The key may be the word initial since we became more savvy with successive combats and had improved survivability. What was the average life expectancy of a soldier in World War II? Such as in the song Jimmy by M.I.A look at aaja in the dictionary My indian boyfriend told me is meaning come to me, 6 Answers I have never had or heard of that particular brand, but have had several here in Canada, plus a number in the Caribbean and Asia, and there all the same, small cut hot dogs in a can, no need q now please.. Name the major nerves that serve the following body areas:? The early days of May 1970, I arrived at the Airport, next to Saigon. There must have been a real mathematician to come up with those calculations. We were about 700 yards east of Company A when it was ambushed by an NVA battalion. Sholly finally agreed and stated that the next time we received replacements I could give one of them my M60. Lived too tell about it. What were the life expectancies of soldiers during the Vietnam War When we reached Company A, we placed our dead in the center of the two-company perimeter. The trailer for that video can be seen by googling the title, and it might still be sold on Amazon. A documentary about our company and our 1st Sgt was made. We all gotta die sometime, Red. SSgt Barnes, Platoon, its nothing to really concern yourself with, on a long enough time line everyones survival rate is 0%. You just do the best job you can and if you got hit, so be it! We all have opinions, this is mine. Thanks for the reply. Love you Wortman!!!! I was a medic on one for two yrs and the only weapon I was issue was a six-shot .38. Your email address will not be published. His body was torn to pieces. Commanders like him were few and far between many were afraid of their own shadow and were only there to get their ticket punched. Really no mention of the regular rifleman. In my humble opiniona maneven leaders should often recalculate their adversaries capabilities and limitations and his own limitations as wellwhen 10,000 miles from home against a determined worthy foein a strange landThe objective of Lam Son 719? 1ST MAW 66-68. Wow I was 31.8 Gun shot Carried model 1200 Winchester shot gun WIA May 68 Article was great. (many of the Soviet casualties were POWs, though). Some were constantly exposed to combat, some not so often. aND, mAY GOD BLESS AMERICA!!! We were like sitting Ducks. Without that commitment, Communism would have swept all the way to the Malacca Straits that is south of Singapore and of great strategic importance to the free world. THANKS! Date: March 8, 2020 Author: pdoggbiker 97 Comments Photo above is of Stanley Kober with RTO, John Scheur. a RTO got killed, it happened within 5 seconds but not that always ALL RTOs got killed. It was just part of the job. Fact: 2/3 of the men who served in Vietnam were volunteers. Or is it on display in a Hanoi museum so curious citizens of that city can inspect a weapon captured from American imperialists? I was in the AF a Reo in a F4-C. Who had time to worry about the life This Battle changed his life and his future, had it not been for his actions, every man on this FSB Gold would have died. I carried the PRC-25 for most of a year. Both served in A 2/18 1st Infantry Division. Vietnam War the helicopters that came in to transport soldiers were the hardest hit with mass casualties . The smell of those charred bodies, blackened and smoking from the napalm strike, is something I can never forget. Not to mention that right now its safer than some cities in the us. I had to rely on my gun more than before. I wasnt sure if the VC had moved to right or left, so I sprayed the elephant grass in both directions. Nervous, I set up my gun on the hill and loaded a new hundred-round belt. I flew Dustoff and our unit did not have M60s for protection, nor did any other Dustoff unit that Im aware of. The fact that PDoggbiker cant find any decent calculation/explanation, tells us a lot. Carried the prc25 for about 7 months. I prayed I would not have to fire over the heads of the 4th Platoon troops entering the draw to retrieve our dead. Vietnam Veterans are less likely to be in prison only one-half of one percent of Vietnam Veterans have been jailed for crimes. Look for the blue accessibility symbol floating on every page of our website and click on it to tailor your viewing experience to your particular disability. Opinion | What a Combat Medic Still Carries - The New York Times Michael Doolittle..I was with 1/8 inf, 1st Brigade, and that day, March 22nd was also our darkest day. I couldnt disagree. That means you lose five RTOs in 5 seconds. 4 Charlie Ranallo, were on No. However, it was the discretion of the individual crewmen if they wanted to carry personal weapons or not. 2: role (MOS?). An Hinglish word (Hindi/English). Every mission, I had the same thought. Interesting, I carried a Prick 25, for 2 months. I was over there twice serving as a Hospital Corpsman with a marine unit. 1 Gun kept a lot of enemy heads down. 