Personally, if I had had my way, those politicians who sent 58,000 young American males to their deaths in Vietnam, would have been lined up against a wall and shot. They were scum who thought of those young soldiers as little more than cannon fodder.
I went into the army post Vietnam just a kid my drill Sgt was this tall skinny rugged looking man he was in Vietnam and had to be in a fox hole that had water in it for a long period so his legs were like spaghetti and he had this coffee cup that he never washed and he had so much ground up coffee at the bottom of the cup he’d just have to add hot water to it. When the fall of Saigon happened there were no parades or welcome home to our soldiers 58,000 young Americans killed , don’t let their deaths be in vain do something something with your life now to help others show your appreciation to be alive and well.
YES never forget that these men & women went when called. My DI in basic (1975) Fort Jackson SC. He was a Vietnam vet. Would overhear his talking to other DI Route stepping to firing range. He had some scary stories to tell. 😊 Will never forget him.
My uncle Zane was part of the brown water navy. The patch with the yellow shield, red banners, red V and a four leaf clover was for River Sector 513, he wore that same patch. I have it on my bedroom wall. This documentary brought me to tears. I miss him so much. The experiences that he had in country shaped him into the man he was when he was helping to shape me into the man that I am today. This country doesn’t produce young men like these anymore. Thank you for sharing this.
I feel your pain, brother. The kind of young men we have today are shaped by the left-wing politicians running Congress and the White House that would denounce your uncle as a war-mongering white racist today.
@@montanabulldog9687 your arrogant invasion and warmongering killed so many innocent people and caused such social destruction there ... these people had none of your military might but through their desire for freedom from foreign domination killed you and kicked you out of their country and demonstrated what happens to a global bully who has no reality behind their own bullshit ... witness Trump and the Taliban ... another example of the real america ... go to hell you cowboy
My friend who passed away a couple of years ago,was with the brown water navy. He was a silver rose recipient, to those who don't know. It's for those who survived cancer from agent orange,an the other defoliants. Thank you Jim for your service.
@@allgood6760 can't say to much but I worked on a country estate in UK and there was a guy there nicknamed agent orange because he was one of the main guy's who made it nice guy though
My dad ran resupply boats up and down the rivers. BM1 Earl Rutherford, passed away of cancer shortly after retirement. I so miss him, spent my years deployed aboard carriers. ABFC Roy Rutherford. Thank all of you for your service.
Dayum CHIEF! I Outranked my pops too, most Senior in the Fam, from a long list of fam that served stretching from WWI to the GULF WAR. Thanks for serving. RIP to your Pops.⚓️🇺🇸✌🏻🍻
My NJROTC ANSI spent 40 months with the PBR's in Vietnam, so I respect their service greatly. Just remember his stories and wished I could still hear them. RIP QMMC (SS) Shawlin, thanks for your 30+ years of service to the Navy and for the countless number of students you provided a role model for.
My NJROTC ANSI was a swift boat guy as well. Ronald A. Swafford. Also a QMCM. Good man. Learned a lot from him. Now interred at Arlington. May God bless such good men.
@@mikedarren6658 Chief Shawlin is also interred at Arlington. I'm sure they might have served together. Sounds like both of our ANSI played a huge role in so many lives. I shared Chief Shawlin impact on JROTC students lives, to an AFJROTC AFSI (he was struggling) on a cruise last year. Next time I'm at Arlington, I will look up Chief Swafford. I'm sure both are swapping stories at the Chief's Mess in Heaven...RIP QMCM Swafford and Shawlin, you have impacted so many people...Thank You...
This Video brings back memory of my auntie's story. My auntie has been telling us the following story hundreds of times. Each time she recounts it, she cries. It must have been liters of her tears over the years. # The story is .... # That was a Lunar New year in Vietnam. My aunt and her mother (my grand-aunt-mother; my mother calls her auntie) were travelling by ferry boat on a river in southern Vietnam. All of a sudden, American helicopters appeared, and shot at the boat. My aunt and her mother sat next to each other. Her mother was hit, and was dying in my aunt's arms (she was a small teenager at the time) # My aunt recounts of her mother's last words: "Daughter, it's certain I die. Don't forget to look after your siblings and listen to your dad." # Then she died in my aunt's arms. As said, each time my aunt recounts that story which happened 50 years ago, she cries.
ThiHienMai Nguyen, Vietnam was the war I was watching as a teen. To see the actions on both sides was horrific. But what the civilians went through, their loss of family ( many at a time ), contamination of the land, the destruction of the bombed cities ect, was horrific. Everyone who was there and lived through the Vietnam War, the scars run very deep on both sides. The cruelty of man against man is abhorrent. 🇨🇦
I am a Vietnamese. We suffered a lot from the Vietcong. The Vietnamese communist killed many Vietnamese people. The communist people are liars and I can't trust them. After Vietnam war many Vietnamese people had to escape their own country. Until now the Communist people are still hurting their own people in many different way. American came to Vietnam trying to support South Vietnamese defeating the ugly Comunist.
@@thompsonnguyen1870 -- Thompson Nguyen says "I am a Vietnamese. We suffered a lot from the Vietcong. .... American came to Vietnam trying to support South Vietnamese defeating the ugly Comunist [Communist]." -- I say: # My aunt and her mother (my grand-aunt-mother) were South Vietnamese. My aunt was only 12 at the time, and her mother was a simple peasant woman fully occupied with toiling to feed her young family. Were they Viet Cong, especially my aunt, at 12 years of age ? Please see the conversation below. Also, in the 4th photo of this " 'The Photographer Who Showed the World What Really Happened at My Lai' By Evelyn Theiss - Photographs by Ronald L. Haeberle, TIME, March 15, 2018 10:14 AM EDT", obviously you could not [but you would ?] say the babies still clinging to their mother's bosom were Viet Cong to be shot point-blank by your American masters and perhaps also by your father following and serving his American masters; similarly in this "File:Dead woman from the My Lai massacre.jpg - From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository" ================ Invitation of a conversation .... ================ ThiHienMai Nguyen: This Video with the helicopters brings back memory of my auntie's story. My auntie has been telling us the following story hundreds of times. Each time she recounts it, she cries. It must have been liters of her tears over the years. # The story is .... # That was a Lunar New year in Vietnam. My aunt and her mother (my grand-aunt-mother; my mother calls her auntie) were travelling by ferry boat on a river in southern Vietnam. All of a sudden, American helicopters appeared, and shot at the boat. My aunt and her mother sat next to each other. Her mother was hit, and was dying in my aunt's arms (she was a small teenager at the time) # My aunt recounts of her mother's last words: "Daughter, it's certain I die. Don't forget to look after your siblings and listen to your dad." # Then she died in my aunt's arms. As said, each time my aunt recounts that story which happened 50 years ago, she cries. ================ Dash One: Were they alone in the boat? What side were they on. You seem to leave out a lot to make Americans look bad during the war. Not to say bad stuff didn't happen on both sides. I just would like more details. All of your details appear to just force emotion. ================ Andrew Nguyen: @Dash One Your lack of empathy is disturbing. Idk if you would have commented the same for any recount of an American Vietnam veteran. ================ Cem ASTI: @Dash One ... to make Americans look bad...? They are bad. What part of this u dont understand. Wait until they kill everybody who gets on their way.? ================ ThiHienMai Nguyen: @Dash One # Dash One: "Were they alone in the boat?" => No. It was a ferry boat carrying passengers. # Dash One: "What side were they on [?]" => Not sure. My aunt was only 12 at the time so most likely she did not know much of the politics, nor does it matter which side she was on, at 12. Her mother (my grand-aunt-mother) was in her early 30s; she was a peasant so most likely she was fully occupied with looking after her family and helping her husband to raise their young children. She was killed long before I was born; so I could not ask her which side she was on; but she lived in the countryside. # My aunt's recount of the Vietnamese words of her mother (my grand-aunt-mother) before she died: "Con ơi, chắc má chết quá. Con phải thương (mấy) em, với nghe lời cha." (My attempt at English translation: "Daughter, it's certain I die. Don't forget to look after your siblings and listen to your dad.")
When they showed the LST Tender, it reminded me of how glad we were to get to it. It meant a hot meal, hot shower and clean sheets to sleep on. So glad I didn't have to sleep on the damp ground and slap bugs all night.
I was thinking the exact same thing while watching the video. Sure, it was grinding, grueling, dangerous, and often tedious, monotonous work for the PBR men. But they all looked healthy and clean. No one had to stomp through the brush and mud. Returning home to the LST after a extremely long, exhausting, 18-hour day meant a shower, clean clothes, tasty hot meal, and a soft, clean bunk to crash in. I'd rather risk myself on the PBR rather than hump the dirty, muddy, dangerous, filthy brush as a grunt. Yet those very long, work days interspaced grinding boredom with moments of terror meant those Navy PBR guys needed R&R frequently if they were to stay healthy and sane. I suspect re-enlistment rates were not as high as the Navy hoped back then. After a year of doing that, I'd want to do anything else.
so evidently patrols in those PT boats were longer than just a day trip... that doesnt really make sense. the crew of one PT boat would be easily overwhelmed by a small element of enemy.... what a job...
LSTs were still around when I joined, Actually had two in our ARG, USS SAN BERNADINO and forgot the other one, early 1980s, I remember saying to myself aint now way Im ever taking orders to one of those class ships lol. They rode hard at sea lol.
The camera footage in the Huey's showing them move up & down the rivers & canals firing on VC/NVA targets is outstanding. A hearty THANK YOU to all the U.S.N. personnel who served in the Delta throughout the Vietnam War.
