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OT: Vietman Vets

D

DH in Carolina

Member
After seeing Tractor Tractor's reply below got me wondering how many Vietnam Vets are on this site. Was with 101st airborne from Feb. 69 to Feb. 70. Was a Cobra helicopter mechanic at Camp Eagle. DH
 
I was a Huey mech and crewchief in Dongtam from June 70 toSept 71.This was with 1st Aviation Brig,335th assault Heli co,The Cowboys. Hoss
 
yep-1st Cav 1969 to 1970.Infantry- came home on a stretcher and was spit at.Made me wonder what I came home to?Came to realize even in this country there are a$$holes.Do not regret the experience and think alot of our young people today would benefit from a couple years in the service.
 
AF C141 crewmember, in Siagon for evac. Went on to Panama, both gulf wars, Afganistan, then quit after couple trips to Iraq. Thought about making a career out of it; but after 33 years, decided it wasn't as much fun as my recruiter and quit. lol
 
Went over from FT Bragg on a C141 cargo plane. 96 cherries on board. 28 hours in the air. Refueled in Alaska and Japan. Landed in Danang during a rocket attack. That was when I found out this was not funny anymore. DH
 
VP-6 Barbers Point Hawaii, Deployed to Cam Rahn Bay Viet Nam and Cubi Point the Phillipines, Flew radar tracks over the South China Sea lookin for VC trawlers infiltrating up the Mecong and other rivers.
 
Went to Cam Rahn Bay on a Chinook to be a body escort for best friend. By the time the Red Cross contacted my company the body was at Dover Del. Turned around and went back to Hue for another six months. DH
 
hotel btry 3/11 1 mar div I corp april 68 -jun 69 was blessed by the Lord to make it home. if politics was left out of it we could have accomplished what we were sent there to do. i think about the ones that didn't make it. al
 
Wow , I was surprised how many responses. I was a child during Vietnam but have always been very interested. I have read all the books about it that I can get my hands on. What horrible but still fascinating events transpired in the 1960's .I can remember seeing the war on the news and the aftermath discussion and controversey in the mid 70's. I have great respect for those of you who fought for our country .
 
We could have cleaned that country out in two weeks if they wanted to. Too much money was made to stop the war, pardon me Police action. 58,000 died for no reason but all thought they were doing the right thing for their country. I thought I was doing the right thing till I came home, than found out the truth. A Viet Nam vet wasn't SHiH. I still remember Viet Nam as yesterday and its been almost 40 years. DH
 
USAF April 11, 1969 to April 11, 1970. Teaching English to ARVN cadets and airmen. Cadets replaced our pilots after US training. Airmen replaced our flight line personnel. Lived in a hotel (air conditioned) in downtown Saigon as an E-2 and E-3!

If they would only have let us kick A**!

Should still have the draft and then there would be some respect for what we/they have!
 
While stationed at Sangley Pioint it the Phillipines, in the middle 60's I was with VP-48 We had 12 sea planes in our squadron. We would rotate to Cam Rahn bay Vietnam, and the planes would fly patrols along the vietnam coast looking for the bad guys.I was a mechanic. Stan
 
Jan 9, 70-Dec 27, 70 USAF Tan Son Nhut AB. Joined AF to leearn a trade that I could use after discharge and stay away from Nam. Learned to load bombs, rockets, missles on fighter aircraft and ammo in guns of fighters. wow. I don't regret it. I had some interesting experiences and met alot of good people. Rick
 
WestPac deployment on DDG-13, '69-'70, up in I-Corp providing gun fire support for Army units and plane guarding 1,000 yards astern of carriers doing life guard duty.
 
VOLUNTEERED to go to Okanawa for my last year to get out of the snow in Bangor,Me. Got sent to Utapao,Thailand instead from march 1967 to feb 1968 .On the ground crew on EC&KC-135 ,made E-5 32 days before I got discharged.Had some fun though working their railroad (laying Thai's) ha ha Wildman.
 
Qualified for A school. Orders to destroyer. Cancelled for recruiting service. Needs of the Navy. Never had to lie to anyone. Made sure of that. Hope I helped someone and never hurt anyone that I knew of. Duty at aviation base in Mich. Now defunct. E5 in 4 years. Not exactly what I wanted but am alive to tell about it.
 
Qualified for A school. Orders to destroyer. Cancelled for recruiting service. Needs of the Navy. Never had to lie to anyone. Made sure of that. Hope I helped someone and never hurt anyone that I knew of. Duty at aviation base in Mich. Now defunct. E5 in 4 years. Not exactly what I wanted but am alive to tell about it. 1965-1969.
 
