1:11 | Jesse Beck, a Special Forces soldier, describes how his unit used technology to "sniff" out the enemy in Vietnam.
Keywords : special forces vietnam beck jesse huey enemy
After the column was devastated by an NVA ambush, wounded Americans were scattered in the darkness. After his captain heard one such group calling for help on the radio, Freddie Owens joined a patrol to find them, guided by a gunshot every few minutes. Once there, medic Daniel Torres volunteered to stay with those who couldn't move and protected them through the night with medicine and a machine gun.
In a letter home, Tommy Clack expressed his worry that something bad was going to happen and it did when his unit engaged the NVA near the Cambodian border. He saw the enemy soldier stand and fire the RPG that changed his life forever.
They were hunkered down after fierce fighting when the call came from "Ghost 4-6." It was a group of wounded men who had pulled themselves together after the ill fated march to LZ Albany and were lost in the dark. George Forrest sent a patrol to find them, and in an incredible act of bravery, medic Daniel Torres stayed through the night with them and saved many men. Captain Forrest still had to write a gut-wrenching letter to the mother of a missing soldier. Part 3 of 4.
As Marine Captain Ron Christmas fought to regain the city of Hue, he found the enemy adept at concealment and surprise. Every soldier in a spider hole was armed with a rifle and a RPG launcher. He also encountered a nun with an AK-47. His action during this time earned him the Navy Cross.
Stuart Jamison recalls observing the reality and immediacy of death as his unit assaults a Viet Cong company during Phase II of the Tet Offensive.
Col. Lee Ellis (ret.) gives details about the infamous Hoa Lo Prison, better known as "The Hanoi Hilton," where US servicemen were kept as Prisoners Of War.
The RPG that severed Joe McDonald’s foot didn’t kill him. The machine gun fire that hit him as he still tried to help others didn’t kill him. The grenade taped to his hand might have killed him if the VC had found his hiding place.
It was flat in the delta. You could see for miles and that made for good flying, says helicopter pilot Omer McCants. It was wet, a lot of rain. Back at the base, they hung out in the officers club, where he spent a lot of time reading and writing letters home. He was aware of the anti-war movement, but it made no difference to him.
After his first Vietnam tour, helicopter pilot Mo Erkins served as an instructor at Fort Rucker. He went back for a second tour, this time moving from Hueys to Chinooks. Assigned as the Executive Officer, he established communication with the parents of avery man under his command and used his university training in counseling to keep professional relationships good.
Bill Cunningham was in command of a Marine helicopter squadron in Vietnam, and he was lucky to have a competent and respected sergeant major on his team. He recalls the time the man defused a tense situation involving an intoxicated Marine and an M-16.
Ron Rutowski remembers the circumstances that led to his enlistment and how quickly the transition was for them once they landed in Vietnam.
Paul Hart remembers growing up with some military influence in his family when he got his notice to report for a physical. He remembers not really knowing much about the conflict in Vietnam during the time of his joining.
After a tour in postwar Korea, Dale Ney got adventurous and went Airborne. When the 173rd Airborne Brigade was seeking volunteers to replace men lost in Vietnam, his hand went up. Once he arrived in the war zone, he was fortunate to have an experienced platoon sergeant to show him the ropes, a man who had a Combat Infantryman's Badge from three different wars.
For new soldiers in Vietnam, more training was imperative to get them ready for the changes they would face in country. During a mission, Brice Barnes found a huge weapons cache that they were worried might be more heavily guarded than they expected.
Dealing with the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army, they had to adapt to combating the many tactics of the enemy forces. The guerilla tactics of the VC in addition to the well-trained and equipped NVA was a great danger to American forces in Vietnam.
The jungle was so thick in Vietnam that you rarely saw anyone who shot at you, recalls Dale Ney, who also remembers the hellish devastation of napalm attacks. He already knew it's potential because of his training.
Returning home on Christmas Eve, Mack Angel had a positive experience with a civilian which pleasantly surprised him. Being a member of the Air Force Thunderbirds wing was very memorable for him and a positive experience.
Continued from Part 2. Seeing two Viet Cong in the forest, Tom Buchan fired quickly and managed to save his and his friend's life, but it left him with a very distinct memory that he still keeps today.
For his first assignment after completing his training, Bill Cunningham was sent to the best Marine Air Station in the whole country, Miami. There he flew the A-1 Skyraider, a much beloved single engine prop plane that was very versatile. He also had a great gunnery sergeant who helped him with a prickly executive officer.
After his injury in 1968, Kramer loses touch with a good friend from boot camp and Khe Sanh. 44 years later, the two find each other and reunite. Their friendship lasts to this day.
A hot landing zone meant that you could expect contact as soon as you set down. They might tell you that a landing zone is cold, but Galen Foster says you never could tell. He saw the lead helicopter get shot down as they went into a so-called cold LZ. When moving on foot, the point man used a compass the guide the unit. Once, an improper reading led the men straight into a Viet Cong base camp.
At one point, Dick Sklar had to make a difficult decision regarding his fellow commander that ultimately ended up alright for him and his company.
He surprised his wife after returning from his second Vietnam tour, but then his dog surprised him. Mike Waugh had planned to make the Army a career, but it didn't work out, so he was worried about what he would do. He mailed out resumes and got one reply.
When Roger Hamann volunteers for special assignment in the US Air Force, he is sent to train in jungle survival and POW interrogation.
Growing up in a small town in Wisconsin, Duwayne Balk was looking for some more discipline in his life, so he joined the military as a combat medic. Basic and advanced training was challenging, but it prepared him for his deployment to Da Nang, Vietnam.
Drafted in 1968, Larry Jennings spent almost a year at Fort Hood before drawing overseas duty. He asked if he was going to Germany. No such luck, it was Southeast Asia. The air base was under rocket fire when he landed and he had to crawl to a bunker, weaponless. Soon, he was up to speed and assigned to the 82nd Airborne as a supply sergeant.
Upon his arrival in Vietnam, Roger Hamann is assigned to serve as a "Rustic", communicating with French-speaking Cambodian troops from the back seat of an OV-10. Though he flies dozens of combat missions out of his Thailand air base, one in particular still haunts him.
Donna Lowery learned how to live around base and take advantage of the surroundings. Rules were strict but they managed to still find time for some fun.
Susan Tancredi hoped that she and Pete Tancredi would be married in time to defer him from going to Vietnam, but they were a little late. The wheels were in motion and, following her plan, they both deployed without knowing where they would be going. They were very fortunate to be assigned to the same facility, the 95th Evacuation Hospital.
Assigned to the 1099th Transportation Company when he arrived in Vietnam, John Wilhite didn't even see an officer for four days. Fortunately, there were old hands around to get him up to speed. The job was simple, carry people and resources up and down the rivers in the Mekong Delta on Mike Boats, which resembled landing craft. These missions took them into Cambodia, he notes, despite what the President was saying.
