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Rick:
That was me who said that about 10 months, but what I should have said was that’s what I HEARD. As we well know, what we heard wasn’t always real policy, was it? 🙂
I hope your tour of the Adriatic was fun. In fact, I’m sure it was!
Hi, everyone;
My wife and I are at home after our cruise. It was very nice.
i was reading where some of you were told that the tour in Vietnam was cut to 10 months. I never got that message. I spent the full 12 months there. As a matter of fact, when the 196th finally stood down, I was sent to Saigon to work at the Hospital for my last 3 months or so, before I could go home.
Oh, well, that’s the way it goes.
But, I do remember when Nixon said that we would only defend the major bases. My Butt!! We were still going out on CAs and spending plenty of time in the Jungle. Grunts were still getting hurt. Just another indicator that politicians should never run wars.
PS It’s good to be back.
Gary,
Remind me not to be at home if you visit after what you did to the Mississippi River and poor Elvis. You still sound pretty lucky.
Bill:
I’m not THAT lucky. Right after I went into the Army, they started the lottery for 19 year olds and I was already 20. Then, right after I got to Vietnam, they announced that henceforth, tours of duty would only be 10 months. Next, Nixon announced US forces would only defend the major bases and cities and no longer go on search and destroy operations. Instead, we did search and clear in the same damn places we were going before. Not long after I got home, the Army announced that anyone returning from Vietnam would be discharged, no matter how much time they had left, yet I was still stuck with at least a semester of college because of my early out.
Later in life, I went to see the MIssissippi and it dried up. I went to see Elvis and he died. ‘-)
On the other hand, I paid for a leave home to the states from Vietnam with the proceeds of one long poker session at Hawk Hill. When I’d gathered in the requiste $350, I quit and put it in the company safe. The other players said, “You can’t quit while you’re ahead.”
I said, “Watch me.” LOL
Gary,
Remind me not to play cards with you.
I ETS’d right out of Vietnam because I arrived on a short tour to start with. Having done 5 months in Germany, I only had 11 1/2 months left to do. Then, I got a 72 day early out to attend college on top of that. PLUS, I managed to squeeze out 90 days of leave time during my 2 year service period, which they never caught up with. ‘-)
In the end, I only stayed in Vietnam for 9 months and then I was out.
I extended my tour about 5 weeks which left me with 5 months to go on my Army hitch. They ETS me upon getting back to the US. It was an abrupt end to a pretty institutionalized life style. I’ve thought six months back in the States in the Army might have been a better way to ease back into the world. I can see Russ’ point of view too though. Hanging around half a year just waiting to get out could have been a pretty pointless bummer. On another note, every guy I remember in our platoon who was a 3 year RA and under E6 had started out in the Army with a verbal commitment to some specialized training–everything from mechanic to cook. It was determined that it was a good idea to get the Army’s promises in writing.
Chuck, you must have ETS’ed out of Nam..? Weren’t they offering a 2 or 3 month extension to ETS out for the 2 yr guys. I declined, and after spending 6 more months at Lewis I wished the hell I would have extended.
Like some of you, I was a 2 yr RA. I was resolved to the infantry, and got my draft notice while in basic at Leonard Wood. I can’t tell you how many 3 yr enlistee’s I ran into in Nam that were 11 Bravos but were promised a different MOS for the 3 yr dotted line..
Well some of you did get assigned to a hospital with nurses & clean sheets. You just got there the hard way. Here I thought I was the “only one” whom the Army made false promises too! I was offered OCS but not West Point. Now they really hurt my feelings. This is going to cause me more sessions at the Vet Center. Just got back from there.
Chuck – You’re right, 40 years ago today, Doc Capone, myself and our newest platoon sargeant – an “older” guy, baldheaded, nicknamed “cueball” I think – got blown up while sweeping a small “island” in the middle of a rice paddy. Charlie Company (or at least part of Charlie Co.) was assigned to an armoured Cav unit. The Cav unit surrounded the island, the grunts got off and did a sweep, we tripped a buried booby trap and Doc and me and the platoon sargeant all survived and wound up going home. Forty years ago today. Side note: Chuck, do you have Doc Capone’s current email address? I think I’ve got his old business email address. Thanks.
