How Many Viet Nam Vets Here?

[Jake70]

1970-71​

 

[GypsySE]

First a Grunt, then a Bluebell

Joined July 1962. Reservist (known as CMF - Citizens' Military Forces) then ARA (Australian Regular Army). Grunt until 1965. Got tired of all the foxhole digging, walking and nights in the donga. Tranferred to RAEME (Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers) - callsign Bluebell, and off to flying school to learn about choppers as an airframe fitter. I was a grunt at heart, so when the Grey 8 (Eighth Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment) were looking for an Armourer on their return from Malaya before their first tour of Viet-Nam, I transferred. In country October, '69. My mate got whacked in Dec, '69 and I've never got over that. Stayed in country when 8RAR went home (RTA) and did a lot of time in Vungers (Vung Tau), Saigon, Hue, Hua Long and other interesting shell pocketed locations with EIS Team doing inspections and such like stuff. 1971 returned to an Australia I was ashamed to call home. Medics threw me into a psych ward for tests and observation and in 1972 kicked me out of the military as I was; "No longer suited to be a Soldier." Few years ago, was awarded some damn medal and a Citation for my service. I threw them away. Got full TPI (Totally and Permanently Disabled) Special Rate Payment and full medical, but I question why I'm still here and bein' a grumpy ol' Vet. I guess my story is yet to be told I reckon.

 

[1dn5up]

Your not alone Phill, The draft ruined our generation, some mentality and some physically. It’s a constant haunting issue .

 

[rhino 2]

Joined July 1962. Reservist (known as CMF - Citizens' Military Forces) then ARA (Australian Regular Army). Grunt until 1965. Got tired of all the foxhole digging, walking and nights in the donga. Tranferred to RAEME (Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers) - callsign Bluebell, and off to flying school to learn about choppers as an airframe fitter. I was a grunt at heart, so when the Grey 8 (Eighth Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment) were looking for an Armourer on their return from Malaya before their first tour of Viet-Nam, I transferred. In country October, '69. My mate got whacked in Dec, '69 and I've never got over that. Stayed in country when 8RAR went home (RTA) and did a lot of time in Vungers (Vung Tau), Saigon, Hue, Hua Long and other interesting shell pocketed locations with EIS Team doing inspections and such like stuff. 1971 returned to an Australia I was ashamed to call home. Medics threw me into a psych ward for tests and observation and in 1972 kicked me out of the military as I was; "No longer suited to be a Soldier." Few years ago, was awarded some damn medal and a Citation for my service. I threw them away. Got full TPI (Totally and Permanently Disabled) Special Rate Payment and full medical, but I question why I'm still here and bein' a grumpy ol' Vet. I guess my story is yet to be told I reckon.

Phill.....I was at Vung Tau..1966..For in-contry R and R...Had a few drinks with some Aussies,....There are two songs that will bring me back....Good night Saigon by Billy Joel and I Was Only 19 by Redgum.....Both haunting and true...

No body left Nam the same as they were before...............

 

[Jake70]

rhino 2: No body left Nam the same as they were before...............

To coin an old phrase here 'I went over there as a boy and returned a (haunted) man'. Actually an aged and haunted grown man but not in years but in what I saw and had to do. Went over as an innocent but came home as......... one can fill in the rest. Never again.

 

[Sully]

 

[rhino 2]

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Someday it will........Time is marching on........

 

[Sully]

 

[rhino 2]

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We called them Puff.......[As in the magic dragon]..Once had a LZ cleared for us by one,

When he opened up it looked like he was standing still spitting fire..Kept Charleys head down thats for sure ....:shok:...

 

[Sully]

We called them Puff.......[As in the magic dragon]..Once had a LZ cleared for us by one,

When he opened up it looked like he was standing still spitting fire..Kept Charleys head down thats for sure ....:shok:...

Puff Was The C-130.....and C-47........

 

[rhino 2]

Puff Was The C-130.............

Nope.!.......Puff was the AC 47.....Also Known As....... Spooky....

 

[Jake70]

Indeed Puff was the AC 47. Here is one link of many on YouTube about it.

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And here is the search results using DuckDuckGo

My unit which served in the Iron Triangle was visited by Puff on numerous occasions due to the kind of missions we ran, usually S&D in the triple and double canopy jungle along the Ho Chi Minh trail as it came out of Laos and Cambodia along the border. Needless to say it helped us break the backs of numerous NVA campaigns some Regiment in strength launched to annihilate us, three full strength mounted infantry heavy mechanized Troops of the fearsome 11th ACR. Usually 1k to 1.2k strong. This area was in the same area that Lt Col Hal Moore fought in the movie 'We Were Soldiers'. Puff was awesome, unmatched IMHO.

 

[rhino 2]

Indeed Puff was the AC 47. Here is one link of many on YouTube about it.

