Also: for years I have read those life-expectancy numbers never really understanding them, but also noting that they wildly vary. So was the increasing use of forward-deployed ambulances, and forward treatment stations, surgeries, and evacuation hospitals. They lived in the mud and snow, not in the deep trenches of the First World War but in foxholes they dug themselves, or in shell craters created by the artillery of both sides. C Co, 1st-12th 66-67. The infantrymans first encounter with the French or Italians usually took place near these camps. Even when out of combat their comforts were few. I was with HHC and 1st Platoon C Company in 70-71. Roger Loves you too, Im sure. I was once told a story by a World War II veteran who . Toothbrushes and tooth powder were included in ration packs, and the teeth could be brushed using water in canteens, except for during the colder periods of the winter of 1944-45 when the canteens froze solid. I never thought of it that way before but have many times since. A Co, 1/5 Cav, 1 Cav Division. To an, open area. approaching a village and a firefight starts). My good friend who was a RTO was killed. The British lost 704,208 dead in the Great War, and if they were to form up in three ranks and march at the standard British army speed of 120 thirty-inch paces to the minute, they would pass in one day, fifteen hours and seven minutes. One out of every 10 Americans who served in Vietnam was a casualty. The prestigious badge, offered only to infantry and Special Forces Soldiers . I know this is a standard cliche, but it is so true, All gave some. Sanitation facilities were a box filled with sand in each car. In that time 4 us kia and 4 wounded. I was in the AF a Reo in a F4-C. Who had time to worry about the life As the war moved forward, an exhausted soldier often merely lay on his blanket at night in an effort to simplify his life and maximize periods of rest. There is a demand to know how to operate in an NBC contaminated area as well as construct field expedient firing aids. The job training for 11B requires 14 weeks of One Station Unit Training (OSUT) which is a combination of time spent in the classroom and in the field. The training for Army Infantrymen 11B consists of Basic Combat Training (BCT) and Advanced Individual Training (AIT), for a total of 14 weeks. Army Giving Robotic Combat Vehicles More Firepower Soldiers must meet a very heavy strength requirement and physical profile requirement of 111221. While traveling through the boonies the first few men were usually always shot first. I for one commend you for your courage and thank you for your service to your country. An infantryman was trained to fire a full eight-round clip in battle before reloading the weapon. They used the callsign MEDIVAC and were armed. One result of combat is dealing with prisoners of war, with Army Infantrymen being the first means to process POWs. Veterans of the 289th Infantry Regiment on the road to St. Vith during the Battle of the Bulge in 1944. Mech. They were marched or trucked to holding areas, where they encamped in accordance with their division procedures to await the arrival of their heavy equipment and logistics facilities. Seven out of ten suffered some form of injury or death. They were a great bunch. Yes, I made E4 at graduation, that was considered a NCO then. A typical Patrol Boat River (PBR) was about 31 feet long and had twin 50s forward an M 60 midships and a 50 aft. It was just part of the job. Army Infantryman 11B are riflemen, while Indirect Fire Infantrymen 11C carry mortar weapons systems. 30 Apr 2023 00:05:29 OSUT training takes place at Fort Benning in Georgia. I too never understood survivor quilt, Enjoyed your article. I served in A Company 3/22 of the 3rd Brigade 4th Infantry 12/66, then Hq Co 2/12 of the 3rd Brigade 25th Inf until the night of the TET offensive end of January 1968 and returned home July 18 1968. We had one RTO killed because he was too close to a 2ND Lt, same thing happened to another RTO. We were in2dBn 503d . The combat infantryman, and for the most part their immediate superiors at the front, had little information about the overall situation of the war. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thank you for both articles: (1)Going up river to port and (2) the flight from Italy back to Nam. I do remember when I got short I thought about it a lot more. We all have opinions, this is mine. Ernest, Im glad that your first tour with the VN airborne was rewarding. The infantrymen didnt know the reasons why they had to fight and too often die for a particular hill, or seemingly useless French farm or village, they simply had to do what they were told. Much smaller income differentials in life expectancy, 0.2 to 3.6 life-years smaller for Veterans in 2010-17 are estimated. And dug Berms, in the area. The early days of May 1970, I arrived at the Airport, next to Saigon. By February 1944 the US Army discontinued purchasing the Thompson, after approximately 1.5 million units had been obtained by the Army and Marine Corps. I remember we were always short of replacements throughout 1968 because of the high Kia & wounded rate we suffered at that time ! Copyright 2023 www.OperationMilitaryKids.org. During some periods of intense combat more than a month could go by without clean clothes or a shower. That