Damn boy. The plains of South Vietnam are my hometown. The US Navy on the river once burned down my house.If my brother, my relatives did not serve in the US military. I followed the VC to kill you guys. Aggressive dogs......
I spent 6 months on the delta water (9th. infantry, medic) attached to an artillery battalion (105's) mounted on barges. We assisted the Navy river patrol boats and our own troops with fire support and help with the wounded. What an experience. Wouldn't do it again.
Is it true that the Crocodiles were docile during the war for the majority. And were basically sleeping most of the time because of all the people, the lound sounds of bombs, gun fire, actual fires, napomb, agent orange, etc... But then 1 day they went and attacked a whole bunch of Japanese soldiers who were wounded when entering the water... and then the Crocodiles smelt all the blood, the fear of the soldiers and ended up going on a feeding frenzy. As they attacked soldiers more and more of them were bleeding... thus attracting more Crocodiles... adding to the frenzy. Is it true that prior to this day... that for the most of the war... there wasn't much to worry about from the Crocodiles... Is it true they were in more of a hibernation type sleep state for most of the war?
Thanks for being there, I was wounded in April 1969, still have 3 bullets in me, took me a year to walk, been looking for the Medic who pulled me from the dead bodies wrapped in our ponchos, but no luck, the medical personnel and chopper crews are my personal heros. My book is an Ebook, "Million Too One And Lived ", my cousin Alan Peterson was in the 9ths Artillery in Dong Tam at the time I was there, he made it home only to die of Agent Orange 4 years later.
@@factsdonthavefeelingsbeawa2953 wrong war get a history lesson. These are vc and NVA in Vietnam the Americans were fighting against. You are thinking of ww2 when America was fighting the Japanese and 25+ years before the Vietnam war started.🤦♂️
My 2nd husband was drafted in ‘66 and sent to Saigon as an MP. Hated policing his fellow soldiers so he volunteered for the Riverine assault force, May’66 to May’67 Mekong Delta, Nhe Be. He manned the twin .50 cal on a PBR (River Boat, Patrol) Operation Game Warden. Acting as decoys or often times transporting Navy Seals or 9th Infantry to known Viet Cong positions and offering fire support. Hell on earth🔥
Yes I read men in green faces and the seals have nothing but good things to say about them. Picked them up in many hairy situations and when thevsrals heard the twin diesels coming it was a relief. And the sea wolf helicopter s
@@franknatale8607 he usually calls every day or so. I will certainly ask him, but there were many different tributaries that these guys traveled. He was based in Nha Be.
@@franknatale8607 I checked with him and he did not know your Dad. He reminded me that there are numerous tributaries and bases so the likelihood of knowing someone that was based in another area is not probable.
They were NO closer to dying than sniper fire or a suicide attack...it was The Nam, and death was ALL around. MUCH respect for our Vietnam veterans 🇺🇸🫡 🪖
Civilians will never understand what war & combat does to your soul. It leaves thing's in your soul that will never go away. Thing's triger those feelings and pain and we will never be free of that pain. May God Bless and Keep All who Served and Their Families in His Precious Loving Care!!!!
While on the U.S.S. Ranger, I had leading first class petty officer, Who was a river boat Captain. When things were slow on watch in the fireroom He'd share His river combat stories with Us jr guys. He was a benefited bad ass, yet friendly and even jolly. But He went through hell. He always called each of Us bubba, He said He wouldn't welcome new crew members at first because they wouldn't live long, most times. They just had a driving need to pop Their head up to admire their 50 caliber machine gun work. And blam right between the eyes. He was a big tough Black Man, who deserved a full retirement. 1978 just few years after the Vietnam war ended.
My Uncle Don was a Navy Riverboat Diesel Mechanic in Vietnam. I never heard him speak about it. He was from Mississippi but became a cop in Chicago, before owning a couple of service stations. He died in mysterious circumstances.
The US has been defeated in Korea, Vietnam, Cuba, Lebanon, Somalia and now, in Afghanistan. However, the powerful US Army defeated the tiny island of Grenada (1983), as it faced a fearsome army of 287 Police Officers, since Grenada does NOT have an army. In fact, they were half this number, since the Policemen on the afternoon shift had not yet come to work. What seems incredible is the fact that the US was defeated by Vietnam. What? Did the US lose the war against Nam? OMG! Against a poor country, underdeveloped, malnourished, without Navy, without Air Force, NO Marines, Green Berets, SEALs, Rangers, Delta Force, USMC, Rambos or Chuck Norris. Defeated by a country of peasants without strategic plans, no B-59 Bombers, PT-Boats, Northrop F-5 "Freedom Fighter", nor Atomic Submarines. Without Aircraft Carriers, NO Continental Missiles, nor Tanks, Choppters, AR-15, Gatlin Machines’, Flamethrowers, Napalm, Agent Orange. NADA! And to top it off, defeated by an army of teenagers who had no shoes: WITHOUT SHOES!!! Army that fought with bamboo sticks!!! Charlie Kicked Our Asses and even invaded our Embassy. Jeezzz!!! Here is the Duty, Courage and Chanting of Heroism of the US Army. This is the True Story of our Country. This is the History that is already written in the US Books. And the History that was written in Afghanistan is made with the same ink.
My Uncle and My Father Both Marines served in Vietnam Dad was an 0311 and Charlie was a Phantom Driver he was shot down not long before I was born. Dad would rarely speak about it and never about Charlie, if he did it was vague and short. Thankfully my father lived long enough to see me become a FDNY Paramedic then a FMF Corpsman. He left a note for me he with my Mother in the event I was deployed. She gave it to me on 07 when I came home shortly after a bad day step dancing to BIAP. The letter read "Now you understand, I'm sorry Son. Love Dad" I enjoyed seeing one of my Shipmates tending to the indigenous, I did that as well, never underestimate the goodwill you can seed from a little concern for local people. Echo Hard! "Doc"
When I would go into a village in the Delta , the kids would ring out - My - My - My which meant GI GI GI and they were always looking for chicklits { gum} or some other candy - the kids in the Delta villages that were safe spots --were priceless.
My dad was a chief petty officer instructor. I grew up on Marine bases. In 69 I was in Iwakuni Japan, I had my eighth birthday on the trip going over there there for 3 years sometimes my dad would bring one of you guys home for the weekend or supper,and you grunts play army with me, I truly love you guys
I was borne in 1968 and I remember growing up watching the news! All those dead men! In Washington DC there’s a huge wall memorial! It’s amazing how many Americans died? Honorable! My mom’s cousin did 4 tours as a helicopter pilot! And was shot down 4 times! He finally died in his 70’s in Alabama of a heart attack! In the driveway!
Good friend of mine was told he had mechanical aptitude when he went into the Navy, and was told to check "GM" on the form for "General Mechanic." He found out too late the GM was actually "Gunner's Mate." Yep, he ended up on PBR's in the Delta.
I was a tin sailor (USS Henderson DD-785) from 1964-'68. Made three deployments there and can recall those years clearly while at the same time having trouble remembering getting out of bed this morning.
Funny. I believe the original designers & manufacturers (at least for the initial prototypes that were brought to the Navy when they were first looking for a specific kind of shallow water patrol boat) was the boat manufacturing company Parker, which is located up in Morehead City, North Carolina, which is about 40-50 miles from my house!! lol
Thanks for helping Vietnamese. We Vietnamese did appreciate. Vietnamese American try to pay back that include my family. Thanks a lot God Bless America 🙏
I really hope you mean that. I have family and friends who fought they're scared for life in some ways good and some bad the price of freedom is not cheap!
I was stationed at IUWG-1, NAB Coronado, Ca., 1977-1980. We were still using pretty much the same equipment as shown here, although our mission was geared more towards harbor defense. I was a MIUW Team and Remote Sensor operator. I learned most of what I know about staying alive in an amphibious environment combat zone from some of these same people.
@Dr. Frog hopper, I was in Luang Prabang in Laos over 20 years ago and discovered a motorised steel catamaran grounded on the banks of the Mekong. Obviously everything that could be stripped was long gone. Any idea what it could have been?
The STEPS operated from Dong Tam base ,they picked us Vietnamese Special Forces . Our camp located North of their base. We joined OPN . If needed we landed ashore for search and destroy (1969) Steps was more powerful than PB R.
I had a BM 3 that was going to the River Boats for duty. I was on a destroyer out of Japan in 1972 I got agent orange from being off viet nam. This video is excellent 👍.
One of the guys in my 1981 OCS class was a "river rat". He had some pretty hairy stories to tell. Patrolling the rives of the Mekong Delta, they were totally exposed; no cover and could be engaged by any number of weapons. Their greatest asset was speed.
My cousin was just turned 19 assigned to an ammo ship of the brown water navy. There were 11 men on the ship whose job it was supplying Marines along the rivers. In February 1969, they were at a place called Bridge Ramp in Danang when the VC shot at the ship with B-40 rockets (RPG2) and it blew sky high. Of the men on that ship there was 1 survivor and no idea HOW that guy lived. The ship was blown in at least 2 pieces. We told ourselves, at least they probably didn't suffer, but I was 9 then and the explanation as to why his coffin was an empty one pretty much confused me. By contrast, my uncle, in the Marines about the same time, as a crew chief on H-34 choppers, came home without a (visible) scratch.