Jim Stoffers (aka Boy Wonder/Bravo Whiskey)
Clay:
The personnel guy at Ft. Polk told me the same thing, so I signed up for truck driver school. He assured me I’d be going to Ft. Ord for transportation AIT and that’s what I believed all through basic. When they finally told me I’d be going to North Fort for Infantry AIT, I cried. LOL
Since you had some college (I did too), did they offer you West Point? Four of us in our BCT company were offered it. Acceptance meant a year at a prep school such as VMI or The Citadel, then four years at the Point, followed by four more years as a minium. That’s an eight year committment. Asking a guy if he wants eight more years of the Army when he’s got a Drill Sergeant up his ass 24 hours a day isn’t the right time to do so. We all turned it down. LOL
Had we taken it, we wouldn’t have graduated until 1975 and the war would have been over by then. Of course, we couldn’t know that then.
proud to of landed where i did
I was a two year RA also. Could see the draft coming & was stupidly curious about the Army & the war but didn’t want to spend 3 years. I assumed I would be a rifleman but the personnel guy @ Ft. Lewis said with my scores on the aptitude tests I could be anything I wanted in the Army. He suggested psychological specialist based on my wasted 2 years in college & w/ visions of nurses & clean hospitals I said lets try that. It was MOS 92G or something like that but he failed to mention I needed to sign up for 4 years. The Army did their best to accomodate me and made me a 92A Medical Corpman. The dream of landing in a clean hospital w/ nurses evaporated when I was assigned to 2/1 Inf–but I’m proud of where I ended up. Probably still stupid or crazy, but proud.
June 3rd 1970 Doc Capone and others got wounded by gun fire and booby traps. June 11th 1970 Chuck gets out of the Army.
in june of ’69 IN WALKED THE JUDGE saying i have two choices for u. u r not going to like either but u might find one better than the other. i enlisted and 8-69 was heading to cal. for basic. i ran into three others from home there—–seems UNCLE SAM figured out the futer we were from home the more likely we would stay put. and yes the inductees from Cal went to Mo. in that time was told was going to to sgt school/officer training-oh no u r headed to the beautiful waters off the paciffic coast in the rvn
Gary & Bill,
I was an RA & not a US. Short of it joined with a promise to be in artillery or armor. Total time would have been 2 1/2 years. Joined in 4/68. Got to Benning & told everyone was going to be a “grunt” officer. Said no, sent to Nam 11/68 as PFC & got out after 12 1/2 months in Nam on an early out because less than 5 months when I got back 11/69. Spent 19 months in service. Retirees from the military have more years than I had months. Love them all because they do a great service for our country. Without their service of 20 years plus we would be hurting. God bless them.
Bill:
Yep, I think I was the only one in late 1969 still trying to get in. 🙂 And, it got worse. After AIT, the Army sent me to Germany and I didn’t want to be there. Ours was the only Infantry company which graduated that week and DIDN’T go to Vietnam and I was mad about it. I put in a request for a transfer to Vietnam the very moment I signed into the company in Germany and the Army didn’t know what to do with me. NOBODY was volunteering to leave Germany, though hundreds were coming down on levy every week and being forced to go. I believe they must have thought I was nuts because it took 5 months and the involvement of the Speaker of the House of Representative’s to get the Army to consent to send me to Vietnam.
But, it’s all good. Had I gone when I wanted to, I probably wouldn’t have ended up in Charlie Company and wouldn’t have all these great friends today!
As for that eardrum? It finally caught up with me when I transfered from the Reserves to the National Guard and out the door I went, after nearly 15 years. Oh well. I make more off VA disability than I would have reserve retirement anyhow. 🙂
Gary, that’s a funny story…. Practically everybody in the country is trying to cheat their way out of the Army…and you are trying to cheat your way in…..In my case, after a few days of basic training, I sorely regretted my decision, but there was no way out without disgracing myself so I stuck it out. …Hey….you could probably get compensation for that punctured eardrum…ha ha…just kidding.
