The Vietnam War

A Helmeted U.S. Helicopter Crewchief, holding carbine, watches ground movements of Vietnamese troops from above during a strike against Viet Cong Guerrillas in the Mekong Delta Area, January 2, 1963. The communist Viet Cong claimed victory in the continuing struggle in Vietnam after they shot down five U.S. helicopters. An American officer was killed and three other American servicemen were injured in the action.

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Flying at dawn, just over the jungle foliage, U.S. C-123 aircraft spray concentrated defoliant along power lines running between Saigon and Dalat in South Vietnam, early in August 1963. The planes were flying about 130 miles per hour over steep, hilly terrain, much of it believed infiltrated by the Viet Cong.

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The sun breaks through the dense jungle foliage around the embattled town of Binh Gia, 40 miles east of Saigon, in early January 1965, as South Vietnamese troops, joined by U.S. advisors, rest after a cold, damp and tense night of waiting in an ambush position for a Viet Cong attack that didn't come. One hour later, as the possibility of an overnight attack by the Viet Cong diasappeared, the troops moved out for another long, hot day hunting the elusive communist guerrillas in the jungles.

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Hovering U.S. Army helicopters pour machine gun fire into a tree line to cover the advance of South Vietnamese ground troops in an attack on a Viet Cong camp 18 miles north of Tay Ninh, northwest of Saigon near the Cambodian border, in Vietnam in March of 1965.

You may want to rewrite this, as those choppers are not hovering. They have just dropped the troops on the ground and are nose down to pick up speed and get out of the area. Choppers don't usually hang out at that low a level to support the troops for several reasons. One, there will be too much small arms fire to face at that altitude if this is a hot zone, if it's not a hot zone, they wouldn't be hovering and firing. Secondly, in the tight formation they are in, potential for a pilot to get hit and send his aircraft awry is way to risky to the other choppers nearby. In and out is all they are about.

Just a FYI from a guy who was a Facman in this war.
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Capt. Donald R. Brown of Annapolis, Md., advisor to the 2nd Battalion of the 46th Vietnamese regiment, dashes from his helicopter to the cover of a rice paddy dike during an attack on Viet Cong in an area 15 miles west of Saigon on April 4, 1965 during the Vietnam War. Brown's counterpart, Capt. Di, commander of the unit, rushes away in background with his radioman. The Vietnamese suffered 12 casualties before the field was taken.

Any idea what the tray like thing the guy at the back is carrying?
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U.S. Army helicopters pour machine gun fire into a tree line to cover the advance of South Vietnamese ground troops
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I suspect that the gun crews on the choppers are firing suppressive fire into area adjacent to LZ, as that would be SOP for the first wave in. Subsequent waves would have to be a bit more cautious due to advancing friendlies. From the stance & positions of the troops in this pic, I would propose they are not even under fire. The guy in the foreground appears in no hurry with rifle tucked under his arm, several of the guys in the distance are far to erect to be under fire.
 
Technicaly, yes, served 2 tours 71-72 and 74-75. But in reality I don't consider it to be so.

While the real warriors were in Vietnam doing the dirty work ,I was hundreds of miles to the rear, partying like there was no tommorow. Think spring break times 10, the vast majority of men lived downtown and hit the bars nightly. Not exactly dangerous combat duty.

Whereas real warriors wore patches saying 100 missions over Vietnam and never shot down, we joked 100 missions over Suzy Wong and only shot down once.

Whereas the real vet left with scars both physical and mental, I left with memories of some the best times of my life.

So no, not as one would normally consider it to be. I have nothing but the utmost respect for the true warriors.

I deserve none for my part.
 
Gentlemen,
I worded that wrong, yes I served honorably and there is the respect due to any vet who did their duty.

What I meant but it came out as dishonest humility was that the real heros of that war were the men like you Facman, the ones who put their butts on the line. We all played a part and all were needed but not all paid the same cost.

I salute you and your comrade in arms, and that is the way I see it.
 
yes I served honorably and there is the respect due to any vet who did their duty.
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Which is why I busted your chops for downplaying your own service. When we were deep in the shyte along the border with Laos, it was air cover that kept them bastiches from wiping us off that hill (FSB Argonne). Puff and Spectre orbiting all night, and fixed wing on call all day, kept our arses alive. So your part, while it may have seemed small to you, was something we Grunts will always be thankful for. Therefore, you get a salute from me anytime, because in our hearts, you are a Brother in Arms.
 
Facman said:
Therefore, you get a salute from me anytime, because in our hearts, you are a Brother in Arms.
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Allthough I'm a modern day vet I salute you to! :usa2:

I always joked about people who stayed on the base and had the biggest stories about the tour.
But still without them we Grunts cant keep the fight going.
We are all an extraordinary league of men who served our countries during a time of shit.

Wear your medals with pride my friend. Although it might seem small to you there's a whole group that cant say that
they did their part. Specialy during your time with those hippies back home protesting against somthing they have no knowlegde about.
 
Then I stand a little taller and am proud to call you "brothers in arms"

On a lighter note:
Dutch Grenadier said:
I always joked about people who stayed on the base and had the biggest stories about the tour.
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Does that mean all these years everyone saw through my story about fighting off 35 Viet Cong armed with nothing more than a toothpick?::madgrin:
 
I've heard you layed in ambush for days and killed a few with your bare feet???
 
The strain of battle for Dong Xoai is shown on the face of U.S. Army Sgt. Philip Fink, an advisor to the 52nd Vietnamese Ranger battalion, shown June 12, 1965. The unit bore the brunt of recapturing the jungle outpost from the Viet Cong.

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