Thread: Vietnam Vets, sign in please.

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Originally Posted by 36tudoor

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.

Hey we was in country the same time. 5/42 FA B-Btry, 2nd Field Force.

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...

My sister’s husband died the last week in November 09, 62 years old got his first SS check also like my brother and he had a military funeral the first week in Dec. He was a Viet Nam Vet serving in the Air Force. It’s hard for anyone to sit through a Military Funeral but being a Military person from that era seeing the old Solders dressed and paying honor to a fallen comrade is really touching. Watching the Flag being folded with such precision, the tears really fall. When you hear the 21-gun salute it gives a feeling that’s hard to describe. When the hugs and tears stop one is proud to be a part of doing what was asked of him/her during a time of War. My brother also had a Military Funeral being a Viet Nam Vet. He had cancer all through his body and they were testing for Agent Orange but when he died they said the file died with him so it was not confirmed. He was not bitter knowing he had a short time to live and he was still proud that he served his Country. My Mother in-law also had a Military Funeral she was in the Army during WWII.

Richard

I was at Udorn AB Thailand from Sep 69-Sep 70. In the 432nd RTS I processed and shipped film and imagery for the 432nd TRW. I did touch down in country twice coming and going through Saigon. I feel very fortunate to have been in the Air Force and in a safe place. We worked our butts off, 6 day work weeks, but that's nothing compared to what the grunts had to live through. I saw a lot of neat photos and shot up planes coming back.

Pat

hq siagon until tet,then 1st air cav,1st of the 7th.18 months then 7th maintaince batt. the 562nd lmc sattahip,thailand 145th engineers sattahip71-1973

Our family serves, 13 uncles in WWII all returned but 1, 6 uncles in Korea only 2 came home, 7 in vietman of which none came home. I was denied entry to the service because of the losses in our family and I being the only remaining male ere. I was devastated being denied at the time to get revenge for my cousins who some where my very best friends. I have lived my life like I feel they would of wanted to and I would give anything for them to be here. That said, thank you all that have served to allow me to have the life I have, you all are our greatest asset, thank you.

Originally Posted by brickman

Our family serves, 13 uncles in WWII all returned but 1, 6 uncles in Korea only 2 came home, 7 in vietman of which none came home. I was denied entry to the service because of the losses in our family and I being the only remaining male ere. I was devastated being denied at the time to get revenge for my cousins who some where my very best friends. I have lived my life like I feel they would of wanted to and I would give anything for them to be here. That said, thank you all that have served to allow me to have the life I have, you all are our greatest asset, thank you.

brickman,
What a sacrifice your family has made and to think that being one family, how many other families have given their loved ones as well. I’m happy for your family that you were denied so you could raise a family which the other members did not have that chance.

My nephew is going back to Iraq next Month for the third time. A lot of my family has been in Korea, Vet Nam and now Iraq. There were five brothers including myself in my family and we were all in the Military. I wish more people would think of the sacrifice are brothers and sisters are making so we can have our freedom.


