squatting dog
We don't have as far to go, as we've already been
- Location
- Arkansas, and also Florida
We packed like that whenever we were going out for 20-30 days. Most of us still have the "forward lean" to this day.Oh boy, I remember those rides. When we went out on recon, we were sometimes transported by a Sikorsky. I always wondered why we never flew higher than we did.
I can’t get over the size of the pack on that soldier in the front of the picture.
Sometimes one of my pictures just reaches out and grabs me. I can do little more than stare, lost in memories. Not in a bad way, but lost nonetheless. I am truly amazed it happened to me, and I survived.
View attachment 216234
as I mentioned to squatting dog,Oh boy, I remember those rides. When we went out on recon, we were sometimes transported by a Sikorsky. I always wondered why we never flew higher than we did.
I can’t get over the size of the pack on that soldier in the front of the picture.
Absolutely!Thanks for your service.
I had no idea, thanks for this.I wonder how many on this forum know about the 20,000 to 30,000 Canadians who volunteered to join the US military in the Vietnam war era ?
No not at all. In fact 2 of my 1966 Toronto high school graduating class went to Buffalo and joined the USMC, both served in Vietnam and came back safely. One guy stayed in the US, got married to a young woman from Kentucky, and joined the Kentucky State Police. He served for 33 years, then retired and now lives in Florence Kentucky. The other guy came back to Canada for a couple of years, then used his acquired US citizenship to get into Yale. Both of them received US citizenship as a result of having served in the US military. A fairly large number of Canadian First Nations men joined the USMC under the provisions of the Jay Treaty of 1794. The Jay treaty is still in effect. It allows Canadian born First Nations people to enter the US and live there with no hinderance whatsoever. Some of the First Nations reserves in Canada have VFW posts on them because so many of their nations served in the US military, in particular the USMC. At least one Canadian First Nations man was a USMC Command Sgt Major in the 1970's.Absolutely!
I had no idea, thanks for this.
Did they have to give up Canadian citizenship? I think we would if we entered another country's army.
That's pretty interesting and something I never knew. If there were any Canadians in our outfit, they never said so. We did however work in our area of operations ( III Corps ), with a mix of Australian troops.I wonder how many on this forum know about the 20,000 to 30,000 Canadians who volunteered to join the US military in the Vietnam war era ? The numbers can only be estimated because their DD214's had a mythical "US home town " put on them, to disguise the number of "foreign nationals " who were serving . One example of a phony US home town was Messina New York. It was used for all of the Canadians from the eastern Provinces of Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. And other one was Buffalo New York for the volunteers from Ontario. In Windsor Ontario, just across the river from Detroit Michigan is the North Wall memorial dedicated to the Canadians who served and died in Vietnam. link. north wall memorial windsor ontario photos - Bing images
JImB.
Thank you and God Bless you for your service to our country.Sometimes one of my pictures just reaches out and grabs me. I can do little more than stare, lost in memories. Not in a bad way, but lost nonetheless. I am truly amazed it happened to me, and I survived.
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I'm so sorry your wife has to go through this BS. I never got near Long Binh, (only knew of the infamous jail there), so I never knew there were civilian women in country. (outside of donut dollies). This country owes folks like your wife big time, but, I'll bet they'll never acknowledge that fact.I'll tell you of another group of which I will bet you have not heard: The thousands of American civilian women who worked in Vietnam. They seem to be one of the best kept secrets of the war. Thirty-five of those women were killed in the plane crash of "Operation Babylift". There were listed as: Defense Attache Office personnel.
When my wife and her first husband divorced, she, working for the Army, inquired about an assignment in Europe. She was informed that there, they hired dependent wives of American military. But, they asked, how'd you like to go to Vietnam? She signed up for a one-year tour and extended for six months. She was the Administrative Assistant to the CG of the Engineer Command in Long Binh. In April of 72 she was going to extend for another six months when she was advised by someone "in the know" that it was time to go home.
She knew a number of the gals on that fatal flight. Most were planning on retiring upon returning to the states.
About ten years after my wife came home her health turned to total crap. One thing after another and another. Had she been military she would be 100% disabled due to Agent Orange which was used heavily where she lived and worked while in country. Thirty-two civilians/contractors have tried to sue and gotten nowhere. The only civilians to obtain VA benefits are "Department of the Navy Special Agents".
