The Vietnam War

squattingdog, neither have I...It has been so long that it is hard to recall minutae of events, only the large overall memories can be recalled....I don't remember can tho or my tho or sa dec or the canals. I only remember the bases, how they looked. We were moored to a small aluminum pier at binh thuy for the night. It was to late in the day after making a cargo run farther up the river. Tomorrow we would proceed on down to nha be our main port. I had gone up to the bridge to yack at the quarterdeck watch stander as I was bored sitting in comm central. We watched the kids in a river backwater catch fish. A flight of hueys came in to land at the base, when we heard a 'whump'. What the heck was that,we wondered. The first chopper sat down and 'whump' again only this time there was an explosion behind the main buildings. Holy smoke! somebody is lobbing mortar shells on the base. We sounded GQ turned on the bridge radios. 'whump' and the cases of beer and pop stacked over by the commissary blew up. Well damn there goes next weeks booze. An lst beached in front of us was dropping its rear anchor into a mike boat so they could drop it in the river and winch themselves of the beach. we pulled in all lines and headed down stream...Later report said the base had taken three hits and the hospital one or two...charlied has snuck onto an island in the middle of the river and his rounds had hit very precisely on the base??
 
A legendary US Army tunnel rat . . .
"The instinct to survive is tremendous. That's all I did. I just tried to survive.” - John Baker, Vietnam veteran, tunnel rat, and Medal of Honor recipient
Born on October 30, 1945, in Davenport, Iowa, John F. Baker Jr. graduated from high school, enlisted in the Army, and in 1966 was sent to Vietnam.
Within weeks of arriving in country, the 5-foot-2, 105 pound soldier was fighting in the enemy-filled jungles of Vietnam with Company A, 2d Battalion, 27th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division.
On November 5, 1966, just days after his 21st birthday, Pfc. Baker, (he would soon be promoted to sergeant) was on a mission near Dau Tieng when his unit was suddenly hit by a massive enemy force.
"Our men were getting killed right and left," Baker recalled in an interview with the Library of Congress years later.
With the Viet Cong delivering a withering barrage of small arms, machine gun, and grenade fire against him and his men, Baker “immediately moved to the head of the column, rescued a fallen buddy, and killed four enemy snipers.”
Blown to his feet seconds later by a grenade, the small but muscular Baker, now bleeding from shrapnel wounds to his arms and legs, jumped up and rushed towards the communist position. Over the next hour he single handedly killed countless VC, wiped out six enemy machine gun bunkers, and repeatedly risked his life to rescue seven more injured Americans.
"When you see your buddies get killed you sometimes you lose your mind,” he recalled. "You just have that moment that no matter who you are, you need to get in there and get 'em out.”
Recalling the engagement years later, Baker, who had trained to be an Olympic gymnast before enlisting in the Army, said, "At the end of the battle, a few of my comrades counted how many bodies I killed . . . I killed about 250 Vietcong."
For his "selfless heroism, indomitable fighting spirit, and extraordinary gallantry” that saved the lives of eight of his fellow soldiers and stopped the enemy attack, Baker was awarded the Medal of Honor.
During his time in Vietnam, Sgt. Baker also volunteered to be a “tunnel rat,” the name given to men who cleared enemy tunnels and retrieved communist bodies. Using only his pistol and flashlight, the seemingly fearless sergeant completed nearly 100 tunnel rat missions.
Describing the terrifying, serpentine mazes located throughout Vietnam, Baker said, "You had to crawl through 'em and sometimes they were two to three miles long, with trap doors. There were booby traps like snake pits, spider pits, bamboo pits, and scorpion pits. It was a really scary place.”
Today we pay tribute to MSgt. John Baker, his family, and all those who served, sacrificed, and died during the Vietnam War. We will never forget you.

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We had just started coming out of a jungle and into a large clearing, which increased our vulnerability. There was elephant grass for acres in front of us. Our Lt. decided that we should go back a little deeper into the jungle and wait until dark before trying to get across this wide field of elephant grass.

We ate ‘c’ rats that evening and tried to get some sleep. We could hear artillery fire off into the distant. I tried to write a letter to home using what daylight was left. The next morning, I read it and decided to throw it away. Hell, I couldn’t even read it.