Bearcat & Dong Tam with 9th Inf. Div. Got there before TET 68. We killed more G++++s in 7 days than in the previous 7 years. But lost war to the PRESS (media) because the embacy in Siagon was breached. After that Walter Croncrite, then LBJ, we were screwed. Add to that, John Kerry threw his undeserved medals in protest & we all became Druged up "baby killers" to people back home.
Qoute from poem if I may,

"I left Vietnam many years ago,
you see

Now if that dam war would leave
would just leave me be."

And I still think the USA is the greatest country
in the world.
Led
 
Hey thank you all for serving durring those times. Im a vet from the first desert storm.88-92 US Navy Submarines.Went and hid in the Med. around Italy.Thank you so much you all. (Vietnam Vets).
.
 
I was not a Viet Nam vet, did my time before then in peacetime and the cuban Missle crisis. This country made it's biggest mistake when the politicians in Washington were allowed to make military decisions instead of the military officers in the line of fire. How the he## could a politician sitting on his fat, greedy behind in Washington know what was/is needed in a combat situation? Their policy is to let the enemy have the first shot, then ask him to identify theirselves and the U.S.soldier has to get permission from Washington fatasses to return the fire. What if WW2 had been fought like this instead of leaders like Generals Patton, McArthur and Eisenhower,adimiral Halsey just to name a few were required to fight a war like they do now? The next worst thing was the elemination of the mandantory draft. Look at the self discipline of most veterans as compared to many non vets today. The military discipline would teach most of them some needed obedience and loyalty. They suffer from a lack of both discipline and responsibility. The military also teaches their people respect for authority and team work. something many kids need badly today because they are growing up almost raising themselves in some cases.
 
Hello Gene You are exactly right. I was drafted 6 weeks after graduating high school. Went to basic at Ft Benning Ga., signed up for another year to be a helicopter mechanic. In my opinion all Viet Nam Vets are part of a forgotten brotherhood that nobody gave a damn about than. DH
 
1971-72 101st artillery unit home based out of Camp Eagle, DaNang. Hue, Phu Bai area. Reassigned to 96th Infantry when 101st came back to Ft. Campbell. Spent 11 months total, all with a l05 unit skipping around on different hills plus air mobil with the Chinooks to the bush. Left the last hill to the Arvins in August of 72 as part of operation Gimlet, supposedly one of the last, if not the last, US artillery units still in Nam, so we were told. It was a long time ago but some memories won't leave me. Got back to San Francisco, threw the Army clothes away after buying civies, got on a plane and flew home with my seat partners never knowing where I'd been. I'm glad it is not like that now for our military brothers and sisters but I hold not grudges. That's just the way it was in those days.
 
Army Big red 1, 18th Inf Bat. July 1965-Mar 1966. Beach landing at Cam Rahn Bay, After they started build the airstrip be move down to Ben Hoe(Spelling).
 
I am what is called a Vietman era vet. I joined the navy because my draft card came up 1A so it was join or be drafted. I'm now classed as a D.A.V because of problem I had when in. Severed from June of 1974 to July of 1980. Now my son is in the inactive reserves till he gets out of high school next year then he goes active for 5 years.
Hobby farm
 
SO you were in Dong Tam in 68 , So was i but i did not spend much time in camp i was assigned to the 9th but was 173 AB Charlie squade recon along with 14 others from my group they had us out on the river in the ships . never did figure that one out as when we went out to the bush the choppers would land on the ships and we would fly out there were three of us on each ship but we had our owen huches on Dong Tam was there from end of July 67 to may 68 Was in camp the night that Tet started and almost bought the farm that night , remember it well . The next night the ships were up river anchored off Vin Long our group went in to retake the town one nasty night almost got it again up there .
 
US Army 173rd AB recon in country 1967-68 From the Mecong delta to the highlands and across several borders that they say we weren't .
 
Howdy DH,
Send me an email sometime. I'd like to chat with another 462 on the YT Forums. I joined in 85 and am still in.

Jim
 
Phu Lam (southwest of Saigon) Nov 70 to Mar 72, computer tech and company truck driver. Was shot at a couple of times but not allowed to shoot back because I might kill someone, go figure. Now I figure if we hadn"t been sent over there a lot of people wouldn"t have been killed or wounded, and the political result would have been the same. I don"t know, just my thoughts in quiet older age.
Warren
 
Nope, I was a couple of years young for that back then, but I sure do appreciate and thank every last one of you. On behalf of my family, friends, neighbors, and our nation, thanks so very very much to every soldier there ever was and ever will be, sincerely. My time in the service came a couple few years later.