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. Our 5th night there, the AMMO area started burning / blowing up. Overrun and utterly destroyed, the 30-man 4th Platoon had suffered 21 killed and one missing. 4 Joey Piambino were to my right in the streambed. The casualty rate in the current war today is a fraction. I was also told that the Radio did put a target on my back. 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. 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. 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. 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. If my memory is correct, only the 1st Cab flew wiith doorgunners. 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." Contents 1 Unclear objectives 2 North Vietnamese strategy The article was interesting. They also struggled with logistical problems and the complex political situation in Vietnam. Mech. As far as I knew that was done in the whole battalion in 1968 . As I carried a PRC25 radio for over seven-months in the > Nam, I was curious to find out what I did RIGHT to surv >, One MOS I figured was a sure short timer was POL{Fuel} Truck Driver. Of the eight who remained, seven were wounded. Ive always considered myself damn lucky to make it out alive. three, he believes he is doing what his country wants him to dojust like you So you better damn well treat him with the compassion you want for you!! The Regiment traces its lineage back to World War II. Fortunately, it was recorded on Spotify and can be listened to here: Thank you for both articles: (1)Going up river to port and (2) the flight from Italy back to Nam. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Life Expectancy of the World Population. 1 Gun, I jumped into a small dry streambed with Domke, my assistant gunner. I saw killed and wounded everywhere in our combat operations. No. A dense mass of elephant grass hung over the riverbank, and he ducked under it. well I wonder how long your going to last lieutenant? Total fantasy. Welcome Home Roger. We fought to an agreed stalemate. BUT WE MUST ALSO BE COGNIZANT OF OUR REQUIREMENT TO BE COMPASSIONATE HUMAN BEINGS. Some 23% of Vietnam vets had fathers with professional, managerial The life expectancy of a radio operator in the Vietnam War ranged between five to six seconds all the way up to a slightly-more-optimistic thirty seconds, depending on your source. Proudly holding my M60 over my head, I screamed at the top of my lungs, No. I had a 20% death rate in my Hospital Corpsman Class. I was constantly untangling the barrel and bipod of the gun from grasping vines and branches. I won a few times, and even when I did not I benefited from handling the gun under stress. I always felt that Infantry units were in more danger because of ambush issues and no permanent defensive structures. The man listed as missing was machine gunner Joe DeLong, captured along with No. Soldiers also act in the mobilization of vehicles, weaponry, troops, and more. What is the life expectancy of an army infantry soldier? It was very nearly my last. PDF Mortality Rates and Life Expectancy of Veterans from 1980 to 2017, and Most war stories are about soldiers and battles. Was a door gunner and crew chief for just shy of 18 months (I extended to get out early). He served as a sergeant with the Big Red One in Lai Khe, Vietnam. I did worry about the strength of my flax vest. You seen the enemy you shots him and vice versa. 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! News media have reported tha an American commander ordered the air strike that burned Kim Phuc.Those are incorrect. 79% had a high school education or better. I met a Marine a few years ago who was stationed North of Da Nang. Data based on the latest United Nations Population Division estimates. Sorry,I was one of your Brothers in Arms that helped talk you out of enlisting for another year in Vietnam. I put the M60s bipod legs down, lifted the weapon and positioned it on the ground outside the streambed facing the NVA. It was always quick/quick, load the bodies in and get the hell out. 76% of the men sent to Vietnam were from lower middle/working class backgrounds. Thank God I made it. The first six or seven months I walked point for our platoon and led many ambushes and green eye patrols. Every single . Welcome Home Brothers ! I assisted Vessey and Capt Cartwright by helping prepare the Bee Hive Rounds (first time they were ever used), firing 4 rounds at proximity 0 range into a human wave attack on or weak side after 5 hours of relentless attacks on the opposite side of the perimeter Those 4 rounds killed @ 400 enemy soldiers, of the 881 total enemy losss John Vessey later became a 4 Star general and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs appointed by Reagan 1983, and