The Marine beside me fell fast asleep. I thought to myself, “I wished that I could do that.” I wanted some water, so I asked if anyone had some water to spare. The youngest man in our unit tossed me his bottle. I only took a few sips. Even water that was about 90 degrees tasted good. It was hot and humid. My clothes were soaked with sweat and I felt like a hog in the muck.

I decided to try to get some shuteye. I closed my eyes and like every other night that I was over there, I thought about me and my buddy out cruising the strip and checking out the ladies. Soon, I fell asleep.

Right after midnight, the Lt. decided it was time to make our way across the field of grass. I stumbled around getting my gear together and getting dressed. Soon, we were off. The Lt. had us set a wide line across the grass and to take big strides, but keep the line straight. Finally, we reached the other side.

I’m not sure why I wrote this. It’s what came to my mind at the moment.
 
We had just started coming out of a jungle and into a large clearing, which increased our vulnerability. There was elephant grass for acres in front of us. Our Lt. decided that we should go back a little deeper into the jungle and wait until dark before trying to get across this wide field of elephant grass.

We ate ‘c’ rats that evening and tried to get some sleep. We could hear artillery fire off into the distant. I tried to write a letter to home using what daylight was left. The next morning, I read it and decided to throw it away. Hell, I couldn’t even read it.

The Marine beside me fell fast asleep. I thought to myself, “I wished that I could do that.” I wanted some water, so I asked if anyone had some water to spare. The youngest man in our unit tossed me his bottle. I only took a few sips. Even water that was about 90 degrees tasted good. It was hot and humid. My clothes were soaked with sweat and I felt like a hog in the muck.

I decided to try to get some shuteye. I closed my eyes and like every other night that I was over there, I thought about me and my buddy out cruising the strip and checking out the ladies. Soon, I fell asleep.

Right after midnight, the Lt. decided it was time to make our way across the field of grass. I stumbled around getting my gear together and getting dressed. Soon, we were off. The Lt. had us set a wide line across the grass and to take big strides, but keep the line straight. Finally, we reached the other side.

I’m not sure why I wrote this. It’s what came to my mind at the moment.

It lives in us and just won't go away. :(
 
It lives in us and just won't go away. :(
You and I know that at any time something can trigger a memory. I can be reading a book, walking in a store, or just doing nothing and I will get a flashback.

I was watching the Veterans Day activities at Arlington on Wednesday and it brought back many memories. All of a sudden, I felt the need to talk to another veteran, so I called my friend from the Marines and now lives in Arkansas. We talked for a good hour.
 
You and I know that at any time something can trigger a memory. I can be reading a book, walking in a store, or just doing nothing and I will get a flashback.

I was watching the Veterans Day activities at Arlington on Wednesday and it brought back many memories. All of a sudden, I felt the need to talk to another veteran, so I called my friend from the Marines and now lives in Arkansas. We talked for a good hour.

Absolutely. Heck, A few years back, I was watching the movie "More American Graffiti" and the beginning scene with the Huey's triggered nightmares the likes of which I hadn't had in years. :(
For sure, whenever these episodes strike, you have to talk it out with another combat vet. I'm sorry, but nobody else will ever be able to comprehend what we all went through.
Stay strong buddy.
 
we hauled cargo, food, pop, booze, oxygen tanks, cement blocks, pig food, chicken wire and ammunition of various kinds, small arms .38, .45, 7.62nato, 40mm and larger for the howitzers, the 155 which is a two piece type of ammo consisting of the shell and the powder case....
Being in the Army's "navy" we hauled construction material to Mekong destinations(Vihn Long, Long Xuyen, Can Tho etc), even PX goods(Can Tho) via landing craft(LCU).<--actual craft I served on. We hauled ammo barges to....? up the Mekong on 65 ft. tugboats, all kinds of artillary and small arms ammo. We had PBR escorts towards in front and rear, and a fixed wing overhead dropping artillary on the shore lines to keep snipers off our tails. hauled jet fuel(JP4) up the Delta to Nam Can, to refuel the helicopter outposts, in a "Yankee" series coastal fuel tanker, the Y-100.
 
