I was shot down on my very first mission in July 1968. Some were constantly exposed to combat, some not so often. The one number that is really important is 56,220 – and we all know what that number represents. I quit trying to make sense of all the numbers that have been generated about Vietnam. aND, mAY GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!Īn interesting essay, even more interesting are the comments. KICK ASS AS NEEDED!!! BUT WE MUST ALSO BE COGNIZANT OF OUR REQUIREMENT TO BE COMPASSIONATE HUMAN BEINGS. AS LEADERS IN AMERICA’S SERVICES- WE MUST BE PROFICIENT AND READY TO ACCOMPLISH OUR MISSIONS. Now, the wisdom of this “soldier tough” but “humanly compassionate warrior ethos” can be assessed through the 2d Bn record-–NO complaints about mistreatment of prisoners-while achieving the most combat SUCCESSES IN THE BRIGADE. three, he believes he is doing what his country wants him to do-just like you - So you better damn well treat him with the compassion you want for you!!!We don’t abuse prisoners- Now, if he reaches for his weapon to continue the fight- BLOW HIS ASS AWAY– THIS AIN’T SUNDAY SCHOOL!!! “Soldier,this is a war–don’t forget that, and anytime we are in a fight –we will be toughest SOBs in the fight!! But, once the enemy lays down his weapon, I want YOU TO REMEMBER THREE THINGS: 1, HE IS A SOLDIER, JUST LIKE YOU.2, HE IS AWAY FROM HOME And family, just like you. Tony told me that either he or I would greet all incoming troops- and we did- and here is the speech we gave to them. TONY DISAGREED> hE SAID- TAKE A 19 YEAR OLD, WHO HAS JUST TAKEN TWO ROUNDS TO HIS BODY, And IS watching his best friend die from multiple, bleeding wounds– he wont give a shit about the Geneva Convention. At this time- senior Army leadership ordered us all to read the Geneva Convention to our troops- because of the My Lai debachle. My second tour was as the S3 for LTC Anthony Herbert-one of America’s greatest leaders and WARRIORS OF ALL TIME. I am proud to have fought alongside of them. They were great patriots– fighting for their families and their homeland. My first tour was as an advisor to the VN Abn. My good friend who was a RTO was killed.ĮACH OF US CARRIES OUR OWN MEMORIES– AND THEY RUN THE GAMUT. Rice farmer who was still working with is ox like nothing ever As I made it back to the road I remember seeing the Never happened,we lost two sweep team members and some Sweep team,then I heard the choppers and they were blowing the hell out in the tree line then it just got so quiet like nothing Waving then I realized they Weren’t shooting at him only at the My left and saw this rice paddie farmer and his ox and I was trying to motion him to get down he just looks at me and starts I’m laying behind a rice paddie dike.I put my whole body as far down in the muck while the bullets we’re over my head. Year old Marine thinking this is my last day on earth. We were getting it with machine gun and mortars. I was a minesweeper.My first time out on a mission they put me on the drag line fifty yards from the road which was route 1, Then all hell broke lose All the comments and replies are of absolute truth, I was only 18 when I got to Nam ,I’m a country boy from NC so here I am
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