My father was on the USS Courtney DE 1021, and I’m having trouble finding information about him, men who served with him and what they were doing there. I’m compelled to bring deserved light and recognition to these men, as it seems their command was less than forthcoming after reading through his journals. If anyone knew Pete Casey, from Quincy Massachusetts, please reach out to me, I’d love to talk. I’m filing a freedom of information request regarding the Courtney and its activities from ‘68-73’. Thank you all for your service 🙏🏼
Hope you get the info you need, doing some investigating I have nothing but the basics of where it was deployed, during that period of time it was operating as a training vessel and then later switch home port from Newport RI to Naples Italy, given the time period, I’d assume it was in the region due to the tense period of time between the Arabs and the Israelis, and at that time the Israeli habit of assaulting US ships and claiming them as “accidents”. Still, hope you get some clear answers and I’d be interested in hearing about some of the details as well, good luck
Vietnam is a peace-loving country and moreover, the national spirit is very high no other country in the world can invade, historical evidence has shown and the great loss has made the people The Vietnamese nation grew stronger in the face of all enemies who intruded into Vietnamese territory. Now our country is peaceful and develops day by day in all fields and integrates with countries around the world for peace and economic development together. We will not forget the wounds of war, but now, for the future of the country and future generations, we will not forget the historical pages of the Vietnamese people. Vietnam has always been a friend of countries around the world to cooperate in trade and peace in the world "because war is the greatest pain of mankind"
Thankfully my uncle talks about his days there instead of drinking and doing drugs to hide his PTSD. Wish more vets would just talk and open up instead of thinking that's a wimpy thing to do. Thankfully it's becoming more common to get therapy and let these vets heal.
My father served 13 months with the 173rd at LZ English in 68 and 69. I wish he would have talked to someone about the war, because he took his own life in 2016. He was my best friend and I have missed him everyday since.
The military personnel fought ,we're wounded scarred for life and died.the politicians ran the war and top brass came home to a heros welcome.the enlisted men lived with the defeat and aftermath
Went in the Navy in 71 and wanted to go to PBR school more than anything. By the time I finished EN A school, I was told there was no chance for me to get to the boats as it had all been handed over to the south Vietnamese Navy. Ended up on an LPD out of Norfolk. Like the song says, you can’t always get what you want.
Thanks for posting this video showing the brown water Navy doing it's part serving in the Mekong Delta. This was a joint operation involving the US Navy, the US Coast Guard and two brigades of yours truly the US Army's 9th Infantry Division. My Dad arrived in Vietnam in March of 1968, he was assigned to B co 3rd Bn 47th Infantry. Their basecamp was " Bearcat" division HQ was Dong Tam. The US Army had the assignment of patrolling the muddy water ways of the Mekong Delta. It's main duties were to go inland as well, the Delta region was a maze of rivers, streams and canals that were filled with leeches. The heat and humidity, along with the monsoon rains meant the troops were constantly soaked and wet. The mosquitoes, wasps and red ants would eat away at you and there were the never ending rice paddies as far as the eye could see and beneath that was the deep thick mud. My Dad, God Bless him, survived this hell hole for 12 long months....He retired a SFC E-7 and passed away at the age of 44, Nov '83. RIP
My uncle was kia in SouthVietnams , Central-Highlands ,mid-3/1968 ,tail end of TET, 10days before my 11th bday. Also, knew neighbors , and friends whose bros. That were over there from 1965-1971; the last I knew of was home by late 1971. All came back changed, and some with complications from exposure to agent orange! SAD!!But, not all for naught!
I heard about the PBRs1970, when I was a student at Navy Hospital Corps School in San Diego, Balboa Naval Hospital. The Navy needed Corpsmen during that time; probably why they threatened us with PBR duty if we failed to graduate. The chief said our life expectancy would be about two weeks. I ended up being assigned to field duty with the Marines after hospital ward duty and FMF training at Camp Pendleton. 73 and retired now.
Well you got Bayous in Southern States and those great river like Missisipi, I wonder how armies like French who never got one big yard to train would fare instead. Just learned these days that once you stuck at swamp, the only vehicles that can worth traversing are those hovercrafts and inflatable boats with fans. I wonder with modern day tech like drones, brown water navy mission should be easier.
@@crabbycreates2943 I did not serve but married 2 combat vets. In an effort to support them I read nearly every book written on the war. Certainly couldn’t get my husbands to talk about it much. I still support them now.
i have a few vietnam vet friends here in oz and 1 of them had the role of forward scout, he is recognized in the canberra war museum, he suffers from the worst ptsd i have ever seen, i actually met around a dozen through clinic stays myself and sadly they are all fading away 1 by 1 but atleast their pain has passed, im classed as a general patient at this clinic but i have always been introduced to other vets as their mate, something i will always hold close to my heart
I was working with the US Air Force in Mactan Air Base at Detachment 10, 7th Aerial Port Squadron as Shift In charge in Fleet Service. Serving coffee, water and inflight lunches for aircraft bound to Vietnam.
My old classmate on the GI Bill at Maritime College did a tour or two as a crewman on a Vietnam Riverboat. He said that he could never sleep on board as every splash or sound in the water was imagined to be Viet Cong night swimmers. As he was getting short on his tour, he gave up being nervous at night and started throwing fragmentation grenades at any sound in the water. He and his crewmates knew that the live grenades "sent a message" to Charlie about conducting night raids on U.S. river gunboats.
Chúng tôi yêu chuộng hoà bình ,, và yêu đất nước quê hương chúng tôi hơn bao giờ hết ,, chúng tôi cùng một dòng máu, cùng một màu da và đất nước nhỏ bé này đã trải qua biết bao cuộc chiến từ xưa tới nay ,, là con dân việt nam chúng tôi có quyền và có trách nhiệm bảo vệ tổ quốc ,, có thể đất nước các bạn chưa một lần sảy ra chiến tranh nhưng các bạn thử nghĩ khi bom đạn cày xới quê hương các bạn thì các bạn nghĩ sao , đất nước chúng tôi còn nghèo , song tinh thần yêu nước thì đã ngấm sâu vào tâm trí mọi người ,, chúng ta hãy cùng cầu nguyện cho một thế giới hoà bình và nhân ái các bạn nhé
The recent Afghan withdrawal shows how similar these conflicts were, how we tried to win the "hearts and minds" by helping the citizens, how we tried to arm and train the SV army but as their government was also corrupt the hopes expressed by the narrator were sure to fail. Having studied this war, I suggested Afghanistan and it's challenging terrain would lead to a similar outcome, for a time I looked mistaken, but 20 years on, all is lost. I now predict the US will be extremely reluctant to enter another guerilla like war, until the time again we forget the lessons so painfully earned.
War serves one purpose. To feed the military industrial complex of the U.S. government. It’s got window dressings like, Justice, and duty, and patriotism. But, at the end of the day it’s just putting money into the pockets of our oligarchs.
@@robertfandel9442 Was born during it, war buff as a kid and got a history degree. Didn't know anything about Afghanistan so went and read a couple books on Russia's and England's experience to inform my thoughts. I think America's revolutionary war is not so dissimilar either. Were you?
The Korean War is the forgotten war. Yea Vietnam was sad for sure, but nobody acknowledges Korea war vets who suffered terribly and almost froze to death among many other things. Frost bite took their limbs. Nobody says thank you to the Korea war vets. Why? Truly the forgotten war.
My dad spent time on one of these while in the navy. While on patrol his boat took a rocket and his best friend died in his arms, he ended up being lost in the jungle for a few weeks after it happened. They military actually told my grandparents that he had been killed in action.
@@zaddyb9979 You're right on huh , because I 4got what the hell I was trying 2 write about ! Hmmmmm , I hope I'm not getting dementia, or maybe too many bourbons on.the rocks with a squirt of gingerale .
It's so very sad that politicians got us into that war, and perhaps even more so that the individuals doing the actual fighting, many of them having been drafted, got so little support from civilians back home. Extremely sad, all of it. 😢
I read McNamara's book, In Retrospect. LBJ asked a lot of people for advice. Almost everyone he sought out, including Eisenhower, said hold the line in Vietnam. It's sad.
I was never a river rat but served in the centrail highlands on a M-48 TANk, 90mm / 50 cal. coax/ flame thrower. A tank is the only thing to hold real estate, and destroy enemy supply. 4th div.
Oh wow, a rare sighting of a helicopter from the Sea Wolves, the navy's first and only Huey attack squadron. One of the most unsung and decorated squadrons in all of Vietnam.
I had a CWO on my first ship who's first command as a seaman was with that squadron. He's seriously decorated. Silver star, 3 bronze stars with V and 3 purple hearts. Was a great guy too, I could listen to his war stories for hours.
My dad was in that field but the elite patrol of MAG SOG. Have picture of the boat. It had metal sheets around the boat as shield from bullets and yes, fire from flame thrower.His unit is decorated of highest honors of the war and even in Wiki.
I was there in the Delta 50+ years ago with the army engineers. I remember going from Vinh Long to Moc hoa on a 50' mike boat - from the Mekong up the Co Tay sang - took us 3 days and nights. We went to rebuild a runway up in Moc Hoa with the 75th near the border, and there was a brown river rat navy camp there to. The engineers weren't a big threat to the people since we were just working on roads, bridges, camps , runways, etc and so we lived with the Vietnamese and Cambodian. Of course when charlie hit us, we hit back but that was part of the game. I went back 2 years ago and found one of those bases-on the Mekong - it was a long time ago and the Vietnamese didn't treat me bad at all. I lived on the Mekong for a week - there is sure a lot of people on the River compared to my tour . It was just Another stupid war the Washington and MIC psychopaths got us in. Com-on
PBR one great boat. The first were converted Chris Craft. I worked on them 1969-1970 at Nah Be. The best duty station I had during my 6 years in the Navy.