Sorry for going on a rant. I watch my wife in constant pain and it pisses me off. Civilian doctors have never heard of "Agent Orange". She needed to see VA doctors. Again, sorry for ranting.
I was unaware of this disguise strategy. Thank you for the enlightenment and the service!I wonder how many on this forum know about the 20,000 to 30,000 Canadians who volunteered to join the US military in the Vietnam war era ? The numbers can only be estimated because their DD214's had a mythical "US home town " put on them, to disguise the number of "foreign nationals " who were serving . One example of a phony US home town was Messina New York. It was used for all of the Canadians from the eastern Provinces of Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. And other one was Buffalo New York for the volunteers from Ontario. In Windsor Ontario, just across the river from Detroit Michigan is the North Wall memorial dedicated to the Canadians who served and died in Vietnam. link. north wall memorial windsor ontario photos - Bing images
JImB.
This is horrible. What surprises me the most is that I never heard of such civilian women serving in Viet Nam. I don't recall them ever mentioned on the news. If your wife was exposed to Agent Orange, she definitely deserves medical help. It's one more shame on the VA.I'll tell you of another group of which I will bet you have not heard: The thousands of American civilian women who worked in Vietnam. They seem to be one of the best kept secrets of the war. Thirty-five of those women were killed in the plane crash of "Operation Babylift". There were listed as: Defense Attache Office personnel.
When my wife and her first husband divorced, she, working for the Army, inquired about an assignment in Europe. She was informed that there, they hired dependent wives of American military. But, they asked, how'd you like to go to Vietnam? She signed up for a one-year tour and extended for six months. She was the Administrative Assistant to the CG of the Engineer Command in Long Binh. In April of 72 she was going to extend for another six months when she was advised by someone "in the know" that it was time to go home.
She knew a number of the gals on that fatal flight. Most were planning on retiring upon returning to the states.
About ten years after my wife came home her health turned to total crap. One thing after another and another. Had she been military she would be 100% disabled due to Agent Orange which was used heavily where she lived and worked while in country. Thirty-two civilians/contractors have tried to sue and gotten nowhere. The only civilians to obtain VA benefits are "Department of the Navy Special Agents".
Sorry for going on a rant. I watch my wife in constant pain and it pisses me off. Civilian doctors have never heard of "Agent Orange". She needed to see VA doctors. Again, sorry for ranting.
Google "American women killed in Vietnam War". One of my wife's best friends was ordered to be on the ill-fated Operation Babylift flight. She hid and missed the flight. She was stalling for time to adopt two Vietnamese girls. I recently looked at a documentary "Vietnam: 50 years remembered". In episode one I caught a glimpse of an American woman. Of all the videos and shows I've seen about the war that is the only American woman I ever saw. As I said, "they were a well-kept secret". We have a friend who, following my wife's experience, signed up and worked as a civilian for the Army in Afghanistan. I doubt we could find any news or record of her year abroad.This is horrible. What surprises me the most is that I never heard of such civilian women serving in Viet Nam. I don't recall them ever mentioned on the news. If your wife was exposed to Agent Orange, she definitely deserves medical help. It's one more shame on the VA.
Thanks - I added the word "civilian" to the search and found this:Google "American women killed in Vietnam War". One of my wife's best friends was ordered to be on the ill-fated Operation Babylift flight. She hid and missed the flight. She was stalling for time to adopt two Vietnamese girls. I recently looked at a documentary "Vietnam: 50 years remembered". In episode one I caught a glimpse of an American woman. Of all the videos and shows I've seen about the war that is the only American woman I ever saw. As I said, "they were a well-kept secret". We have a friend who, following my wife's experience, signed up and worked as a civilian for the Army in Afghanistan. I doubt we could find any news or record of her year abroad.
Thanks - I added the word "civilian" to the search and found this:
"More than 50 civilian American women died in Vietnam. Many Vietnam women veterans have never told their friends, colleagues or even loved ones about their tour of duty in Vietnam. The majority of them were only in their early 20s when they returned to a country that did not understand what they had just experienced."
http://www.vietnamwomensmemorial.org/vwmf.php#:~:text=More than 50 civilian American,what they had just experienced.