Mark
 
I would have thought there were more Air Force Vet's no here
617th (Air Force) DaNang late Jan67 Feb 68 Back again TDY to Cam Rahn Bay several times between late 70 and early 72
Now have three sons in the Air Force and all three have been part of what has gone on for the last 15 years
Larry
 
Was in the Army Reserve from 1966 to 1972, during the Vietnam war, but have the greatest respect for the guys and gals that were over there in that mess.
 
Oct. 69-Jan. 71, 1st Air Cav. "artillery surveyor" 105"s, helped set up and tear down firebases in the bush. Usually got to spend a few nights at them, then off to another one. Lots of chopper rides. Saw Cambodia from the air when we first went in, then saw it again when going out. Sure ruined a beautiful thing. Took several years to realize I was proud to serve. Hopefully made me a better person. Gus
 
1st Sig Brigade March 67 - March 68.
5 months in the 362nd Sig Co on LBM above DaLat.
7 months in 327th Sig Co on Can Tho Airfield in the Mecong Delta. SP/4 mos 32E-20 and a US.
 
I did time in VW-1 and VQ-1. Electrician"s mate on EC-121"s. Those old round engines sound nice.
 
On Can Tho airfield when Tet began, we were getting the s*** kicked out of us. After a few days they did send a bunch of 9th Inf down to reinforce. My hat is off to all who wore the "physcodelic cookie"!
 
Did get to Dong Tam on my last flight out of Can Tho. Huey landed there to drop someone off on our way up to Tan Son Nhut (Saigon). Had a buddy that was with Army transportation in Dong Tam (boats). Took shrapnel in his had during one of the Tet mortar attacks. (A few years ago he lost a leg to a mysterious leg infection, not fair!)
 
Not a vet, but wondered if anyone was in the 153 maintenace between 66 and 69? (Could have been 135th, cant recall at the moment what Dad said)
 
9th division Oct 68 to Jan 69 (came home on a stretcher). One of the traveling walls was at a military museum this past July 4th weekend about 5 miles from me. I had seen it about 20 years ago.
Results were the same as 20 years ago. Total disgust at the lives lost and money spent and nightmares for the next 2 nights. What a total worthless war.
 
1st inf. Div. 68-69. Ground pounder. Was in mortar platoon for a few months, then on the line. Carried radio most of the time.
 
I described myself as a "vietnam era vet" to an American Legion guy and he asked me "Why does the govt. insist on that classification for a vet who served during the vietnam war but wasn't sent to vietnam? Anyone who served during WWll is considered a WWll vet. He's got a point.
 
I'm another "Viet Nam Era" vet, they tell me. The first time I ever applied for unemployment, in 1995, they asked if I was a vet, for veteran's preference. Nah, I said, I was just in the National Guard, from 1969 to 1975 (E Troop, 303d Armored Cavalry- "Without his horse, a man's afoot". They declared that I had all the veteran's preferences that you guys have. I was uncomfortable with that then, and still am. My hat's off to you who dodged bullets over there, regardless of whether the war war "right" or not, and I have always felt some guilt for "taking the easy way out".
 
USN 62-71 Submarines, we did a couple of patrols in 64 & 65 off of Viet Nam. Vet but nobody was shooting at us. There wasn't much for subs to do but gather info.
 
I'm a history major in College and I can say that Vietnam was the most confusing and unexplainable war ever.

From Ho Chi Minh to "domino theory" to The U.S. Withdraw in June '75, I still don't understand the whole dang war, and I had a whole class devoted to it (professor was Vietnam vet with amputated leg)
 
My nephew was killed there in 1970. He's buried at Arlington. His dad served in WW2, Korea and Nam. He's in his 90's and lives in Hawaii. I was in during the Korean War. Hal
 
I would like to thank each of your for the service you performed for your country in Vietnam. Certainly a job I would not have wanted.

I am a Vietnam era vet having served my basic, AIT, and permanent duty at Fort Leonard Wood, MO.
208th MP Company was my unit.

Our unit served as a duty station for many MPs whose tour in Nam was up but were still a short time away from discharge. That was how I experienced Nam.
 