One Western country (French) forced Vietnam to turn to communism for help. Then another Western country (US) tried to rescue it from communism. 58,000 US soldiers killed. 2 millions Vietnamese soldiers (both sides) killed, and million more Vietnamese civilians (both sides) were killed, left homeless, or widowed. Agent Orange imparted tens of thousands of deformed children born during this era, and Agent Orange is still in some of these waters to this day. I'm not sure what the West was trying to do, but I do know what where ever Western powers go, agony and death tend to follow. This is not a knock on any Western democractic ideals, but a fact. I sympathize with the US servicemen, especially blacks (who also faced racism), who had served in Vietnam, a country far away, but Vietnam was never their enemy. Vietnam never invaded anyone. Later, when I went to highschool in the US, many young American students mocked me with the "you VC" phrase, as if I'm somehow an enemy of America. And even a few Vietnam vets looked at me with those suspicious eyes (but to be fair many more other vets also embraced me). Perphaps American students, and Americans in general, need a good object history lesson from the scholars to avoid indoctrinated by their politicians (the real enemies of the state). Every time I see a politican on CNN or Fox, I see an insidious liar and a potential mass killer.
I admired the bravery of Vietnamese. People's at the time there's war in their countries not even in the west Philippines sea their govt were not Chinese military patrolling to disputes island they are guarding their sovereight right in west Philippines just like Indonesia Japan Taiwan Philippines maybe now it was active caused VFA agreement but before not
I am not certain,but guerilla warfare for American forces was " on the job " training. The North Vet Kong had been at it for awhile! 1st against the French and then America. I have deep respect for ALL who fought,MIA,POW,died and came back with lifelong injuries { physical & mental }.
That's Raymond Burr narrating the second film during the beginning of America's involvement. Burr was injured in a Huey there, during an evasive action when the chopper was fired on. ( in several of the old Perry Mason episodes his arm was in a sling).
All that effort to help the Vietnamese try to stave off communism was for nothing. Now right here at home in the USA we are loosing the same battle unfortunately. Our children and grandchildren will suffer because of our own inactions.
You know our men where over there fighting and dying but as they are doing that they are helping and healing the people of Vietnam . What amazing individuals we had in our military , over there literally setting up shop in order to help those who otherwise would never ever have help. God bless our Vietnam vets ... Truly truly Christlike character in this video of the coreman who went out with all his medicine wanting to help people .
Those were jet pump boats. A civilian was building them in the US, I forget his name but he was having a conversation with a Navy Admiral and he designed the boat on a napkin and said he could have it up and running in under 6 months. And he did.
While serving on the USS Bexar APA-237 on a 8-month WESTPAC cruise (1967-68) we spent several weeks in Vung Tau Vietnam supporting River Assault Squadrons 13 and 15 who were conducting assault incursions up the tributaries of the Mekong River Delta area. These were the heavily armored (and slow) ATC riverboats. CWO4 USN Ret.
I was with the RIVER MARINE PATROL, on the USS JENNINGS COUNTY. We were a Helo support and artillery support for any Army, Marine or Air Force with our 6 40mm and two 88mm mortors. We kicked ass
The 8.8 canon was , and Evan currently, a kick ass weapon developed by The Germans in 1934. The 8.8 is the 88mm field artillery piece that was versatile; originally it was used as an anti- aircraft weapon, until The Germans found out it was very useful in knocking out Soviet Union Tanks , and American , and British too. And used for Anti- personally purposes too, and used in some situations currently. All round the 88mm was the Consulate artillery piece.
If only the US had supported North Vietnam after the French were defeated. They wouldn't have had to turn to China for help. Most of this could have been avoided. RIP all the brave souls who perished doing what they thought was right.
Vietnam..my country..thank you all the veterans .. you did your best under the circumstances.. freedom never free
Think we did pretty well, considering we had our hands "Tied", most of the time ! . . .
That's very nice to hear your appreciation. Bless you..
Your welcome.
Nam Vet
Personally, if I had had my way, those politicians who sent 58,000 young American males to their deaths in Vietnam, would have been lined up against a wall and shot. They were scum who thought of those young soldiers as little more than cannon fodder.
@@montanabulldog9687 the war was not winnable and no blaming other people would change that. Stop attacking other people's countries. Problem solved.
I went into the army post Vietnam just a kid my drill Sgt was this tall skinny rugged looking man he was in Vietnam and had to be in a fox hole that had water in it for a long period so his legs were like spaghetti and he had this coffee cup that he never washed and he had so much ground up coffee at the bottom of the cup he’d just have to add hot water to it. When the fall of Saigon happened there were no parades or welcome home to our soldiers 58,000 young Americans killed , don’t let their deaths be in vain do something something with your life now to help others show your appreciation to be alive and well.
YES never forget that these men & women went when called. My DI in basic (1975) Fort Jackson SC. He was a Vietnam vet. Would overhear his talking to other DI Route stepping to firing range. He had some scary stories to tell. 😊 Will never forget him.
Thank you sir!!!
😊
they were victims of their own stupidity.
Stupid political decided
My uncle Zane was part of the brown water navy. The patch with the yellow shield, red banners, red V and a four leaf clover was for River Sector 513, he wore that same patch. I have it on my bedroom wall. This documentary brought me to tears. I miss him so much. The experiences that he had in country shaped him into the man he was when he was helping to shape me into the man that I am today. This country doesn’t produce young men like these anymore. Thank you for sharing this.
I feel your pain, brother. The kind of young men we have today are shaped by the left-wing politicians running Congress and the White House that would denounce your uncle as a war-mongering white racist today.
THAT, is painfully "Obvious" today ! . . .
@Eldon An YOU, must be one of the "Whining Liberals" we were talking about !
@@montanabulldog9687 your arrogant invasion and warmongering killed so many innocent people and caused such social destruction there ... these people had none of your military might but through their desire for freedom from foreign domination killed you and kicked you out of their country and demonstrated what happens to a global bully who has no reality behind their own bullshit ... witness Trump and the Taliban ... another example of the real america ... go to hell you cowboy
@@jeffyoung60 damn right ... and that's because he is / was
Bless all whom served in this war, you are not forgotten 🇺🇸
My friend who passed away a couple of years ago,was with the brown water navy. He was a silver rose recipient, to those who don't know. It's for those who survived cancer from agent orange,an the other defoliants. Thank you Jim for your service.
Salute to your friend.. I work with a lady and her husband died of Agent Orange and I know it was also made here in NZ. 🇳🇿
@@allgood6760 can't say to much but I worked on a country estate in UK and there was a guy there nicknamed agent orange because he was one of the main guy's who made it nice guy though
My brother died 5 years ago from agent orange..cancer took him fast..god bless all who served
The Viet Cong won
@Democrats suck ... just stating the simple fact, nothing else. The VC won.
My dad ran resupply boats up and down the rivers. BM1 Earl Rutherford, passed away of cancer shortly after retirement. I so miss him, spent my years deployed aboard carriers. ABFC Roy Rutherford. Thank all of you for your service.
Yes thank you all who served.
Dayum CHIEF! I Outranked my pops too, most Senior in the Fam, from a long list of fam that served stretching from WWI to the GULF WAR. Thanks for serving. RIP to your Pops.⚓️🇺🇸✌🏻🍻
I'm a Marine. I served in Small Craft Company. We got to see some of the old PBR's in action in Panama.
My friend Doug Meek was part of the brown water Navy. Years later he helped restore one of the River boats in Coronado I miss my good Buddy Doug
Thanks for sharing this Howard.
một phần tội ác
Where is coronado?
@@Charlimarteli
chắc các bạn muốn lưu giữ quá khứ về một làng quê xa xôi
San Diego CA
My NJROTC ANSI spent 40 months with the PBR's in Vietnam, so I respect their service greatly. Just remember his stories and wished I could still hear them. RIP QMMC (SS) Shawlin, thanks for your 30+ years of service to the Navy and for the countless number of students you provided a role model for.
My NJROTC ANSI was a swift boat guy as well. Ronald A. Swafford. Also a QMCM. Good man. Learned a lot from him. Now interred at Arlington. May God bless such good men.
@@mikedarren6658 Chief Shawlin is also interred at Arlington. I'm sure they might have served together. Sounds like both of our ANSI played a huge role in so many lives. I shared Chief Shawlin impact on JROTC students lives, to an AFJROTC AFSI (he was struggling) on a cruise last year. Next time I'm at Arlington, I will look up Chief Swafford. I'm sure both are swapping stories at the Chief's Mess in Heaven...RIP QMCM Swafford and Shawlin, you have impacted so many people...Thank You...
This Video brings back memory of my auntie's story.
My auntie has been telling us the following story hundreds of times. Each time she recounts it, she cries. It must have been liters of her tears over the years.
# The story is ....
# That was a Lunar New year in Vietnam. My aunt and her mother (my grand-aunt-mother; my mother calls her auntie) were travelling by ferry boat on a river in southern Vietnam. All of a sudden, American helicopters appeared, and shot at the boat. My aunt and her mother sat next to each other. Her mother was hit, and was dying in my aunt's arms (she was a small teenager at the time)
# My aunt recounts of her mother's last words: "Daughter, it's certain I die. Don't forget to look after your siblings and listen to your dad."
# Then she died in my aunt's arms. As said, each time my aunt recounts that story which happened 50 years ago, she cries.
Can you blame her?
So sorry O. So sorry. Some of these atrocities it will take generations to recover from.
ThiHienMai Nguyen,
Vietnam was the war I was watching as a teen. To see the actions on both sides was horrific. But what the civilians went through, their loss of family
( many at a time ), contamination of the land, the destruction of the bombed cities ect, was horrific. Everyone who was there and lived through the Vietnam War, the scars run very deep on both sides. The cruelty of man against man is abhorrent. 🇨🇦
I am a Vietnamese. We suffered a lot from the Vietcong. The Vietnamese communist killed many Vietnamese people. The communist people are liars and I can't trust them. After Vietnam war many Vietnamese people had to escape their own country. Until now the Communist people are still hurting their own people in many different way. American came to Vietnam trying to support South Vietnamese defeating the ugly Comunist.
