from a vet who is JUST AS proud of YOU as u may have been of HIM, just as proud FOR you....
As i have said elsewhere, there was and has since been no time in my life that i felt more responsible, more dependable, more alert and alive, more appreciated than when i served in Nam...

I also was a Viet Nam Era vet, althuogh it is now refereed to as Viet Nam War. I was a Navy FT and was trained to operste a range finder for 5" guns. The destroyer I was on did shore bombardment in Viet Nam.I ,however was taken off the ship in the Phippines suffering from colitis(Navy food or nerves?). I was medevacted home with causlties that were in a lot worse shape then me and was very moved by that. Those that fought for our great country have my deepest resect.
I was later retired out . I also lost some hearing from so much gun fire and absolutly not prvided with protection. To top that off I had my head broke by a wayward heaveing line while tying up a can in Boston. 3 strikes and your out.
I have met many vets and every one of them whether they have seen combat or not u still served and u are a vet . U signed your life away for your country and u deserve what ever is allowed if wounded or hurt.
There are a lot of non combat causlties.
I was recently a poll bearer for my father in law. who served WWII and was with the 4th mnmarine div and made 3 landings including Iwo Jima and saw a lot of combat and he felt the same way.Don't matter if u were a desk clerk or SEAL u served was all that mattered.
As we were laying him to rest it was very moving the way the honer guard saluted the last salute and I felt the reverence that was eminating from those young marines and I felt very proud to be an American and to have had the honer to serve my country. No BS. Bob

AMEN!!! Cape Cod...Amen...