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And here is the search results using DuckDuckGo

My unit which served in the Iron Triangle was visited by Puff on numerous occasions due to the kind of missions we ran, usually S&D in the triple and double canopy jungle along the Ho Chi Minh trail as it came out of Laos and Cambodia along the border. Needless to say it helped us break the backs of numerous NVA campaigns some Regiment in strength launched to annihilate us, three full strength mounted infantry heavy mechanized Troops of the fearsome 11th ACR. Usually 1k to 1.2k strong. This area was in the same area that Lt Col Hal Moore fought in the movie 'We Were Soldiers'. Puff was awesome, unmatched IMHO.

The name S&D Missions.....AKA...Search and Destroy...Were re named to ease the sensibilities of the press to Seek and Find.. ...Another term H&I..AKA...Harassment and Interdiction Fire..Was frond upon.. ..:xzqxz:...

 

[Jake70]

The name S&D Missions.....AKA...Search and Destroy...Were re named to ease the sensibilities of the press to Seek and Find.. ...Another term H&I..AKA...Harassment and Interdiction Fire..Was frond upon.. ..:xzqxz:...

Call it any name one wants but you know like I did it was to find the basturds and kill them, all or as many as we could and we so often did. We searched for their huge hidden/buried caches of food, ammo, weapons, medical supplies or whatever and then destroy the caches and often the enemy guarded them. Anywhere from a mere squad to as many as a company with more, usually the NVA dug in nearby resting up so we saw a lot of close combat. A lot of the enemy guarding the caches were often VC more so than the hard core NVA. The VC were often under gunned so they liked to hit us fast and then run away and hide to fight another day.

 

[rhino 2]

Call it any name one wants but you know like I did it was to find the basturds and kill them, all or as many as we could and we so often did. We searched for their huge hidden/buried caches of food, ammo, weapons, medical supplies or whatever and then destroy the caches and often the enemy guarded them. Anywhere from a mere squad to as many as a company with more, usually the NVA dug in nearby resting up so we saw a lot of close combat. A lot of the enemy guarding the caches were often VC more so than the hard core NVA. The VC were often under gunned so they liked to hit us fast and then run away and hide to fight another day.

Farmers by day......Soldiers at Night....

 

[Jake70]

[/COLOR]Farmers by day......Soldiers at Night....

Yep I remember. Once I found my VN (or VC) barber out on the battlefield after a big mortar and sapper attack in the wee morning hours. Upon finding his body on the open rice paddy dike the next morning hours after the previous night attack I naturally clutched my hand to my throat/neck thinking how fortunate I was to still have my neck intact. Some of my buddies was doing the same thing I noticed. We often had him to shave us with a straight razor during the day.

 

[Jake70]

I found another YouTube video on the gunships known first as Spooky and then eventually Puff and their inception through their end of use in the VN war for America. Turns out there really was an airship, the AC 130 was indeed used. The C 47 was the forerunner then evolving into the AC 47 right on through the AC 119 and eventually the AC 130, a boxed wing configuration. That was the version I knew and had work for me being the unit FO in 1970.

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[rhino 2]

I found another YouTube video on the gunships known first as Spooky and then eventually Puff and their inception through their end of use in the VN war for America. Turns out there really was an airship, the AC 130 was indeed used. The C 47 was the forerunner then evolving into the AC 47 right on through the AC 119 and eventually the AC 130, a boxed wing configuration. That was the version I knew and had work for me being the unit FO in 1970.

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I was there in 66....Four years before the AC47 was replaced...And was nicknamed Puff.

And not just for the song.....I was an RTO..And i would communicate with them though TOC.....At that time all they fired were the 7.62...But with multiple guns at a frighting high rate..................................................................................

What surprises a lot of non-military is when i tell them that for every red tracer they see there's 5 rounds behind each one......:shock:..

 

[Jake70]

I was there in 66....Four years before the AC47 was replaced...And was nicknamed Puff.

And not just for the song.....I was an RTO..And i would communicate with them though TOC.....At that time all they fired were the 7.62...But with multiple guns at a frighting high rate..................................................................................

What surprises a lot of non-military is when i tell them that for every red tracer they see there's 5 rounds behind each one......:shock:..

I seem to recall that being every fifth round was a tracer round. But no matter it made for a very awesome lightening show at night. Actually come to think of it I don't think I evert saw Puff working out in daylight hours. Being the FO who was responsible for calling in for any and all air and artillery support (after the CO ordered it) I called for Puff probably around 25+ times in my 16 months over there. Puff never let us down. Twice I even called for a "Broken Arrow" shelling by our 155mm Howitzer batteries stationed within range of our NDP (Night Defensive Positions) encampment as we got overran by the NVA. This saved our butts for sure, 155mm HE rounds doing aerial bursts about 20' overhead our positions. We'd be hunkered down inside out ATV's and tanks and some of us fervently praying.

 

[MikeyTX]

rhino 2: No body left Nam the same as they were before...............

To coin an old phrase here 'I went over there as a boy and returned a (haunted) man'. Actually an aged and haunted grown man but not in years but in what I saw and had to do. Went over as an innocent but came home as......... one can fill in the rest. Never again.

No one did. Had a friend for years that I'd ride with to Sturgis. He was Air Force. He re armed the B-52's. When they'd lose one for whatever reason it affected everyone he said.