@@thompsonnguyen1870 -- Thompson Nguyen says "I am a Vietnamese. We suffered a lot from the Vietcong. .... American came to Vietnam trying to support South Vietnamese defeating the ugly Comunist [Communist]." -- I say:
# My aunt and her mother (my grand-aunt-mother) were South Vietnamese. My aunt was only 12 at the time, and her mother was a simple peasant woman fully occupied with toiling to feed her young family. Were they Viet Cong, especially my aunt, at 12 years of age ? Please see the conversation below. Also, in the 4th photo of this " 'The Photographer Who Showed the World What Really Happened at My Lai' By Evelyn Theiss - Photographs by Ronald L. Haeberle, TIME, March 15, 2018 10:14 AM EDT", obviously you could not [but you would ?] say the babies still clinging to their mother's bosom were Viet Cong to be shot point-blank by your American masters and perhaps also by your father following and serving his American masters; similarly in this "File:Dead woman from the My Lai massacre.jpg - From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository"
================
Invitation of a conversation ....
================
ThiHienMai Nguyen:
This Video with the helicopters brings back memory of my auntie's story.
My auntie has been telling us the following story hundreds of times. Each time she recounts it, she cries. It must have been liters of her tears over the years.
# The story is ....
# That was a Lunar New year in Vietnam. My aunt and her mother (my grand-aunt-mother; my mother calls her auntie) were travelling by ferry boat on a river in southern Vietnam. All of a sudden, American helicopters appeared, and shot at the boat. My aunt and her mother sat next to each other. Her mother was hit, and was dying in my aunt's arms (she was a small teenager at the time)
# My aunt recounts of her mother's last words: "Daughter, it's certain I die. Don't forget to look after your siblings and listen to your dad."
# Then she died in my aunt's arms. As said, each time my aunt recounts that story which happened 50 years ago, she cries.
================
Dash One:
Were they alone in the boat? What side were they on. You seem to leave out a lot to make Americans look bad during the war. Not to say bad stuff didn't happen on both sides. I just would like more details. All of your details appear to just force emotion.
================
Andrew Nguyen:
@Dash One Your lack of empathy is disturbing. Idk if you would have commented the same for any recount of an American Vietnam veteran.
================
Cem ASTI:
@Dash One
... to make Americans look bad...?
They are bad.
What part of this u dont understand.
Wait until they kill everybody who gets on their way.?
================
ThiHienMai Nguyen:
@Dash One
# Dash One: "Were they alone in the boat?" => No. It was a ferry boat carrying passengers.
# Dash One: "What side were they on [?]" => Not sure. My aunt was only 12 at the time so most likely she did not know much of the politics, nor does it matter which side she was on, at 12. Her mother (my grand-aunt-mother) was in her early 30s; she was a peasant so most likely she was fully occupied with looking after her family and helping her husband to raise their young children. She was killed long before I was born; so I could not ask her which side she was on; but she lived in the countryside.
# My aunt's recount of the Vietnamese words of her mother (my grand-aunt-mother) before she died: "Con ơi, chắc má chết quá. Con phải thương (mấy) em, với nghe lời cha." (My attempt at English translation: "Daughter, it's certain I die. Don't forget to look after your siblings and listen to your dad.")
When they showed the LST Tender, it reminded me of how glad we were to get to it. It meant a hot meal, hot shower and clean
sheets to sleep on. So glad I didn't have to sleep on the damp ground and slap bugs all night.
Kopp ppp
I was thinking the exact same thing while watching the video. Sure, it was grinding, grueling, dangerous, and often tedious, monotonous work for the PBR men. But they all looked healthy and clean. No one had to stomp through the brush and mud. Returning home to the LST after a extremely long, exhausting, 18-hour day meant a shower, clean clothes, tasty hot meal, and a soft, clean bunk to crash in. I'd rather risk myself on the PBR rather than hump the dirty, muddy, dangerous, filthy brush as a grunt. Yet those very long, work days interspaced grinding boredom with moments of terror meant those Navy PBR guys needed R&R frequently if they were to stay healthy and sane. I suspect re-enlistment rates were not as high as the Navy hoped back then. After a year of doing that, I'd want to do anything else.
so evidently patrols in those PT boats were longer than just a day trip... that doesnt really make sense. the crew of one PT boat would be easily overwhelmed by a small element of enemy.... what a job...
@@xisotopex PT boats were kind of the
troublemakers for the VC. We went out
looking for trouble. 18 hrs on the boat
was the norm.
LSTs were still around when I joined, Actually had two in our ARG, USS SAN BERNADINO and forgot the other one, early 1980s, I remember saying to myself aint now way Im ever taking orders to one of those class ships lol. They rode hard at sea lol.
The camera footage in the Huey's showing them move up & down the rivers & canals firing on VC/NVA targets is outstanding. A hearty THANK YOU to all the U.S.N. personnel who served in the Delta throughout the Vietnam War.
Dont forget they are Wasters & Losers and got their arses well and truly kicked out of Vietnam
Damn boy. The plains of South Vietnam are my hometown. The US Navy on the river once burned down my house.If my brother, my relatives did not serve in the US military. I followed the VC to kill you guys. Aggressive dogs......
Thank you for what?
@@leonleon2276 if you served I’m saying thank you for your service.
@@Lynchfan88 you specifically said service in Vietnam tho…..what service by American soldiers in Vietnam is to be thanked for?
I spent 6 months on the delta water (9th. infantry, medic) attached to an artillery battalion (105's) mounted on barges. We assisted the Navy river patrol boats and our own troops with fire support
and help with the wounded. What an experience. Wouldn't do it again.
Don't doubt it in the least. Looks exciting but hardly fun
Is it true that the Crocodiles were docile during the war for the majority. And were basically sleeping most of the time because of all the people, the lound sounds of bombs, gun fire, actual fires, napomb, agent orange, etc...
But then 1 day they went and attacked a whole bunch of Japanese soldiers who were wounded when entering the water... and then the Crocodiles smelt all the blood, the fear of the soldiers and ended up going on a feeding frenzy. As they attacked soldiers more and more of them were bleeding... thus attracting more Crocodiles... adding to the frenzy.
Is it true that prior to this day... that for the most of the war... there wasn't much to worry about from the Crocodiles... Is it true they were in more of a hibernation type sleep state for most of the war?
Thanks for being there, I was wounded in April 1969, still have 3 bullets in me, took me a year to walk, been looking for the Medic who pulled me from the dead bodies wrapped in our ponchos, but no luck, the medical personnel and chopper crews are my personal heros. My book is an Ebook, "Million Too One And Lived ", my cousin Alan Peterson was in the 9ths Artillery in Dong Tam at the time I was there, he made it home only to die of Agent Orange 4 years later.
@@factsdonthavefeelingsbeawa2953 Japanese soldiers in Vietnam?
@@factsdonthavefeelingsbeawa2953 wrong war get a history lesson. These are vc and NVA in Vietnam the Americans were fighting against. You are thinking of ww2 when America was fighting the Japanese and 25+ years before the Vietnam war started.🤦♂️
My 2nd husband was drafted in ‘66 and sent to Saigon as an MP. Hated policing his fellow soldiers so he volunteered for the Riverine assault force, May’66 to May’67 Mekong Delta, Nhe Be. He manned the twin .50 cal on a PBR (River Boat, Patrol) Operation Game Warden. Acting as decoys or often times transporting Navy Seals or 9th Infantry to known Viet Cong positions and offering fire support. Hell on earth🔥
If your husband is still alive ask him if he remembers Frank Albert Natale my father also served on the pbrs around the same time.
Yes I read men in green faces and the seals have nothing but good things to say about them. Picked them up in many hairy situations and when thevsrals heard the twin diesels coming it was a relief. And the sea wolf helicopter s
@@franknatale8607 he usually calls every day or so. I will certainly ask him, but there were many different tributaries that these guys traveled. He was based in Nha Be.
@@franknatale8607 I checked with him and he did not know your Dad. He reminded me that there are numerous tributaries and bases so the likelihood of knowing someone that was based in another area is not probable.
That's so cool you took an interest in his stories 👍👍👍
LOVE THE DUDE LOADING ROCKETS AND SMOKING NEXT TO FUEL REFILL
They were NO closer to dying than sniper fire or a suicide attack...it was The Nam, and death was ALL around. MUCH respect for our Vietnam veterans 🇺🇸🫡 🪖
A cigarette won't ignite kerosene and the cigarette would have to fall inside a bomb and sit there a while before it would light it
@@jeremymackevincaylor5041 ... STILL !!! ALL HANDS, SMOKIN' LAMP IS OUT!!! DOG CONDITION ZEBRA!!!
Jet fuel is kerosene
@@garycamara9955Jetfuel is JP5
Civilians will never understand what war & combat does to your soul. It leaves thing's in your soul that will never go away. Thing's triger those feelings and pain and we will never be free of that pain. May God Bless and Keep All who Served and Their Families in His Precious Loving Care!!!!
Don't join The military if ya soft.
There are many good documentaries about McNamara and Kissinger out now
so you can learn why Vietnam happened...or... you can watch propaganda films.