No, not a vet. Would have enlisted as a mechanic if Vietnam hadn't ended when it did, I was in the 99th percential on motor mechanics and 98 percential in electronics. The recruiters wanted me badly, had lots of options including staying on base to fix shot up, torn up equipment. I kind of regret not serving, and do SALUTE all you who did. My dad was in Germany in the tank corps when I was born in 1957. One of my stepsons served 5 years USAF as a fire fighter, he was in Saudi Arabia 3 different times and liked to stayed in longer but too many of his freinds weren't making it home. DOUG
 
Navy wanted volunteers for Viet Nam in 1965, I was on a tender out of Norfolk...I volunteered but Bupers said I was the sole surviving son of a deceased man with no sons of my own and couldn't go. So, decided to reenlist for diving school. After a couple of days there, I got kicked out for having a bad eye and they wanted to send me to Locksmith school and station me in the Pentagon wearing civilian clothes. I decided to wear civies permanently after 8 years...and looking back, I was probably better off. The navy was the branch to be in, made E-5 in 2 yrs. 10 months. ohfred
 
Sept. '66 Sept. '67 F Troop 11th. Armored Cav. APC driver and 30 cal. machine gunner, never thought it to be much fun. Best friend from high school was a Marine and killed in may of '67. Gordy
 
My brother Gary was stationed at U-Tapau with the 635th. Many, many Insurgent sappers launched an attack one night when he was at post. My brother is credited with the only kill on record (American involvement 1968-1976) It is though his selfless bravery that I am the Quartermaster-Treasurer of our local VFW Mens Auxiliary Post 4114.
 
Co. A 2/39 9Th Infantry June '68-June '69
Was a pointman for 11 months,learned to "walk on water"
40 years gone by,sometimes feels like yesterday,sometimes seems like 1000 years ago.
Never did understand what we were doing or why????

"The unkowing,leading the unwilling,to do the Unneessary"
 
Well even those that did not go to man did in fact support those that where there. If we had not there would not be any body keeping watch over the rest of the world and the problem there where back then. Just because you where not on the battle front does not mean you where any more or less important
 
Got my draft notice in 64. Went in on Decenber 7th of 64 and got out December 7th of 66. Military Poilce training and then volunteered for K-9 Corp. (dog handler) Spent my time at a Nike Hercules Missle site near Alverado Texas. Even handlers under me got orders for Nam, but I never did. I got out as a Corporal E-4, but that`s another story.
Never had a dog, growing up as a kid. Joke around home was that it took the US Army to get me a dog.
John
 
I looked up VP 6. Looks like you guys had the P2V's. The only four engine plane that could have two turning, and two burning, and it would be ok. Were you in the squadron when the plane ditched at sea off the coast of Japan? One of our planes flew into a mountain while in Japan, our crew wasen't as fortunite. Our squadron also transfered into the p3's in thelate 60's. Stan
 
Nam July 68 July 69. Should have gotten discharged in November of '69 but I only had five months left so they let us out early. Started out in Kontum with an airfield radar team, but had a supply MOS--never attended supply school. Got the MOS because I requsitioned stuff for the carpenter shop. Spent 1-1/2 years at Ft. Lostin the Woods, Mo.--They reassingned me from Kontum to a navigation outfit shutting down and packing equipment. Spent time in Saigon, Plekieu, Long Bihn, Bien Wah, and Quinion.

Thanks to all of you who slept in the jungles, flew combat missions, shelled the enemy, lost buddies and sons, or worked as "tunnel rats" so that I could sleep in a bed and have three hot meals every day. My heart was always with you even if I wasn't.

Larry in Michigan
 
DH,
I also was with the 101st Aiborne Div. Jan '69 to Jan. '70. I was with Co. A, 2/502 Infantry also based out of Camp Eagle and later the last 2 months in country transfered to 1st Brigade "Security Platoon" which was turned into the "Raider Force" recon. platoon. A friend and I who "volunteered" ended up helping to train a bunch of new guys and turning the platoon into a recon outfit that was previoucly used for security purposes like if a helecopter got shot down or something like that. They had tents to live in with cots to sleep on and hot chow. This is why we volunteered but ended up getting the shaft. They were putting us out in 5 man teams in the middle of nowhere pulling night ambushes. I felt safer with my previous line company. I might have seen you in camp. Who knows? Please accept a long overdue welcome home!
Tom
 
i just want to say thanks to all vietnam vets and WELCOME HOME, something you never got. i am an air force vet from opening days of afgan and iraq, fire fighter. if it wasnt for all of you, i wouldnt have gotten the welcome home i did after each tour.
 
Army Aviation, 61 to 68, 3 years a Army Aviation
Maintance Center, USAAMC, Mannhiem, Germany
rebuilding VietNam Hueys, just a roll of the dice!
 
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