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.
While stationed in Vietnam, Grayson Roulston and his company worked on the mobile riverine force to try to secure the area from VC. After his injury, he took some time off the front lines to do some administrative work before being sent back to the field.
Paul Hart remembers a time in Vietnam when his aircraft was forced to ground and they had to act quickly to get themselves to safety. Sometimes, pilots weren't so lucky, like his friend Joe Fulton.
Mack Angel remembers his first mission when they teamed up with some other members of their company. Seeing bombs go off on the ground and the formation around him was quite a sight to remember for him.
Deciding to re-enlist after Vietnam, Donna Lowery deployed to Germany where she had a nice deployment there and found readjusting to post-war life easy. She ended up spending 26 years in the military and retired a sergeant major. Donna also has some thoughts on the Vietnam Women's Memorial in Washington D.C.
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 returning home, Stan Marcieski decided to continue military work, serving in a fire safety role to mitigate aircraft crash damage. After getting the offer to go abroad, he got the orders to move to Bangkok, Thailand with his wife.
Paul Hart remembers coming home from Vietnam and getting a not so friendly welcome upon his return. Remembering the Vietnam War and the affect it had on the country stands out and shouldn't be forgotten.
Ed Callison remembers his last few weeks in Vietnam and then returning home to the hostile climate for people who served in the Vietnam War. He is thankful for some of the good treatment he did receive, and grateful for the increased support today.
Wayne Waddell remembers the "Dog Patch", an area where they spent a portion of their time imprisoned.
Pat Richardson had served three years and was at at college when he went back for more. His first service was as a nuclear weapons technician, which instilled a good sense of procedure and precision. This helped him tremendously in his later duty as an aviator.
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.
Wayne Waddell gives his advice for future generations as they try to navigate future global conflicts.
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.
His home town in Alabama was completely segregated. To Omer McCants, it wasn't good but it was "even." In the Army, there was no outward expression of hostility, but he knew he was excluded. He came in knowing he had to work twice as hard and that worked out for him.
Keeping in touch with family was important to Donald Lorentz and his family. Additionally, he was able to keep up with the news from the home front which was in the middle of dramatic changes.
Gordon Roberts was walking point when the third man in line was dropped by enemy fire. Unfortunately, he was the M-60 machine gunner who usually supplied the suppressive fire, so it was up to Roberts who managed to find the bunker and fire through the port with his M-16. Then came the fire from the second bunker.
Kramer must rely on his resilience and inventiveness to overcome the challenges of Khe Sanh Combat Base. After a precarious landing, his unit spends several months under intense artillery fire in a dusty, war-torn camp with limited food, water and sleep.
While on leave in Quantico, Virginia, Harvey Taylor decided not to re-enlist and go back to Vietnam. When he returned home, he realized that there was a lot of disrespect for Vietnam vets back in the States. Over time, he realized that he had a lot of things repressed from the war.
After leaving the Marine Corps, George Crockett found work doing what he loved in the outdoors. Looking back on his time in the military, he is grateful for the structure it provided him.
It was odd. Pete and Susan Tancredi were returning from Vietnam and they were instructed to wear their dress blues, carry civilian clothes, and change in the restroom as soon as they landed. Unfortunately, after landing, they suffered another indignity. What was going on?
Looking back on Vietnam, Donald Lorentz has a different perspective on it than he did when he was in the service.
Michael Marshall was with the first group of Marines to establish the base at Con Thien, near the DMZ. As they carved a road through the countryside on the way in, he was sure the enemy would strike.
Larry Jennings' engineer unit was ordered out of Pleiku and back to the Saigon area. After a long trip that included passage on LST's, they settled in and waited. He had a short time left and he was trying to keep his head down when his buddy organized a trip to Saigon.