While on the U.S.S. Ranger, I had leading first class petty officer, Who was a river boat Captain. When things were slow on watch in the fireroom He'd share His river combat stories with Us jr guys. He was a benefited bad ass, yet friendly and even jolly. But He went through hell. He always called each of Us bubba, He said He wouldn't welcome new crew members at first because they wouldn't live long, most times. They just had a driving need to pop Their head up to admire their 50 caliber machine gun work. And blam right between the eyes. He was a big tough Black Man, who deserved a full retirement. 1978 just few years after the Vietnam war ended.
USS Ranger cv-61 1976-1982 Navigation Dept....Qmcs retired
@@williamarmstrong737Hope you’re doing well Senior…
@@buzz5969 I'm ok... sometimes it's tough
Ah the old days in the Navy. Loading ordinance and fueling an aircraft at the same time, with a cigarette dangling from your mouth!
I remember when you could smoke in all the spaces onboard ships with exception maybe mess decks and medical. Those days are long gone.
there is no i in Ordnance!
@@gunndish Thanks. I'm actually aware of that, but unfortunately spell check is not.
@@thomasdaily4363 No troubles ... 30 years an Ordnanceman ... just one of my pet peeves.
@@gunndish I get it. IYAOYAS!
My Uncle Don was a Navy Riverboat Diesel Mechanic in Vietnam. I never heard him speak about it. He was from Mississippi but became a cop in Chicago, before owning a couple of service stations. He died in mysterious circumstances.
The US has been defeated in Korea, Vietnam, Cuba, Lebanon, Somalia and now, in Afghanistan. However, the powerful US Army defeated the tiny island of Grenada (1983), as it faced a fearsome army of 287 Police Officers, since Grenada does NOT have an army. In fact, they were half this number, since the Policemen on the afternoon shift had not yet come to work. What seems incredible is the fact that the US was defeated by Vietnam. What? Did the US lose the war against Nam? OMG! Against a poor country, underdeveloped, malnourished, without Navy, without Air Force, NO Marines, Green Berets, SEALs, Rangers, Delta Force, USMC, Rambos or Chuck Norris. Defeated by a country of peasants without strategic plans, no B-59 Bombers, PT-Boats, Northrop F-5 "Freedom Fighter", nor Atomic Submarines. Without Aircraft Carriers, NO Continental Missiles, nor Tanks, Choppters, AR-15, Gatlin Machines’, Flamethrowers, Napalm, Agent Orange. NADA! And to top it off, defeated by an army of teenagers who had no shoes: WITHOUT SHOES!!! Army that fought with bamboo sticks!!! Charlie Kicked Our Asses and even invaded our Embassy. Jeezzz!!! Here is the Duty, Courage and Chanting of Heroism of the US Army. This is the True Story of our Country. This is the History that is already written in the US Books. And the History that was written in Afghanistan is made with the same ink.
“We will kill some, they will kill many, but they will tire first “- Ho Chi Minh
@@salvadorvizcarra769You were spun out when you wrote this, tell true.
My Uncle and My Father Both Marines served in Vietnam Dad was an 0311 and Charlie was a Phantom Driver he was shot down not long before I was born. Dad would rarely speak about it and never about Charlie, if he did it was vague and short. Thankfully my father lived long enough to see me become a FDNY Paramedic then a FMF Corpsman. He left a note for me he with my Mother in the event I was deployed. She gave it to me on 07 when I came home shortly after a bad day step dancing to BIAP. The letter read "Now you understand, I'm sorry Son. Love Dad" I enjoyed seeing one of my Shipmates tending to the indigenous, I did that as well, never underestimate the goodwill you can seed from a little concern for local people. Echo Hard! "Doc"
*Thank to this river patrols boat. I was on this boat out of Vietnam on April 1975 and then rescued by Vietnamese Navy.*
My dad served doing rpb among other things, he lasted longer than expected do to agent orange. Lost that battle a few months ago. Thx dad
Grateful for your fathers service 🙏 may he rest in peace.
Thx for your post. And thx to your Dad for his service..
My utmost respect to your father and all our men and women who served in Vietnam 😔❤
Your dad was killed by friendly fire. To be killed by the other team is just, but to be killed by your own team is justice.
Thanks to your entire family for your sacrifice and taking care of your father
Hearing those children, sing made my heart smile, and that is something that has not happened in a while. So beautiful.
When I would go into a village in the Delta , the kids would ring out - My - My - My which meant GI GI GI and they were always looking for chicklits { gum} or some other candy - the kids in the Delta villages that were safe spots --were priceless.
They were singing "death to America!"
Every single day I have to force myself not to eat a bullet....and I'm over 71 years old....the nightmares don't go away
An amazing comment. You said a lot in a few words.
Welcome home sir! 🇺🇸
Been There . . . Done That . . . Sgt, MARINES 69yrs old.
Had a bud that succumbed to his own gun last month, He was also 71. Talk to someone who can relate and has the same history.
I served from 3/9/1967-3/9/1968
Under US Naval support Activity
Danang Vietnam, ICorps Under
Lt. Gen. Lewis Walt USMC
My dad was a chief petty officer instructor. I grew up on Marine bases. In 69 I was in Iwakuni Japan, I had my eighth birthday on the trip going over there there for 3 years sometimes my dad would bring one of you guys home for the weekend or supper,and you grunts play army with me, I truly love you guys
I was borne in 1968 and I remember growing up watching the news! All those dead men! In Washington DC there’s a huge wall memorial! It’s amazing how many Americans died? Honorable! My mom’s cousin did 4 tours as a helicopter pilot! And was shot down 4 times! He finally died in his 70’s in Alabama of a heart attack! In the driveway!
Good friend of mine was told he had mechanical aptitude when he went into the Navy, and was told to check "GM" on the form for "General Mechanic." He found out too late the GM was actually "Gunner's Mate." Yep, he ended up on PBR's in the Delta.
I calledem GUMMER MATES😊
I was a tin sailor (USS Henderson DD-785) from 1964-'68. Made three deployments there and can recall those years clearly while at the same time having trouble remembering getting out of bed this morning.
I'm with the river patrol force# 116 and I'm proud of all those Vets
I belong to the seawolves.
@@petersclafani4370 Much respect to the Sea Wolves. Your support on the River saved many lives, thank you!
Those PBR boats were made about 50 miles from my house in Bellingham Washington at the uniflite plant, good boat builders
Funny. I believe the original designers & manufacturers (at least for the initial prototypes that were brought to the Navy when they were first looking for a specific kind of shallow water patrol boat) was the boat manufacturing company Parker, which is located up in Morehead City, North Carolina, which is about 40-50 miles from my house!! lol
Werent those boats plastic? ..thinkin plastic Mattel the toy maker was puttin m-16 stocks out
Qqqqqqqqqqqqq
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Was this in Anacortes?
I relieved a chief that had just left his PBR, he couldn't even hold a pencil steady from the things he had encountered.
And what’s your story?
Hes a warfighter not a pencil pusher. Leave the pencil pushing to those in the rear.
Thanks for helping Vietnamese. We Vietnamese did appreciate. Vietnamese American try to pay back that include my family. Thanks a lot God Bless America 🙏
Your welcome.
I really hope you mean that. I have family and friends who fought they're scared for life in some ways good and some bad the price of freedom is not cheap!
by destroying their country with agent orange and napalm?
I was stationed at IUWG-1, NAB Coronado, Ca., 1977-1980. We were still using pretty much the same equipment as shown here, although our mission was geared more towards harbor defense. I was a MIUW Team and Remote Sensor operator. I learned most of what I know about staying alive in an amphibious environment combat zone from some of these same people.
@Dr. Frog hopper, I was in Luang Prabang in Laos over 20 years ago and discovered a motorised steel catamaran grounded on the banks of the Mekong. Obviously everything that could be stripped was long gone. Any idea what it could have been?
m
The STEPS operated from Dong Tam base ,they picked us Vietnamese Special Forces . Our camp located North of their base. We joined OPN . If needed we landed ashore for search and destroy (1969) Steps was more powerful than PB R.
I had a BM 3 that was going to the River Boats for duty. I was on a destroyer out of Japan in 1972 I got agent orange from being off viet nam. This video is excellent 👍.
@@douglasthorp7471 which destroyer were you on
@@williamarmstrong737 I was on DDG 33 Parsons and later DDG 5 hotel 85 to 90 as a BM I.
One of the guys in my 1981 OCS class was a "river rat". He had some pretty hairy stories to tell. Patrolling the rives of the Mekong Delta, they were totally exposed; no cover and could be engaged by any number of weapons. Their greatest asset was speed.
My cousin was just turned 19 assigned to an ammo ship of the brown water navy. There were 11 men on the ship whose job it was supplying Marines along the rivers. In February 1969, they were at a place called Bridge Ramp in Danang when the VC shot at the ship with B-40 rockets (RPG2) and it blew sky high. Of the men on that ship there was 1 survivor and no idea HOW that guy lived. The ship was blown in at least 2 pieces. We told ourselves, at least they probably didn't suffer, but I was 9 then and the explanation as to why his coffin was an empty one pretty much confused me. By contrast, my uncle, in the Marines about the same time, as a crew chief on H-34 choppers, came home without a (visible) scratch.
Served in nam with PBR mobile base 2 and rivdiv. 551
Hi Dale, I was in 551 4/69 to 4/70. Gunner on the 776 boat.
Thank you both for your service. I wish America had treated you like the heros you are. God bless you.
Had you ever met ROK soldiers in Vietnam?
My father was on the USS Courtney DE 1021, and I’m having trouble finding information about him, men who served with him and what they were doing there. I’m compelled to bring deserved light and recognition to these men, as it seems their command was less than forthcoming after reading through his journals.