Richard

I too have a number of family members who have served in the Army, AF, Marines, Navy...
2 uncles who served 32 and 12 years respectively, I served 6, and i have an elder brother who served 26.US ARMY; I have 2 nephews who served 4 and 6 years respectively, and yet another 2 who have served 4 years and IS servicing in his 2cnd year of his 2cnd 6 year enlistment..US Marines.
I have a female 1st cousin who is an AF Helcopter Pilot and is curreently in the 21st year of her carreer., and a 1st cousin, David, our only NAVY or swabbie candidate who is in the 17th year of his naval career as a propulsion engineer aboard a Naval Fast Attck Sub.....
In all i have family members who have served in some capacity in combat and peacetime since 1949 when my Father's elder brother Joined the US army and became an MP, incidentally, 1949 is my birth year, 09/11/49, so in essence ALL MY life.... even those of my family who never served nor have any intention of ever serving, have always seemed to b beaming proud of ALL our family members, 1st to present who have and do serve.
Not to put a racial tint upon the thread, but a note.... im from a middle class black midwestern family, born in St. Louis, Mo, my Father's only child in. All the stories black baby boomers have generally, in cities like St. Louis,... are of poverty conditions, Slum and or projects hand me down, welfare, rats roaches, gang etc... AND abject, violent, insane racism. I have experience only of the latter. At age 14 in 1963, i watched and listened to the '' I have a dream speech " in the capitol, live and in person, i was in my 5th period 7th grade class later that year when i heard the news of JFK, and i wepted openly on both occassions. Later, a Milwaukee NAACP Commando after the death of Dr. King, i spent a week of the summer of 68 at the 2cnd " Poor Peoples Campaign "... I have spoken with, and or seen live and in person folk such as Dr. King, Stokely Carmichel, H. Rap Brown even a brief distant glimpse of Malcom X before his death...ALL these folk i followed, loved and revered them, agreed with some points they all made and disagreed with others.... BUT...My attitude has always been...whatever else i am, i am 1st AMERICAN, my family on both my mother and fathers side have been in this nation since before it was one in the 1700's... I ain't African American, im AN American of African decent, IM not a Black American, im an AMERICAN Black. ALL 1st cousins, as much as possible, all through my family, as much as possible, have been raised as brothers and sisters, in MY generation thats 43 of us, 29 of whom yet live.
As we were RAISED( children in OUR family were never allowed to GROW UP, our folk insisted that WE BE "RAISED" which isn't nearly the same thing). 1) YOU CAN'T GO WRONG DOING RIGHT..2) YOU CAN"T GET RIGHT DOING WRONG...3) When it is YOUR family, even when they are wrong, they are right before all others while anyone else is against them, after all, there's more folks outside your family than in, Why help THEM?...Like it or not, for better or worse. sink or swim... AMERICA is a FAMILY.
My generation, including myself esperienced the Marches, beatings, lynchings, white/colored drinking fountains, back door service, can't afford to buy from where u work, Still, after all that..on December 4 68 i enlisted in the US Army, spent X-Mas 68 in BOOT CAMP, spent X-Mas of 69 as well as my B-Day sick in Nam.... not because i wasn't scare....not because i didn't have VAST differences with MANY thing that went on in my nation, much of which adversely affected me simply becaue of the color of my skin, including the reasoning i felt we were in NAM For and How we handled it...still, it NEVER made sense to me to put ur life and blood on the line to fight for rights in a nation which ur unwilling to put same on the line to defend to the death against all enemies for whatever reason ur nation might choose.....I was willing to DIE for my rights in AMERICA because i was willing to DIE for AMERICA, not the other way around.......I know some Black Folk, with good reason, had it twisted, including Muhamed Ali whom i worship and revered till this very day since i 1st heard of him... For me, no matter what contention i may ever have with my nation, it ends when someone comes AGAINST her... actually, im somewhat of a seperatist when it comes to America, i don't care if anyone else likes us or what we do or not, ain't any of em even got to come here, and anyone who has THAT much issue with us can kindly LEAVE, even Americans, LIKE McVay, hell, i'll help pay ur way... in SPITE OF ALL, the RED WHITE AND BLUE is STILL what i love....That Represents MY Family

Served aboard USS Pollux AKS-4 July 1967 to Dec. 1968. Damage Control Petty Officer 2nd Class E-5 ( enlisted ). Swept the Tonkin Gulf coast of Viet Nam to supply PBR stations and sink obstructions in the various rivers, saw enough hostile fire for a lifetime. Then transfered to a mine sweeper ( USS Reaper ) in Jan 1969. I received a early discharge for my 17 month tour in Viet Nam in February and never got to go back. I never thought the "welcome" home would be worse than the tour, but back then it was. I didn't talk much about it either, I know that what I did was for my country and the people here, good or bad it was the best and most rewarding experience of my life, really makes you stop and be thankful for what you have. I lost 3 very good friends over there and not a day goes by that I don't think of them. I salute the troops who are once again in a very unpopular war, I'm just thankful that they are getting more respect than "we" did when we came back. I will be forever grateful for thier service.