Being in the Army's "navy" we hauled construction material to Mekong destinations(Vihn Long, Long Xuyen, Can Tho etc), even PX goods(Can Tho) via landing craft(LCU).<--actual craft I served on. We hauled ammo barges to....? up the Mekong on 65 ft. tugboats, all kinds of artillary and small arms ammo. We had PBR escorts towards in front and rear, and a fixed wing overhead dropping artillary on the shore lines to keep snipers off our tails. hauled jet fuel(JP4) up the Delta to Nam Can, to refuel the helicopter outposts, in a "Yankee" series coastal fuel tanker, the Y-100.
I never figured out how people remembered all theses names. I remember landing in Chu Lai and patrolling along the Mekong and into some of the deltas. I also know we were driven in an APC to Bien Hoa and of course Saigon and Da Nang, but not much more than that without really giving it more thought. I did keep a small journal when I remembered to write in it and there were times when I would start to make an entry and couldn’t spell the name, so I would just scribble it out.
 
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We traveled the route down the river from Saigon's deep water commercial port- Newport quite regularly. The destinations I mentioned above, we visited one or more probably once a week. I forgot to mentioned Vung Tau, another frequent port of call. It was considered to be an in-country R&R center, very nice city, gorgeous countryside. I remember taking an ox cart ride along a shore, so beautiful, for a bit I could forget I was in a combat zone(yea, maybe not a good idea to do for too long). It was said that the VC enjoyed R&Ring there too, never saw Vung Tau get hit, like Nha Be or Bien Hoa did while I was there.
 
To this day, I would like to hear Lt. Calley's version of what happened during the My Lai Massacre. Not that it would matter any to me, but I often wonder if what the government presented as evidence of his wrong doings, if it was all true. My reason is because as I read the stories surrounding this event, I learned that a lot of the evidence presented was strictly hearsay testimony and even testimony from witnesses that reported on what they heard. A lot of unanswered questions for me to be able to put it to rest.



Here ya go:


original-2279802-4.jpgmylai_1-832x1024.jpgmylai_8-e1525446563591.jpg1818935.jpgmy lai massacre Vietnam 49 years later global-politics eu.jpg


www.investigatingpower.org/my-lai-massacre/

www.studythepast.com/vbprojects/my_lai_massacre.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Calley

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Lai_massacre

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:My_Lai_Massacre

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Lai_(film)




 
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It’s all about staying alive. It’s surprising to me how nervous you are while looking for the bad guys and then how all of that nervousness goes away when the shooting starts. Now, it becomes an issue of “I want to go home alive and in one piece.”

My Lai is a well known engagement. Lt. Calley made a mess of things. I think President Nixon pardoned him.

Thanks for the videos.
 
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I never figured out how people remembered all theses names. I remember landing in Chu Lai and patrolling along the Mekong and into some of the deltas. I also know we were driven in an APC to Bien Hoa and of course Saigon and Da Nang, but not much more than that without really giving it more thought. I did keep a small journal when I remembered to write in it and there were times when I would start to make an entry and couldn’t spell the name, so I would just scribble it out.
Same here. Never was much for names of villages or towns. I do however remember most of the fire bases I spent time at. Go figure.
Libby
Verna
Silver
Nancy
Mace
Blackhorse
 
It’s all about staying alive. It’s surprising to me how nervous you are while looking for the bad guys and then how all of that nervousness goes away when the shooting starts. Now, it becomes an issue of “I want to go home alive and in one piece.”

My Lai is a well known engagement. Lt. Calley made a mess of things. I think President Nixon pardoned him.

Thanks for the videos.

No need for thanks as it's my pleasure. I think it's called anticipation. Sometimes you think they're out there and sometimes you know they're out there and you wish that you can prove they're out there and know exactly where they are so you can do what you came there for. Thanks for your service in the military and in law enforcement. GOD Bless.
 
We were moored to a small aluminum pier at binh thuy for the night. It was to late in the day after making a cargo run farther up the river. Tomorrow we would proceed on down to nha be our main port.
So, you guys got the "incoming" at Bình Thủy, and operated out of Nha Be? That's like 8 miles down the river from where I was stationed.
I remember we used to barter PX supplies for diesel filters and stuff there, with the guys on that big maintenance ship. The Army supply chain could get us a whole GM 6-71 engine, but not stuff like fuel filters and injectors.
 
there were a couple of bases we were not allowed to go. the song ong doc area was to hot so we had to drop our cargo to the support lst anchored offshore. solid anchor/seafloat of the cau mau area was also a hot spot and we only went there with full pbr/huey gunship/ov10 bronco support. it is rather thrilling trying to unload ammunition when the base is under fire (not) and the usual 4 hour job takes 6 hours. It takes a long time to load/unload 325 tons of ammuniton. At most bases we would unload a dozen pallets and be off to the next base. rarely staying long in one place or we would anchor in the middle of the river and put antisapper lights around the ship and drop concussion grenades all night. During the last couple of months we stopped going up river in the daytime, it was just to dangerous so we ran the rivers at night using radar and bow watches.
It has been fifty years since, ,,,,,,,no
 
We had just started coming out of a jungle and into a large clearing, which increased our vulnerability. There was elephant grass for acres in front of us. Our Lt. decided that we should go back a little deeper into the jungle and wait until dark before trying to get across this wide field of elephant grass.

