-Rurik
Friday, May 12, 2023
Easy Living In A Hard War: Behind The Lines In Vietnam
Thanks to movies like Platoon, Americans today think of the typical U.S. soldier in Vietnam as an infantryman on jungle patrol facing death and terror daily. But the reality is that most troops were more like Specialist Howard than Oliver Stone’s Chris Taylor. The high-tech nature of America’s war in Southeast Asia and its sophisticated logistics effort meant that some 75 percent of the 2.5 million soldiers who served there worked in supporting roles, out of danger and in relative comfort.
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I knew a few that served in Vietnam. One was Cavalry in the Central Highlands, another was a sniper, one was a Seabee, and one was a clerk in Saigon. They all had stories, and a few were far from describing a pleasant tour. I haven't seen any of them, except one, in the last few decades, and he's getting old.
ReplyDeleteOne story that really stuck was from the one that served in Saigon. Someone in his unit left a jeep unguarded, which was the end of the jeep. Usually, a Vietcong would open the large fill spout on the gas tank, pull the pin on a grenade wrapped with a rubber band, and drop it into the tank. Eventually the rubber band would dissolve enough for the lever to throw, and the jeep would blow up. Nobody cared to see if they could salvage the jeep, so it would stay there and be given a wide berth.
Must have been a small ass grenade to fit inside a filler pipe on a jeep. Makes a nice tale though.
DeleteThe filler pipes on M151 jeeps are big enough to drop a grenade down.
DeleteThey usually incorporated the help of children to drop the grenades, as they were less threatening around a Jeep.
DeleteI knew nothing of the city of DaNang. We were told we were animals and could not go there. It was many, many years later that I heard of the big hotels and the parties, water sking and sun bathing on China Beach and the list goes on and on. I had no freaking clue. The closest I got to civilization was Freedom Hill beside Dog Patch. I was there twice.
ReplyDeleteWelcome Home Bright Eyes. Simple comment we longed to hear but were to proud to ask for. If you played around Que Son Mtns. area I suspect you had to be animalistic to survive. Personally spent time in Hoi An/ Dien Ban with ROK Marines as English speaking radioman. They took good care of me because I could all in support.
DeleteMy dad spent a year there, 69-70. Drafted, was a clerk because he lied during basic and said he could type. Just wanted to do his time and get back to his wife and newborn son. Was on a firebase of some type. I have seen pictures. Tents with sandbag walls 3-4' high. Never saw combat, but the base was shelled fairly regularly. From pictures, none of the guys were carrying any extra weight. That skinny muscular build they had back then. His issue rifle in country was an M-14.
ReplyDeleteSome guys had fun, some had ...less fun. I do remember readin' about the hospital at Vung Tau takin' three mortar rounds inside the wire sometime in '69 and laughin' about 'em finally earnin' their Combat Pay.
ReplyDeleteActually, we'd all have been in deep shit without REMFs. Thanks to all wore baggy green skin.
The father of a friend of mine was a retired Air Force Lt. Col. who had served in Vietnam in some support role. When the father pased away I was helping my friend write the obituary and he wondered if it was ok to call him a Vietnam Veteran. He had his dad's service ribbons so I told him to check for a Vietnam Service Ribbon (which he had) and that was what made it legit to call him a Vietnam Veteran.
ReplyDeleteMy dad was a civil engineering squadron NCOIC at Tan Son Nhut (Saigon) in 67-68. He said they mostly had it pretty good. Plenty of good food, booze, houseboys to do the chores. Their biggest worries were being caught in the open during rocket attacks, and sappers. Then came the Tet Offensive. VC overran the base and it took 3 days to clear them out. As dad put it, "We earned our combat pay then". He was awarded a bronze star with 2 V devices, and refused a purple heart. "I wasn't going to take a medal for busting my ass diving into a bunker."
ReplyDelete1970-72 in VN. Ran into REMFs everytime I came in for Radio Batteries for our PRC-25s, get promotions or went for RR. They were a happy bunch, MamaSan starched their utilities and covers, washed their clothes and cleaned their barracks while Papasan was outside smoking opium. They had TVs, refrigerators, air conditioning, hot chow every night, bars, whorehouses, PXs, stores, pretty much all you wanted stateside.
ReplyDeleteSomebody has to kiss the Sgt. Major's ass and jump to attention every time an Officer farted. I couldn't do it. I mean what the hell, somebody has to process my combat pay, give me cases of Ammunition, those tasty C-Rations, Batteries and log my flight pay. Hell, those pencils don't push themselves.
Actually, they were a good group of folks that hated doing what they did every day. That was their MOS, if they had a choice they would get into the shit with the rest of us.
Their 12 month tour of duty lasted longer than my 22 month tour.
68-69 I hear you most Lima Charles. Yes, they were good guys but the man in the bush got treated llke shit. We'd come into the rear for a couple days. Hungry, tired, jungle rot, asses bleeding to the backs of our kness from heat rash just a mess. Go to the chow hall and the pogos were allowed to go ahead of us cuz they had to get to their jobs. Used to piss me off. The three or four days we were in the rear at night we had to pull guard on the company bunkers. Of course the honch wanted 03's guarding his ass. I wouldn't do the attention and salute shit either. Whadda ya gonna do, send me to the brig? Three hots and a cot? I would have said, Thank you, sans the sir.
DeleteWelcome Home cato, sez 1st ANGLICO. (Folks, there was no rear area. Always had head on swivel. Yes, some areas “safer” than others.)
DeleteWelcome Home Bright Eyes, I was there to support the grunt on the ground and "my" slicks. Upmost respect for those earning the CIB. regards, Alemaster
DeleteI worked with three guys who were there. The only thing two of them would say about Viet Nam was when we were trying something risky (mainframe tech support) was "What can they do to me, I was in Viet Nam). One was a Captain in the Chemical Corps. He said he dumped Agent Orange and killed babies.
ReplyDeleteI was in school at Fort Monmouth with a guy who had just come back from there. He had been a weather tech. He said he only saw one Viet Cong, through a fence in a compound. It was '64 and pretty early.
I spent 12 months and 29 days in a US Marine tank in northern I-Corps (Vietnam).
ReplyDeleteThey say that one in seven “war fighters” are actual trigger pullers.