Originally Posted by MrWizard455

I too have a number of family members who have served in the Army, AF, Marines, Navy...
2 uncles who served 32 and 12 years respectively, I served 6, and i have an elder brother who served 26.US ARMY; I have 2 nephews who served 4 and 6 years respectively, and yet another 2 who have served 4 years and IS servicing in his 2cnd year of his 2cnd 6 year enlistment..US Marines.
I have a female 1st cousin who is an AF Helcopter Pilot and is curreently in the 21st year of her carreer., and a 1st cousin, David, our only NAVY or swabbie candidate who is in the 17th year of his naval career as a propulsion engineer aboard a Naval Fast Attck Sub.....
In all i have family members who have served in some capacity in combat and peacetime since 1949 when my Father's elder brother Joined the US army and became an MP, incidentally, 1949 is my birth year, 09/11/49, so in essence ALL MY life.... even those of my family who never served nor have any intention of ever serving, have always seemed to b beaming proud of ALL our family members, 1st to present who have and do serve.
Not to put a racial tint upon the thread, but a note.... im from a middle class black midwestern family, born in St. Louis, Mo, my Father's only child in. All the stories black baby boomers have generally, in cities like St. Louis,... are of poverty conditions, Slum and or projects hand me down, welfare, rats roaches, gang etc... AND abject, violent, insane racism. I have experience only of the latter. At age 14 in 1963, i watched and listened to the '' I have a dream speech " in the capitol, live and in person, i was in my 5th period 7th grade class later that year when i heard the news of JFK, and i wepted openly on both occassions. Later, a Milwaukee NAACP Commando after the death of Dr. King, i spent a week of the summer of 68 at the 2cnd " Poor Peoples Campaign "... I have spoken with, and or seen live and in person folk such as Dr. King, Stokely Carmichel, H. Rap Brown even a brief distant glimpse of Malcom X before his death...ALL these folk i followed, loved and revered them, agreed with some points they all made and disagreed with others.... BUT...My attitude has always been...whatever else i am, i am 1st AMERICAN, my family on both my mother and fathers side have been in this nation since before it was one in the 1700's... I ain't African American, im AN American of African decent, IM not a Black American, im an AMERICAN Black. ALL 1st cousins, as much as possible, all through my family, as much as possible, have been raised as brothers and sisters, in MY generation thats 43 of us, 29 of whom yet live.
As we were RAISED( children in OUR family were never allowed to GROW UP, our folk insisted that WE BE "RAISED" which isn't nearly the same thing). 1) YOU CAN'T GO WRONG DOING RIGHT..2) YOU CAN"T GET RIGHT DOING WRONG...3) When it is YOUR family, even when they are wrong, they are right before all others while anyone else is against them, after all, there's more folks outside your family than in, Why help THEM?...Like it or not, for better or worse. sink or swim... AMERICA is a FAMILY.
My generation, including myself esperienced the Marches, beatings, lynchings, white/colored drinking fountains, back door service, can't afford to buy from where u work, Still, after all that..on December 4 68 i enlisted in the US Army, spent X-Mas 68 in BOOT CAMP, spent X-Mas of 69 as well as my B-Day sick in Nam.... not because i wasn't scare....not because i didn't have VAST differences with MANY thing that went on in my nation, much of which adversely affected me simply becaue of the color of my skin, including the reasoning i felt we were in NAM For and How we handled it...still, it NEVER made sense to me to put ur life and blood on the line to fight for rights in a nation which ur unwilling to put same on the line to defend to the death against all enemies for whatever reason ur nation might choose.....I was willing to DIE for my rights in AMERICA because i was willing to DIE for AMERICA, not the other way around.......I know some Black Folk, with good reason, had it twisted, including Muhamed Ali whom i worship and revered till this very day since i 1st heard of him... For me, no matter what contention i may ever have with my nation, it ends when someone comes AGAINST her... actually, im somewhat of a seperatist when it comes to America, i don't care if anyone else likes us or what we do or not, ain't any of em even got to come here, and anyone who has THAT much issue with us can kindly LEAVE, even Americans, LIKE McVay, hell, i'll help pay ur way... in SPITE OF ALL, the RED WHITE AND BLUE is STILL what i love....That Represents MY Family

I just read your post and I was very impressed, I never judge the person I judge the actions of the person. I went in the Army Jan. 6th 1964 Fort Knox Ky. B-10-3 was my basic unit, Muhammad Ali was supposed to be assigned to that unit by stories floating around. My platoon Sergeant, First Sergeant and Company Commander were all excited anticipating him coming to their Company.

Richard

Thanx Richard...tho the post wasn intended not to impress but to show how diverse can b the reasoning behind a servicemans service in spite of other factors that might seem to rightfully preclude such actions.... For instance, during my tour in Nam i was just the 2cnd black flight engineer in the history of my units tour in country. THAT, as was the case with the original post was to show the danger of assumptions and stereotypes when u would try to determine the reasoning for a soldiers life being on the line. The fact is that FEW BLACK folk Volenteered for service during the Viet-Nam era, and even fewer DID NOT AGREE with Muhamed Ali, especially among those who admired and STILL admire him as I do, tho i didn't a gree with his stance, I DID reconize even then the courage he must have had to TAKE it, and i certainly don't know if I WOULD have made the sacrafice he did for a principle.
Also, tho i diagree vehemontly with those folk who protested returning troops, burned draft cards and such, i have NO JUDGEMENT to pass upon those folk who simply ran away out of fear of serving in combat, since bravery isn't the absence of fear but determined by ones actions in the face of fear and NOT EVERYONE can b expected to b brave.

I just found your post was a testament why all people should reserve judgment. When I finished boot camp I stayed at Fort Knox C-7-2 Admin. I wanted to go over seas but it didn’t happen my class was suppose to go to Germany but they skipped us and I was sent to Battle Creek, MI. I was on orders for Korea but they were denied, I volunteered for Korea and was denied. My brother was in Viet Nam at the time when I only had 13 Months to go so I Volunteered for TDY every chance I got. I went to Fort Dix, New Jersey I work for the Supply Sergeant in the office most of the guys from that AIT unit were going to Viet Nam. My supply Sergeant was Black and the First Sergeant was black I served with a lot of Soldiers of color. When four of us were sent to Battle Creek from Fort Knox 2 white guys me being one, and two black guys we spent almost three years together. One of us four had a car a 63 Pontiac convertible we all rode together, we even stopped in Gary In. to see my older brother for a short visit then onto Battle Creek. I really enjoyed Battle Creek. When people asked me what I did in the service I would say a boxed Kellogg’s Corn Flakes.

I know you were not trying to impress anyone but still it’s nice to know what you and your family did, I’m proud of my Family for serving.


Richard

Thanx Ford2....