was the reason for two dog tags. II To the men, it appeared they were fighting for useless hills. The Americans put about twenty men in each car when they moved by train, since with their full loads of equipment they could not fit in anymore, but conditions were still crowded. Photo above is of Stanley Kober with RTO, John Scheur. Those who arrived during actual combat received a warmer welcome than those arriving while the squad was resting. Absent an opportunity to prove themselves, these arriving infantrymen found the squad wary of them, and sometimes almost hostile. Loaded 0%. I applaud the courage and difficult and all so dangerous job of Roger Herforth when he served as an RTO for the Hawk Recon Platoon of the 101st airborne division in Vietnam.. We observed the rules of the Geneva Convention while the bad guys had no interest in doing so. The job title is the epitome of the U.S. Army as you are the primary means of attack and defense on land for the military. 11 c mos , meaning I was also cross trained for mortars . I carried the proc 26 radio after I was asked by my field 1st ( E 7 ) if I would for my platoon . The infantry rifleman during winter bore a load of over eighty pounds, the BAR man nearly one hundred. Look at the armament options in this article---those are all LRPF guns from .50cal to 30mm to 105-120mm cannon---and no "area saturation," "area destruction," and "mass fire" that China and Russia have. The need for special training for BAR operators, including the proper method of cleaning it, also contributed to its being carried by only one squad member. From Cam Rahn, we kept flying north to, a Landing Zone near QUANG TRI. Im laying behind a rice paddie dike.I put my whole body as far down in the muck while the bullets were over my head. In my tour everyone had the same chance of getting shot. by John A. Haymond 2/7/2023. AnswerIt depended on the position they had. Anyway I was wondering about the RTOs in a grunt platoon, was that their MOS or were they 11B that carried a PRC ? Rest and recovery could be at the level of any of the units of command, or as little as the squad level. However, Infantrymen may be eligible for bonuses, including an enlistment incentive of up to $41,000. What were the life expectancies of soldiers during the Vietnam War Since infantrymen spent a lot of time on or digging in the ground, most rotated out of combat for rest and recreation as a grimy, gritty, and unshaven lot, unconcerned with their non-parade ground appearance. I was an RTO for 9-1/2 months for Hawk Recon 2/327 101AB from dec, 1969 to sept 70. Totally bogus. They were located, next to us, in/on Long Bhin Post. The young Americans soon learned the essential words in French to address their immediate concerns, such as mademoiselle, vin, biere, and other useful phrases and terms. The other group of aeromedical evacuation were divisional, i.e. I agree with all of the comments, however I would add Tunnel Rats to the group I was one and saw many of my friends die in those tunnels I was very fortunate or very lucky and was never a lead but was at the tail end. Love you Wortman!!!! Ive always considered myself damn lucky to make it out alive. Commanders like him were few and far between many were afraid of their own shadow and were only there to get their ticket punched. The basics for every soldier, shown here, including hard tack. Point was the safest place to be,they knew to wait for key elements, RTO, Medica, M60 Gunners. In some conditions, infantrymen would change their socks at any opportunity. If a battle ensued, a triumphant army would lose 5% of its men but a defeated army would usually lose around 15% of its force. He said fighting was especially deadly in the war-torn city of Bakhmut, dubbed "the meat. All they learned from their officers was that it was time to travel on foot. It was on the Job Training ! It doesnt make any sense statistically/mathematically it is impossible. Carried the prc25 for about 7 months. I was a grunt with c co. 4/31 196th it inf bade. Infantrymen are universal and fearless soldiers who must be ready for any operation, which means that they can be sent to a hot spot at any time. A lister bag was a large canvas bag with a shower head attached to the bottom. Some unfortunately also came home with physical scars. That was supposed to be 58, 220. but wait, there are more numbers for the same story. 1ST MAW 66-68. then youd carry an extra 200 rounds of M60 ammo for the machine gunner , plus drag grenades , one smoke grenade plus etc. Back in 1965, I was a door gunner on Medevac recovery operations. Very memorable comments. Amen I was a machine gunner for 7 months 503rd infantry 173rd airborne and you hit the nail right on the head. Thus they were deployed without artillery of their own. Date: March 8, 2020 Author: pdoggbiker 97 Photo above is of Stanley Kober with RTO, John Scheur. The shower usually occurred at the same time as an opportunity to obtain fresh clothing, and the soldier would run from the shower to the clothing distribution center to receive an issue of clean clothes. A sled laden with ammunition is dragged by US infantrymen towards the fighting during the Battle of the Bulge in 1944. In total, the United States military lost in Vietnam almost 10,000 aircraft, helicopters and UAVs (3,744 planes, 5,607 helicopters and 578 UAVs). Home, workplace, tomb - the reality of the World War II tank Got hit inside 15 minutes, first ambush we walked up too. 