If anyone knew Pete Casey, from Quincy Massachusetts, please reach out to me, I’d love to talk. I’m filing a freedom of information request regarding the Courtney and its activities from ‘68-73’. Thank you all for your service 🙏🏼
My brother was boatswains mate on river boat in Nam. Anyone know Stanley E Davis?
Hope you get the info you need, doing some investigating I have nothing but the basics of where it was deployed, during that period of time it was operating as a training vessel and then later switch home port from Newport RI to Naples Italy, given the time period, I’d assume it was in the region due to the tense period of time between the Arabs and the Israelis, and at that time the Israeli habit of assaulting US ships and claiming them as “accidents”. Still, hope you get some clear answers and I’d be interested in hearing about some of the details as well, good luck
@@kensanity178That has nothing to do with what this man is asking!! Jesus
@@loganbaileysfunwithtrains606 BS. Israeli vessels were not attacking US ships at that time. Where do you get your info?
@@fifthbusiness16781967, the USS Liberty, smart guy. Where do you get your info?
Vietnam is a peace-loving country and moreover, the national spirit is very high no other country in the world can invade, historical evidence has shown and the great loss has made the people The Vietnamese nation grew stronger in the face of all enemies who intruded into Vietnamese territory. Now our country is peaceful and develops day by day in all fields and integrates with countries around the world for peace and economic development together. We will not forget the wounds of war, but now, for the future of the country and future generations, we will not forget the historical pages of the Vietnamese people. Vietnam has always been a friend of countries around the world to cooperate in trade and peace in the world "because war is the greatest pain of mankind"
Well said. We never belonged there, and your country’s progress and focus on peace since then is clear evidence of that.
Thankfully my uncle talks about his days there instead of drinking and doing drugs to hide his PTSD. Wish more vets would just talk and open up instead of thinking that's a wimpy thing to do. Thankfully it's becoming more common to get therapy and let these vets heal.
My father served 13 months with the 173rd at LZ English in 68 and 69. I wish he would have talked to someone about the war, because he took his own life in 2016. He was my best friend and I have missed him everyday since.
@Buddycoop1 we don't talk because it just brings up memories and then the nightmares get more frequent
The military personnel fought ,we're wounded scarred for life and died.the politicians ran the war and top brass came home to a heros welcome.the enlisted men lived with the defeat and aftermath
My mom's uncle Bill Ferguson wrote a book called "laughter on the rivers of death" it has a lot of humorous tales from when he was there.
Ain't war hell ! I always loved the PBR 👍. What the hell were we ever doing in Viet Nam ? Working for the bankers just like every dam war.
Making politicians and corporate CEOs rich.
I suppose then that with WW2, we should have just let Germany and Japan just have their way with the world?
Went in the Navy in 71 and wanted to go to PBR school more than anything. By the time I finished EN A school, I was told there was no chance for me to get to the boats as it had all been handed over to the south Vietnamese Navy. Ended up on an LPD out of Norfolk. Like the song says, you can’t always get what you want.
@@brucemullen3889 Glad you made it back safe to the Gator Navy 👍🏻
But if if you try sometimes, you get what you need….😊
Thanks for posting this video showing the brown water Navy doing it's part serving in the Mekong Delta. This was a joint operation involving the US Navy, the US Coast Guard and two brigades of yours truly the US Army's 9th Infantry Division. My Dad arrived in Vietnam in March of 1968, he was assigned to B co 3rd Bn 47th Infantry. Their basecamp was " Bearcat" division HQ was Dong Tam. The US Army had the assignment of patrolling the muddy water ways of the Mekong Delta. It's main duties were to go inland as well, the Delta region was a maze of rivers, streams and canals that were filled with leeches. The heat and humidity, along with the monsoon rains meant the troops were constantly soaked and wet. The mosquitoes, wasps and red ants would eat away at you and there were the never ending rice paddies as far as the eye could see and beneath that was the deep thick mud. My Dad, God Bless him, survived this hell hole for 12 long months....He retired a SFC E-7 and passed away at the age of 44, Nov '83. RIP
My uncle was kia in SouthVietnams , Central-Highlands ,mid-3/1968 ,tail end of TET, 10days before my 11th bday.
Also, knew neighbors , and friends whose bros. That were over there from 1965-1971; the last I knew of was home by late 1971. All came back changed, and some with complications from exposure to agent orange!
SAD!!But, not all for naught!
My Pa was in New Guinea WWII. He had 'jungle rot' on his legs til he died at 90. incurable. Never complained.about it.
The men in this video are American military heroes. It is highly encouraged that you only say- Thank You For Your Service Sir 🇺🇲
I heard about the PBRs1970, when I was a student at Navy Hospital Corps School in San Diego, Balboa Naval Hospital. The Navy needed Corpsmen during that time; probably why they threatened us with PBR duty if we failed to graduate. The chief said our life expectancy would be about two weeks.
I ended up being assigned to field duty with the Marines after hospital ward duty and FMF training at Camp Pendleton. 73 and retired now.
Well you got Bayous in Southern States and those great river like Missisipi, I wonder how armies like French who never got one big yard to train would fare instead.
Just learned these days that once you stuck at swamp, the only vehicles that can worth traversing are those hovercrafts and inflatable boats with fans. I wonder with modern day tech like drones, brown water navy mission should be easier.
Casualty rate on the PBR’s was 3 of 4😔
@@sheilalarkin1291 Thanks for the comment. Did you serve on PBRs?
@@crabbycreates2943 I did not serve but married 2 combat vets. In an effort to support them I read nearly every book written on the war. Certainly couldn’t get my husbands to talk about it much. I still support them now.
i have a few vietnam vet friends here in oz and 1 of them had the role of forward scout, he is recognized in the canberra war museum, he suffers from the worst ptsd i have ever seen, i actually met around a dozen through clinic stays myself and sadly they are all fading away 1 by 1 but atleast their pain has passed, im classed as a general patient at this clinic but i have always been introduced to other vets as their mate, something i will always hold close to my heart
PTSD .. "pay the sneaky duffer" 😏
I was working with the US Air Force in Mactan Air Base at Detachment 10, 7th Aerial Port Squadron as Shift In charge in Fleet Service. Serving coffee, water and inflight lunches for aircraft bound to Vietnam.
Thank you for your service, was MACTAN in the land of LBFMs RP 🇵🇭
My old classmate on the GI Bill at Maritime College did a tour or two as a crewman on a Vietnam Riverboat.
He said that he could never sleep on board as every splash or sound in the water was imagined to be Viet Cong night swimmers.
As he was getting short on his tour, he gave up being nervous at night and started throwing fragmentation grenades at any sound in the water.
He and his crewmates knew that the live grenades "sent a message" to Charlie about conducting night raids on U.S. river gunboats.
Chúng tôi yêu chuộng hoà bình ,, và yêu đất nước quê hương chúng tôi hơn bao giờ hết ,, chúng tôi cùng một dòng máu, cùng một màu da và đất nước nhỏ bé này đã trải qua biết bao cuộc chiến từ xưa tới nay ,, là con dân việt nam chúng tôi có quyền và có trách nhiệm bảo vệ tổ quốc ,, có thể đất nước các bạn chưa một lần sảy ra chiến tranh nhưng các bạn thử nghĩ khi bom đạn cày xới quê hương các bạn thì các bạn nghĩ sao , đất nước chúng tôi còn nghèo , song tinh thần yêu nước thì đã ngấm sâu vào tâm trí mọi người ,, chúng ta hãy cùng cầu nguyện cho một thế giới hoà bình và nhân ái các bạn nhé
Amen
Yes.
Chúng phải trả giá
THANKS gr8 job Mr. And to ALL WHO SEVERED AND WILL SERVE YOU ARE THE BEST OF WHAT WE HAVE,,, THANK YOU N GOD BLESS
Thanks for the sudden really high volume at 29 mins while I was trying to fall asleep to this..Sigh
Yeah that startled me to
Nancy got your panties in a bunch
The recent Afghan withdrawal shows how similar these conflicts were, how we tried to win the "hearts and minds" by helping the citizens, how we tried to arm and train the SV army but as their government was also corrupt the hopes expressed by the narrator were sure to fail. Having studied this war, I suggested Afghanistan and it's challenging terrain would lead to a similar outcome, for a time I looked mistaken, but 20 years on, all is lost.
I now predict the US will be extremely reluctant to enter another guerilla like war, until the time again we forget the lessons so painfully earned.
War serves one purpose. To feed the military industrial complex of the U.S. government. It’s got window dressings like, Justice, and duty, and patriotism. But, at the end of the day it’s just putting money into the pockets of our oligarchs.
Were you there?
@@robertfandel9442 Was born during it, war buff as a kid and got a history degree. Didn't know anything about Afghanistan so went and read a couple books on Russia's and England's experience to inform my thoughts. I think America's revolutionary war is not so dissimilar either. Were you?
F IN A GOOD
@@whiteguy4282 reality
The Korean War is the forgotten war. Yea Vietnam was sad for sure, but nobody acknowledges Korea war vets who suffered terribly and almost froze to death among many other things. Frost bite took their limbs. Nobody says thank you to the Korea war vets. Why? Truly the forgotten war.
Maybe because it was short lived and not too epic?
It was epic enough for those who fought there like my dad.
You're right.
Some of us have never forgotten the Korean War😔
There's a really good book called "the sea wolves" about these guys
Thank you
HAL-3 "Seawolves", here's to absent shipmates!
My dad spent time on one of these while in the navy. While on patrol his boat took a rocket and his best friend died in his arms, he ended up being lost in the jungle for a few weeks after it happened. They military actually told my grandparents that he had been killed in action.