at retirement became Chair of the POW MIA Commission for 14 years, Passing away in August 2016 just 6 months before our 50th Reunion. _____ 1. The helicopter provided unprecedented mobility. These records were transferred into the custody of the National Archives and Records Administration in 2008. The last American troops departed in their entirety 29 March 1973. the life expectancy of a LT in Vietnam in major combat was 16 minutes. Postservice Mortality in Vietnam Veterans : 30-Year Follow-up - JAMA Thats why they called us GRUNTS ! I didnt make a move without that gun beside me. We can all hold our heads high and be proud of our service. Fact: The American military was not defeated in Vietnam. Also , it I might add that the, Government big wigs, have a quota [percentage]of a lot of the Military equipment etc that had a certain amount of time to function until it was disable, blow up, wrecked, junk, etc. 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. Much smaller income differentials in life expectancy, 0.2 to 3.6 life-years smaller for Veterans in 2010-17 are estimated. Re: Helicopter Crews (Medevac & Dustoff): To my knowledge, only the 1st Cav Medevac had M60s for protection. RIP KOOKIE forever young, Thank god you are still alive, I am age 77. Once we turned on the radar they could hit us with a harm missile. The incredibly important role in the U.S. Army is responsible for defending the country through real-life combat. The blasts from the AMMO, really lit up the whole area. Eventually I found a spot where the bed leveled off and began firing on the NVA. Ever since that fateful day in 1967, I have often wondered what became of my beloved M60. The machine gun was also mounted in the UH-1 Huey helicopter and other Army aircraft. Their personal income exceeds that of our non-veteran age group by more than 18 percent. The NVA had wedged a blocking force between our company and Company A, preventing us from advancing any farther. The average age of the 58,148 US Servicemembers killed in Vietnam was . I told by RTO that i could carry my own radio, When he agreed he was humping ammo. Vietnam veterans' personal income exceeds that of our non-veteran age group by more than 18 percent. Very interesting I carried theM 60 for 5 months that gun would cut down anything. Fact: Assuming KIAs accurately represented age groups serving in Vietnam, the average age of an infantryman (MOS 11B) serving in Vietnam to be 19 years old is a myth, it is actually 22. Hack received the Purple Heart for major combat injuries, and spent the rest of his military career as a recruiter for the US Army in Akron, Ohio. 82nd 2/505th. Its not all written down. By mid-April 1967 I was pleading with the captain to get a replacement gunner for my M60 in 4th Platoon. KICK ASS AS NEEDED!!! Some very close calls but I am alive at age 74. This makes calculations of those alive, even in 2017, difficult to maintain. It was an honor indeed to serve with some of the finest soldiers I have ever met. 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. It didnt matter who you were or where you were. As with much of the Vietnam War, the news media misreported and misinterpreted the 1968 Tet Offensive. Over 600 Navy FMF Hospital Corpsmen were killed in Vietnam. Hey Robert I was with the 38th Scout Dog Plt. If there was anything to this life expectancy of a few minutes then myself and many of my friends that are still alive today would be a long time dead. If anything went wrong, I could easily kill some of our soldiers. Information presented by SFC (Ret) David Hack. Amazingly, the NVA men then walked a short distance away, sat down and ate lunch. The rule of thumb was , any new guys would get the radio and keep it until another new guy came in. Certainly got my attention. To cut the Ho Chi Minh Traila week after the mission endedthe trail was booming with business from the north.. Database. The average man who fought in World War II was 26 years of age. Thanks. 1 Gun had registered its first kill. 75,000 Vietnam veterans are severely disabled. An infantry platoon commander in combat had an average of 6 weeks life expectancy. A former expert with the M60 machine gun shares his experiences wielding the fearsome weapon in Vietnam. Few areas of the world have been as hotly contested as the India-Pakistan border. As we were, steadily building up, our area for protection. . I was a 2nd Lt. Infantry platoon Leader. I was still pondering the move to 4th Platoon when U.S. Air Force jets screamed over the treetops with canisters of napalm. Does this mean addressing to a crowd? When Roeski got hit, I took over the M-60. In your rucksack . How many soldiers were killed on their first day in Vietnam? - 2023 He was with the 509th Radio Research Station. However, inaccurately reported, the News Media made the Tet Offensive famous. As mentioned, who kept track of that in the first place? I was an Artillery Forward Observer with the Infantry. Yes, I made E4 at graduation, that was considered a NCO then. Our battalion operated at a base camp near Tuy Hoa in Phu Yen province along the South China Sea from October 1966 to January 1967. A Marine on patrol crosses a rice paddy in Vietnam holding an M60 machine gun in 1966. There were also wounded. DeLong had only fired the weapon once in training, so I let him fire off a few rounds to practice. Love this analysis. The U.S. Infantryman Vietnam Pocket Manual contains gems such as infantry "patrol tips," maneuver techniques, and fighting methods for various environments. 