We ate ‘c’ rats that evening and tried to get some sleep. We could hear artillery fire off into the distant. I tried to write a letter to home using what daylight was left. The next morning, I read it and decided to throw it away. Hell, I couldn’t even read it.

The Marine beside me fell fast asleep. I thought to myself, “I wished that I could do that.” I wanted some water, so I asked if anyone had some water to spare. The youngest man in our unit tossed me his bottle. I only took a few sips. Even water that was about 90 degrees tasted good. It was hot and humid. My clothes were soaked with sweat and I felt like a hog in the muck.

I decided to try to get some shuteye. I closed my eyes and like every other night that I was over there, I thought about me and my buddy out cruising the strip and checking out the ladies. Soon, I fell asleep.

Right after midnight, the Lt. decided it was time to make our way across the field of grass. I stumbled around getting my gear together and getting dressed. Soon, we were off. The Lt. had us set a wide line across the grass and to take big strides, but keep the line straight. Finally, we reached the other side.

I’m not sure why I wrote this. It’s what came to my mind at the moment.
That’s a really good story. I remember all that darn elephant grass. I sometimes hear the Hueys in my sleep and will suddenly wake up.
I can still taste some of the c rations, especially the spaghetti and meatballs. I think using the word meat in a c ration should be illegal.
 
We had just started coming out of a jungle and into a large clearing, which increased our vulnerability. There was elephant grass for acres in front of us. Our Lt. decided that we should go back a little deeper into the jungle and wait until dark before trying to get across this wide field of elephant grass.

We ate ‘c’ rats that evening and tried to get some sleep. We could hear artillery fire off into the distant. I tried to write a letter to home using what daylight was left. The next morning, I read it and decided to throw it away. Hell, I couldn’t even read it.

The Marine beside me fell fast asleep. I thought to myself, “I wished that I could do that.” I wanted some water, so I asked if anyone had some water to spare. The youngest man in our unit tossed me his bottle. I only took a few sips. Even water that was about 90 degrees tasted good. It was hot and humid. My clothes were soaked with sweat and I felt like a hog in the muck.

I decided to try to get some shuteye. I closed my eyes and like every other night that I was over there, I thought about me and my buddy out cruising the strip and checking out the ladies. Soon, I fell asleep.

Right after midnight, the Lt. decided it was time to make our way across the field of grass. I stumbled around getting my gear together and getting dressed. Soon, we were off. The Lt. had us set a wide line across the grass and to take big strides, but keep the line straight. Finally, we reached the other side.

I’m not sure why I wrote this. It’s what came to my mind at the moment.
Not sure many understand how dangerous elephant grass was. :( Nasty stuff.

Delta.jpg elephant grass.jpg
 
 

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Not sure many understand how dangerous elephant grass was. :( Nasty stuff.

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On one patrol, we had almost came out of a small field of elephant grass when one of the fellows in our patrol simply fell over. No one knew what happened. We couldn't revive him, so me and a couple of other Marines carried him out of the grass and down by a small creek where we could hide alongside the bank. We didn't want to leave him and there was no way were going to leave him, so we called for a medevac to come and get him while we waited. It only took maybe 15 minutes until the chopper arrived and lifted him into the chopper and off they went and so did we, as we continued on.

A few days later, our patrol leader gathers us together and goes over the day's game plan. The last thing he tells us is that Tommy, the guy that fell over, had died from a snakebite. They have these little green vipers, I don't know what they were, but they were about four to six inches long and deadly. They had some weird looking frogs and other reptiles over there. When the rains came and we would cross a marsh or a bog, you could see them floating by you.
 
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I wanted to ask if any of you Vietnam Vets know or remember the name of those small snakes that were poisonous? I later learned from a Captain that they could kill a man in less than 15 seconds. Can a snakebite venom travel that fast through our system? I was young, so maybe that’s why I believed him.
 

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