You're 6 days away fromf
@@hugbug4408 huh ???
@@zaddyb9979 You're right on huh , because I 4got what the hell I was trying 2 write about ! Hmmmmm , I hope I'm not getting dementia, or maybe too many bourbons on.the rocks with a squirt of gingerale .
@@hugbug4408 hahahaha. No such thing as too many bourbons lmao.
@@zaddyb9979 What does lmao stand for ? Yeah ! I can hear the laughs on this stupid ? !
It's so very sad that politicians got us into that war, and perhaps even more so that the individuals doing the actual fighting, many of them having been drafted, got so little support from civilians back home. Extremely sad, all of it. 😢
My comment was who are the real Enemy of the People? It's the Tyrannical Governments. These Lifer Politicians with NO soul. Not our Neighbors. Ltr.
Useless post.
0331 PISC 86'. It just repeats itself over and over. The blood of our best soaks the soil in vain.
Indeed. We shouldn't have been there.
Yes Agreed! However, i love you Miss Molly Bell!! Be safe where ever you are and be happy.(?@@)
I read McNamara's book, In Retrospect. LBJ asked a lot of people for advice. Almost everyone he sought out, including Eisenhower, said hold the line in Vietnam. It's sad.
We had a BM2 that made BM1 sent to Nam he was the Coxswain on a PBR his name was Leonard Quinley nice guy
He was KIA 1967
I was never a river rat but served in the centrail highlands on a M-48 TANk, 90mm / 50 cal. coax/ flame thrower. A tank is the only thing to hold real estate, and destroy enemy supply. 4th div.
Oh wow, a rare sighting of a helicopter from the Sea Wolves, the navy's first and only Huey attack squadron. One of the most unsung and decorated squadrons in all of Vietnam.
I had a CWO on my first ship who's first command as a seaman was with that squadron. He's seriously decorated. Silver star, 3 bronze stars with V and 3 purple hearts. Was a great guy too, I could listen to his war stories for hours.
Jocko has talked a lot about these heroes on his podcast.
I have to look up the Sea Wolves, as I've never heard of them. Thank you for the tip.
My dad was in that field but the elite patrol of MAG SOG. Have picture of the boat. It had metal sheets around the boat as shield from bullets and yes, fire from flame thrower.His unit is decorated of highest honors of the war and even in Wiki.
Such bravery and commitment. Those who served are the best. Instead of heading to Canada, they went in spite of their fear.
I was there in the Delta 50+ years ago with the army engineers. I remember going from Vinh Long to Moc hoa on a 50' mike boat - from the Mekong up the Co Tay sang - took us 3 days and nights. We went to rebuild a runway up in Moc Hoa with the 75th near the border, and there was a brown river rat navy camp there to. The engineers weren't a big threat to the people since we were just working on roads, bridges, camps , runways, etc and so we lived with the Vietnamese and Cambodian. Of course when charlie hit us, we hit back but that was part of the game. I went back 2 years ago and found one of those bases-on the Mekong - it was a long time ago and the Vietnamese didn't treat me bad at all. I lived on the Mekong for a week - there is sure a lot of people on the River compared to my tour . It was just Another stupid war the Washington and MIC psychopaths got us in. Com-on
Just discovered this channel love all things military
My dad served on a pbr during Nam. Only thing he ever spoke of was when he saw snoppys nose he knew he was safe whatever that means.
Snoopy was a gun ship made out of a DC3
My basic training drill sergeant had a patch of agent orange on his arm. God bless him.
Modern weapons cannot replace patriotism. Imposing domination on other peoples is wrong... America has underestimated Vietnames
Modern weapons but cannot defeat the human mind and the unity of our country.
Back in the day when you didn't have to fake maintenance for a photo op.
PBR one great boat. The first were converted Chris Craft. I worked on them 1969-1970 at Nah Be. The best duty station I had during my 6 years in the Navy.
One Western country (French) forced Vietnam to turn to communism for help. Then another Western country (US) tried to rescue it from communism. 58,000 US soldiers killed. 2 millions Vietnamese soldiers (both sides) killed, and million more Vietnamese civilians (both sides) were killed, left homeless, or widowed. Agent Orange imparted tens of thousands of deformed children born during this era, and Agent Orange is still in some of these waters to this day. I'm not sure what the West was trying to do, but I do know what where ever Western powers go, agony and death tend to follow. This is not a knock on any Western democractic ideals, but a fact. I sympathize with the US servicemen, especially blacks (who also faced racism), who had served in Vietnam, a country far away, but Vietnam was never their enemy. Vietnam never invaded anyone. Later, when I went to highschool in the US, many young American students mocked me with the "you VC" phrase, as if I'm somehow an enemy of America. And even a few Vietnam vets looked at me with those suspicious eyes (but to be fair many more other vets also embraced me). Perphaps American students, and Americans in general, need a good object history lesson from the scholars to avoid indoctrinated by their politicians (the real enemies of the state). Every time I see a politican on CNN or Fox, I see an insidious liar and a potential mass killer.
ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT VIDEO! Thank you for sharing.
Those would be nice to see on the Rio Grande.We have a few million alligators that Florida needs to export.
This NAVY guys were an Incredible fire support for us (ARMY ) Mekong Delta River...
War would have been a success if politicians would've stayed out and let our military do their job.
It's said plenty made money off the war.
🙏🙏First class doco - especially the photography - outstanding
A lesson for budding film makers
ok, how many of you saw the thumbnail and your first thought was, "PBR Streetgang, PBR Streetgang>"?
My brother went to Nam. We were so scared for him. Thank you all for my freedom.
Your freedom? What freedom?
I admired the bravery of Vietnamese. People's at the time there's war in their countries not even in the west Philippines sea their govt were not Chinese military patrolling to disputes island they are guarding their sovereight right in west Philippines just like Indonesia Japan Taiwan Philippines maybe now it was active caused VFA agreement but before not
USS Anchorage LSD 36 Vietnam 1970-74... Moved a lot of river boats up and down the coast along with
Seal Teams and Marines.
I am not certain,but guerilla warfare for American forces was " on the job " training. The North Vet Kong had been at it for awhile! 1st against the French and then America. I have deep respect for ALL who fought,MIA,POW,died and came back with lifelong injuries { physical & mental }.
Very beautiful sad documentary thank you soldiers everything
NEVER get out of the boat!
apocalypse now?
But them mangoes...
I ALWAYS GOT OFF THE BOAT, OTHERWISE AINT NO LIBERTY ENJOYED!⚓️🇺🇸✌🏻🍻
That's Raymond Burr narrating the second film during the beginning of America's involvement. Burr was injured in a Huey there, during an evasive action when the chopper was fired on. ( in several of the old Perry Mason episodes his arm was in a sling).
All that effort to help the Vietnamese try to stave off communism was for nothing. Now right here at home in the USA we are loosing the same battle unfortunately. Our children and grandchildren will suffer because of our own inactions.
Your children, like you ain't suffering a damn thing.
@@willoutlaw4971 give it a generation.
@@willoutlaw4971 I would imagine that's what others would have said throughout history, and then.......
@@willoutlaw4971 mortgage, food and fuel went up 500%
Wages went up 10%
All that effort ?
Made up war...
Gotta love the MA DEUCE..over 100 yr's and still going 💪 strong! God Bless John Browning, Our troop's + 🇺🇸
There a great bunch of guys !
My mom’s cousin Billy was on those boats in the Mekong Delta. Poor guy survived his tour(s ?), only to die in a car crash stateside.
Never get out of the boat!
PBR Street gang, this is almighty, over
not unless you were going all the way
If you never get off the boat you will NEVER ENJOY LIBERTY! I say give me LIBERTY or give me dead…
You know our men where over there fighting and dying but as they are doing that they are helping and healing the people of Vietnam . What amazing individuals we had in our military , over there literally setting up shop in order to help those who otherwise would never ever have help. God bless our Vietnam vets ... Truly truly Christlike character in this video of the coreman who went out with all his medicine wanting to help people .
We need more of this 🙌 fr nice job!!
Those were jet pump boats. A civilian was building them in the US, I forget his name but he was having a conversation with a Navy Admiral and he designed the boat on a napkin and said he could have it up and running in under 6 months. And he did.
God Bless All Vietnam Heroes all over the world 🌎 😃👍✌️🙏✊🐈
This battle footage gave me some of the worst nightmares I’ve ever had. Them screams and incoming mortars, fear was real. Men just dying non stop.
Thank you true heroes
While serving on the USS Bexar APA-237 on a 8-month WESTPAC cruise (1967-68) we spent several weeks in Vung Tau Vietnam supporting River Assault Squadrons 13 and 15 who were conducting assault incursions up the tributaries of the Mekong River Delta area. These were the heavily armored (and slow) ATC riverboats. CWO4 USN Ret.
I was with the RIVER MARINE PATROL, on the USS JENNINGS COUNTY. We were a Helo support and artillery support for any Army, Marine or Air Force with our 6 40mm and two 88mm mortors. We kicked ass
The 8.8 canon was , and Evan currently, a kick ass weapon developed by The Germans in 1934. The 8.8 is the 88mm field artillery piece that was versatile; originally it was used as an anti- aircraft weapon, until The Germans found out it was very useful in knocking out Soviet Union Tanks , and American , and British too. And used for Anti- personally purposes too, and used in some situations currently. All round the 88mm was the Consulate artillery piece.
If only the US had supported North Vietnam after the French were defeated. They wouldn't have had to turn to China for help. Most of this could have been avoided. RIP all the brave souls who perished doing what they thought was right.
The US has guts to at least support Indonesia for compensation, told Dutch to screw off. There is nothing in Vietnam.