17 photos showing the life of an elite US Army Ranger Anyway I was wondering about the RTOs in a grunt platoon, was that their MOS or were they 11B that carried a PRC ? Vietnam Veterans were the best educated forces our nation had ever sent into combat. They were also in a circular formation. We then took all Trucks and equipment to the Port Of Saigon. hb```8fB cBLd2>Tb jz1@E; aK6Tmc.Nn"&gn7hj'wm,h d6p4u0`&88:,TMV& y@ b=e>a&^ >{2b`ZHE3psn QZ 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. I remember we were always short of replacements throughout 1968 because of the high Kia & wounded rate we suffered at that time ! The first man to die in Vietnam was James Davis, in 1961. 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 of what was usually 5 or 6 going in and many times the leads would find traps, punji pits or the VC waiting. Good article. I think convoy truck drivers had one of the most dangerous job. As of the current Census taken during August, 2000, the surviving U.S. Vietnam Veteran population estimate is: 1,002,511. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Rarely do we examine war through the unique bond between a man and his weaponin this case the M60 machine gun. Soon I could take the gun apart and put it back together in the dark. Be glad you served with a soldiers soldier like LTC Herbert. https://open.spotify.com/show/5Th7BCpIKDE1hVTqNL3u0Q. However, Shermans were very outmatched by the German tanks on the field of battle. 2/3 of the men who served in World War II were drafted. They were Kims cousins not her brothers. Which soldier had the shortest life-expectancy? - Quora The fall of Saigon happened 30 April 1975, two years AFTER the American military left Vietnam. EACH OF US CARRIES OUR OWN MEMORIES AND THEY RUN THE GAMUT. This is hard to believe, losing nearly 711,000 between 95 and 00. Different strokes for different folks in war fer sure. The other group of aeromedical evacuation were divisional, i.e. Point was the safest place to be,they knew to wait for key elements, RTO, Medica, M60 Gunners. 1 gun! Everyone laughed. Supported by a shoulder strap, No. I worried about that kind of leadership style in the highlands. The trailer for Fury claims that the average life expectancy of an Men and women die everyday. Completa las oraciones con la forma correcta del presente de subjuntivo de los verbos entre parntesis.? I think what is missing is the fact that the life expectancy of those firing at us was much shorter than those that they were firing at. All that other stuff about seconds and minutes were story tellers, embellishing things to impress some listeners back home. They were located, next to us, in/on Long Bhin Post. They have a lower unemployment rate than the same non-vet age groups. In Vietnam he cut the hair of everyone in his company for free. Now, the wisdom of this soldier tough but humanly compassionate warrior ethos can be assessed through the 2d Bn recordNO complaints about mistreatment of prisonerswhile achieving the most combat SUCCESSES IN THE BRIGADE. Joe DeLong joined the company, and Sholly informed me that he would be the M60 gunner. Before I became a team leader on ambush and recon I was in command of the scout jeep for the 25th ID resupply convoy from January 1968 to June 15, 1968 and I found the resupply convoys a lot more dangerous because the enemy always knew where it would be and when. We walked the mountains and rice patties all thru Tu Thien Province. 85% of Vietnam Veterans made successful transitions to civilian life. Artillery, and ground forces. Ed, I was in a Grunt Platoon in Vietnam 70-71. How could we lose a war we had already stopped fighting? From a military standpoint, it was almost an unprecedented performance. Your article was quite interesting. I too never understood survivor quilt, Enjoyed your article. Approximately 70% of those killed in Vietnam were volunteers. The oldest man killed was 62 years old. 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. Sept 69 to Sept 70. I was already lugging around a 24-pound weapon, 300 rounds of ammo and a pack that weighed a good 45 pounds. Diaphragm _____ 3. We did interdictions, blocks and other fun things on the river. I am one lucky SOB. There were two different groups that flew aeromedical evacuations. Both were infantry in WW2. Well, according to current mortality and morbidity statistics for the USright around 77.5 Years! What was the average life expectancy of a soldier in Vietnam? July 68 to July 69. 