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
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.
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.
Asked to describe what happened on the mission when he was shot down, Dick Dyer has to ask, "Which one?" During the first incident, he had to land immediately, but everyone was OK. The second time, people were shot, but the aircraft was able to limp home.
Dick Sklar went back to Vietnam to serve as the Senior Adviser to the 101st Airborne Division, where he commanded the battalion in charge of a large portion of the bombing done over Vietnam.
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.
After arriving in Da Nang, Bob Bole and his team had a few rough nights on the shores of Vietnam. He remembers the brotherhood that he felt with the men he served next to.
Dick Sklar remembers his commander who he credits for his success in the air as they coordinated air raids over Vietnam. While in combat, they had a few funny stories that passed the time for them.
Mike Peterson arrives in Vietnam on the eve of the Tet Offensive, and wakes up in the middle of the night amid gunfire and chaos. A careless lifer causes a massive explosion that levels the local hooches.
Paul Kaupas remembers some particular missions he had while in CAG school, moving around Vietnam. Having to think quickly and reasonably was essential for him and his group.
Dick Sklar remembers his time spent over Cambodia with his airborne division. Here, they had to set up a base for American troops out of absolutely nothing.
His one trip to the hospital was memorable. Fed up with the chaos and screaming, Tracy Sheils couldn't wait to get back to his unit. He talks about surviving an ambush, how he took up smoking and why that was a good thing, and why his flak jacket was worthless.
Looking back on Vietnam, Donald Lorentz has a different perspective on it than he did when he was in the service.
As a battalion commander, Army engineer Jack Martin had a host of problems. From whether there were enough personnel to get the job done to keeping wayward enlisted men from abusing the Vietnamese civilians. Then there was the grim task of writing condolence letters. (This interview made possible with the support of BARBARA SHELDON in honor of Joseph Graham.)
When he returned from his first tour in Vietnam, The Beatles' Hey Jude welcomed him home. Nobody else did. After a couple of years stateside, Dick Dyer returned to the embattled country, this time north of Da Nang. He felt that the command structure there was always putting him in a bad situation.
Bill Cunningham recalls his friend Gene Brady, who always beat him at gin rummy. The two Marine helicopter pilots commanded sister squadrons in Vietnam. Once, he was Brady's co-pilot and that turned out to be a memorable mission. Another memorable mission involved a rig called a jungle penetrator.
Growing up near Columbus, Georgia, Bennie Koon always had a military influence. After working on base as a kid, he joined the Army.
The smell hit him as soon as he stepped off the plane in Saigon. A nauseating smell that never went away, the smell of Vietnam. Tal Centers was trained as an artillery surveyor and once he got in country, he was attached to the 1st Cavalry Air Mobile Division. The first job? Set up base camp at An Khe.
After the hard fight at Hamburger Hill, Gordon Roberts moved to an artillery fire base to protect it for a few days, then it was back to search and destroy missions in the A Shau Valley. The aim was to interrupt the flow of supplies from North to South. He was fortunate in that there were no civilians in the remote area, so he did not have to try and separate friend from foe.
Early Christmas morning, Franklin Mendez and his battalion loaded up to head to sea from Okinawa. Seeing the size of the Navy fleet he was in, he started to realize that it wasn't just a training exercise and that they were heading somewhere with a purpose.
Brice Barnes remembers having to talk sternly to some of his soldiers in order to ensure order within camp. After an incident at the Tet Offensive, he went through what he calls the longest day of his life, as he had to deal with an incredibly complicated situation.
Dealing with the elements in Vietnam was always a challenge that you had to adapt to. Johnny Fielding remembers some of the things from the jungle that still sticks with him.
Hamann returns to the US to serve the remainder of his military time close to his home in Maine. Just days into a new job, Hamann - who was never wounded in combat - loses an eye in a carpentry accident.
As an operations officer, Grayson Roulston and his company were providing support for the Vietnamese army and had to think tactically with their rounds as they defended the perimeter. One time, while flying through enemy territory, Roulston was hit and feared he might be taken down. Luckily, his aircraft stabilized.
Returning home, Grady Birdsong remembers not telling people he was a veteran and having to watch the war be lost on national TV. Being treated with disrespect after all he had been through was a very upsetting thing to have to go through.
Wayne Waddell remembers the "Dog Patch", an area where they spent a portion of their time imprisoned.