Bill:
Yes, I volunteered for the draft too, but not just to get a 2 year stint in the Army instead of 3.
I had been routinely flunking enlistment and pre-induction physical’s for a couple of years because of a perforated eardrum. The draft board had me classified as 1-Y, in case of national emergency only, which meant I had to be re-examined every 6 months until I was 26 years old.
Well…I grew weary of having to do that, so when they sent me a notice to appear for another physical just after I turned 20, I didn’t go. I didn’t show up the next month either, or the next. Why bother? I still had a hole in my eardrum!
Anyhow, the draft board told me that if I didn’t show for the next one, I’d be inducted. So, I asked, “What happens if you induct me and I flunk it again? Does that mean you’re finished with me, that I’ll never have to take another one?
When the answer was in the affirmative, I said, “Fine. Induct me.” Which they did. Of course, by then I’d had the physical so many times that I’d figured out a way to possibly cheat my way into the Army and it worked. The rest, as they say, is history. 🙂
I volunteered for the draft when I was 18 years old…. I did that because if you enlisted at that time you had to serve three years and I only wanted to do two,……Did any of you guys push up your draft?……Just curious…..This was before the numbers lottery.
Gary,
I understand! Love your story.
Bill:
I’m sorry, but preacher or not, I’d have to set that young man straight…politely, of course.:-)
I used to unload at a place called the Flatt Tire Co. in Des Moines, Ia (I kid you not! The Flatt Tire Co!) and there was a fellow working there (not a Veteran, of course) who was going on about Vietnam Veteran’s being crazy and cry babies, etc, until I had enough of it. I just poised a 300 lb box of rubber off the back of the trailer, right over him, and said, “I’m a Vietnam Veteran, you know.”
I didn’t have to say anything else and the subject never came up again. LOL
Met a man I barely know outside a store my wife was shopping. He is about my age & had been to a gun show. He did not know about my service. Somehow he got to talking about Vietnam Vets & said “you know most of them are a little crazy”. I didn’t say a word but wanted to say “that is no way to talk about the preacher of your Mom.” However was not the time nor place. What can I say!
I think Gary has the right idea, we HAVE to support these returning Vets or they will suffer like we did.
these post are what we get emotional about and we feel that we are the only ones who feel this way—–it is hard to to shake off the years of unwant and be branded by the puplic/media but as stated we really should put our shoulders under neath the responibilities that the vets of tommorow will face and help them over come what we have dealt with the last 40 yrs. amen on R.I.P.
To all my C-company friends, no matter how difficult this day may be for most of us the important part of the word “Memorial” has been and will always be my memories of our fallen bretheren. They were good people with their own dreams and wishes for a future. Hopefully their families understand how much we all care about eachother and the Love we feel for their loved one. May we all find peace in our hearts. This is a good day. thank you.
Ty:
Yes, it would be great if we had no more need for Veteran’s organizations, wouldn’t it? But, human nature being what it is, that’s sadly not likely to happen. There are generations yet to come who must serve, must suffer, must die and must be remembered. There will always be “wars and rumors of wars.”
How’s the cemetery going?
Bill B & C,
It IS a great poem and I thought of the Native Americans when I read it. As for me, my life is greatly enriched having served with and known those who have fallen and those still here. My deepest prayer is that life evolves to the point where we have no more “fallen friends” and places like the VFW and American Legion are relegated to an exhaulted place in the world’s history.
The local paper, the Sherman-Denison Herald Democrat, actually published my letter under the heading of “Guest Commentary.”
Far out! But, let’s see if any new Vietnam Veteran’s come into the VFW wanting to join.
Ty,
I was given a similiar prayer several years ago an it is credited as a Native American Prayer. Don’t know if that is right or not. God bless you all both living and dead.