1 Gun onto a small hill and provide security while others retrieved them. While traveling through the boonies the first few men were usually always shot first. Corrections and confirmations to this errored index resulted in the addition of 358 U.S. military personnel confirmed to have served in Vietnam but not originally listed by the Department of Defense (All names are currently on file and accessible 24/7/365). 1: physical position (in the field / column) 58,148 were killed and 304,000 wounded out of 2.7 million who served. 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. By this census, FOUR OUT OF FIVE WHO CLAIM TO BE VIETNAM VETS ARE NOT. I was an O5C-20 in Vietnam. Spanish Help Screaming Eagles! .. Rules may have changed, I was in the Delta region. In Company A, 22 men had been killedadded to the seven killed in Company B. We had one RTO killed because he was too close to a 2ND Lt, same thing happened to another RTO. History is a guide to navigation in perilous times. 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. I was drafted on Nov. 10, 1965, and assigned to the 4th Infantry Division. Great story!!! Before he was drafted Renza had worked as a hairdresser for women in his hometown of Peekskill, New York. 3 Answers C5H5N in water > C5H5NH+ & OH- Kb = [C5H5NH+] [OH-] / [C5H5N] 1.5e-9 = [x] 1. I was a point man, M60 Gunner and squad leader. In the few firefights and skirmishes we had with local VC, the gun always performed well. At that time, an infantry company consisted of about 150 men. Because if only 1 RTO fought for say only 10 or 15 minutes before being killed, that would up the AVG for the total war! Shermans had fairly thin armor (76mm at the thickest compared to a Tiger with 180mm at the thickest with most around 100mm). I was a grunt with c co. 4/31 196th it inf bade. In the 1st Cav medics were right behind the rto making them a very easy find also. Non-divisional aeromedical evacuation units went by the callsign DUSTOFF. 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. We wanted a break. It was on the Job Training ! Nobody attacked, where we were. PLEASE HELP!!! I just wanted to get off No. Required fields are marked *. From Cam Rahn, we kept flying north to, a Landing Zone near QUANG TRI. If you would like to get a copy, and cant find it, let me know, and I will make sure you get one. A typical Patrol Boat River (PBR) was about 31 feet long and had twin 50s forward an M 60 midships and a 50 aft. Spent my year in a Recon platoon 2/35th 4th ID. This article appeared in the October 2021 issue of Vietnam magazine. I am 16 years old an 150 pounds qith some good muscle. That was a hell of a responsibility to take on. 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 !!! Fighters and planes dont make up the Army, thats the Air Force. The CACF is the basis for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (The Wall): Average age of 58,148 killed in Vietnam was 23.11 years. For example, life expectancy of Veterans at age 25 population, thus 3.6 and 0.5 life-years smaller income differentials for male and female Veterans, respectively, shown in Tables 17 and 18. I carried the PRC-25 Radio most of that time. Startled, I quickly pointed my M60 at them. 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. Ambushed on October 4th,1967. I was a helicopter pilot We flew north, then made a stop, in Cam Rahn Bay. The Bn & Company I was assigned to, was on the last row of Bldgs. 1 Gun. I had an assistant gunner, Spc. Naturally I was excited at the opportunity to join Sanzone, but at the same time I hated leaving 2nd Platoons No. I didnt want any medals. Anxiously extending the bipod legs on the M60, I added a 100-round belt to the one I already had in the gun. Nicknamed "the pig" due to its size, weight and sound, the gun struck fear into enemy troops. Our home base was Quang Tri fire Base, But I spent about 6 months out at Mai Loc with the rig. 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 . PDF Sobering Statistics Concerning Vietnam Vets As of April 2016 How many draftees died in Vietnam? - 2023 1 Gun and I survived our first firefight. I spent my year in Vietnam with the 1/22nd infantry part of the 4th division. estimated education differentials in life expectancy for Veterans in 2011-14 are close to those of U. S. population in 1979-89. I was never formally trained as an RTO. This was another example in the Vietnam War of an inaccuracy becoming the perceived truth. 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. My friend May, I later learned, was doing the same thing in 2nd Platoon. I had scary thoughts about myself humping the bush as a RTO, I was a real puny guy back then.