Vietnam Combat Vets

[aliceinchains]

The combat you have seen and experienced . And the people that you have operated with.

What stands out most in your mind going back in time.

[MJ1]

The sound of the Huey the smell of diesel and shit also the constant booming of 105's.

[AKTexas]

My father served four tours,he always said the whoop whoop sound of the rotors of the Huey,and the report of an AK will never be forgotten.In fact these sounds haunt him still.

The Huey,because it meant life.

The AK,because it meant death.

[NRAJOE]

My brother served 2 tours...67-68...68-69....door gunner 1st Cav.

He was never quite the same after he came back...had no patience with stupid people and lived off in the woods every place he lived after.

Lost him 10 yrs ago to what we believe was Agent Orange induced cancer...but the Gov'ment said no....very sad.

[HDR]

Myth:

The fighting in Vietnam was not as intense as in World War II.
The average infantryman in the South Pacific during World War II saw about 40 days of combat in four years. The average infantryman in Vietnam saw about 240 days of combat in one year thanks to the mobility of the helicopter.

The sound of a Huey is the sound of Vietnam.


Joe,
The government lied.

[jmurda]

A million shades of green, the smell of decay

[locosmith]

the total silence, then the world would erupt. You were always aware and could hear a twig snap. NO Sleep at night, nap during the day, waiting.loco

[HDR]

A million shades of green, the smell of decay

The Green Hell.

[AK_Apostle]

I remember the sound of mortars hitting our flight line and our aircraft maintenance area, hearing Russian 122 rockets slithering through the air and the horrible sound they made when they exploded.

The righteous sound of quad fifties and puff the magic dragon's mini guns.

The sound of out going artillery rounds slithering through the air and the sound of Huey and Chinook rotor blades popping when they passed the over the aircraft's fuselage.

Hearing the siren go off and running to our bunkers during mortar attacks. The absolutely clear star filled sky was gorgeous, water buffalo wasn't bad tasting but I never could get used to the taste of recombined milk.

My favorite c rations were ham patties.

The famous P38 can opener got it's name because it took 38 moves to open a c ration can.


Found this picture on the web of whats left of a deuceHF after a russian 122 rocket hit it.

[HDR]

122s will catch your attention..

[AKTexas]

The famous P38 can opener got it's name because it took 38 moves to open a c ration can.

I have my dad's P38 he carried over there.

[HDR]

Here's a little history, however, it is too complex to be anywhere near complete.

In a world where FAs, grenades, claymores, C4 and everything else the Army owned was handed out for free buying a commercial made firearm was difficult.

Some infantry would sell enemy weapons (bolt, pistol or semi) for souvenirs. If it had a US serial number, no matter if it came from WWI if it had US markings it was off limits to bring back.

As what you shipped home was inspected at the unit level; what could be smuggled home depended on your unit.. Same as today, SF etc was exempted.

If he bought it there; it was expensive for the time. If he would have sold it when he left; he would easily gotten enough for it to buy your mother a ring.

[MJ1]

I still have the P38 I wore on my dog tags. It's on my truck keyring.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v130/montereyjack/680002.jpg

[delta6]

The bugs and snakes, the smell of cordite after a firefight the wait a minute vines tearing your skin and the darkness. Never talking above a wisper and the never ending supply of leachs and ants. The sound of F--k Y-- lizards at night, no mail and the heavy rucks. I Corp was a bitch.

[Penguin]

The bugs and snakes, the smell of cordite after a firefight the wait a minute vines tearing your skin and the darkness. Never talking above a wisper and the never ending supply of leachs and ants. The sound of F--k Y-- lizards at night, no mail and the heavy rucks. I Corp was a bitch.

Cordite? Are you british by chance? If so does it really smell that different than say american bullets?

[delta6]

No I am not a tea sipper just a retired veteran, and yes cordite is a smell that you will never forget. RVN 68/69 70/71. And yes Penguin the NVA and VC were still using ordnance from the 40s and 50s from the French and Japanese.

[Penguin]

Ok thanks. I was just wondering I have never shot british ammo but have heard the about the smell of cordite before so that is why I wondered.

[hafferf]

Hahahaa.... n' don't forget the parachute flares that Arty would pop up... We would stand astride of the 10,000 gallon Bladder Tanks and with constantina wire gloves, throw off any still hot flares that would land on the tanks. I thought that was a stupid chore... 'specially if it was a bladder of 115/145 Av gas. but it was explained to me that if the "Farm' went up.... you couldn't run fast enough to escape. I concurred (like a good Marine) that, that was indeed "Sage" advice... Or... Listening to the "Troggs" singing about "Wild Thang !!".... My Favorites were DDicks and MF***ers (Beans n' Franks) But I always got stuck with "Ham n' Eggs Chopped...;>(((

Fast Freddie

[hueytaxi]

My earliest memory was when the stew opened the door of that DC-8 at Camh Ranh Bay and the hot wet air rushed. I asked 'what is that smell?' The next was never finding my duffel bag.

[ltorlo64]

My earliest memory was when the stew opened the door of that DC-8 at Camh Ranh Bay and the hot wet air rushed. I asked 'what is that smell?' The next was never finding my duffel bag.

Well some things never change (the lost luggage thing!).

[N/A]

That silence after the thump of their motars....