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Their officers traveled on the same train, but in passenger cars, which were marginally more comfortable but also unheated. He used. In his work The 1865 Customs of Service for Non-Commissioned Officers and Soldiers, August V. Kautz writes that a soldier "should learn to wait: a soldier's life is made up in waiting for the critical moments.". What Is The Average Life Expectancy Of A Vietnam Veteran? The system made the success of American infantry operations almost wholly dependent on the ability of the squad leaders to direct their men in the field. When Roeski got hit, I took over the M-60. I spent 10 1/2 months in the jungles of Vietnam. It was always quick/quick, load the bodies in and get the hell out. Ground Combat | American Soldier in WWII Yet the famed French commander could not have achieved success without the hard efforts of . Sure but so was everyone else who went 12 months without getting killed or wounded. The life expectancy of a soldier fighting in Iraq, wether medic or infantry, is measured in terms of years, however, because of the low number of deaths in Iraq (3,000 + in a 5 year war is unheard . The minimum education needed to become a U.S. Army Infantryman (11B) is a high school diploma or GED. As they approached and entered the Alsace region this welcome became less enthusiastic. Our home base was Quang Tri fire Base, But I spent about 6 months out at Mai Loc with the rig. Army Infantrymen (MOS 11B) are the main land combat force, known as Eleven Bravo. These personnel are responsible for defending the country through real-life combat. I always was told that the life expectancy of a LT was 14 seconds in INITIAL combat versus 9 seconds for an RTO. We then took all Trucks and equipment to the Port Of Saigon. Hats off to them. What was the average life expectancy of a soldier in ww2? Prayers for all. Additionally, you will learn to handle a large volume of weapons, military vehicles, as well as Prisoners of War (POWs). There is a higher demand for MOS 11B, and reports indicate the position makes up 15-17% of the U.S. Army. Those who were killed in combat were identified by their dog tags, and buried by special details for the most part, although it was not uncommon for infantrymen to bury the dead of their units while on patrol, marking the location with a dog tag. Their war was a personal one, with the enemy when engaged in plain sight, and the casualties inflicted by themselves and their unit revealed before their eyes. I was a REMF but Ive heard of 05Cs that were stuck out in the boonies on a firebase. Some reported not having the ability to shower for as long as several weeks. You can follow the pay table below to figure out what you can expect to make based on U.S. Army rank for Infantryman MOS 11B: The U.S. Army has several benefits included with a monthly salary: It is also worth noting that you could earn up to $41,000 in cash bonuses for enlisting under certain Military Occupational Specialties. Army Infantryman (MOS 11B): 2022 Career Profile - Operation Military Kids HOOAH!!! That same day, I along with 3/4 others was transported to Long Bhin Post. There are a number of civilian job opportunities for an Army Infantryman (11B) following discharge from the U.S. Military. In France, the bars were as hard as the frozen soil. 10 Answers Out of thousands of men that invaded that town in southern Afghanistan, we have lost 19. Welcome home brothers and sisters. I loved it. My second tour was as the S3 for LTC Anthony Herbertone of Americas greatest leaders and WARRIORS OF ALL TIME. I think the number of Army and Hospital Corpsmen serving with the Marine Corp was very high, with the ratio of the number of them over there. Whenever and wherever possible, infantrymen in France traded with the civilians for food such as eggs and vegetables. I was also told that the Radio did put a target on my back. There are a number of standards and qualifications you need to meet to become MOS 11B, especially since the Army expanded its OSUT training in 2019. 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 The special military bonus is reserved for particular in-demand, or highly-dangerous positions. Two points: 1) at least in Army units, Medevacs (dust offs) flew unarmed aircraft. The Army continues to build upon its training for fire team members with more time in the field, including tactical training that focuses more on squad formations. I was one of the lucky ones I came home without a physical scratch. Cameron Rogers from 1st Battalion, 66th Armored Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, plots points on a map during the fire . Ambushed on October 4th,1967. There are a few other skills that are not mandatory yet go a long way in proving what makes an excellent U.S. Army Infantryman 11B: Related Article Marine Corps Tow Gunner (MOS 0352): Career Details. Required fields are marked *. Thanks. It was the infantry which carried the fight to the infantry of the enemy, battled the elements while out in the open, and carried on the grunt work of the advancing army. Lt lost a finger, same time. American parachute infantry advance in the Huertgen Forest in February, 1945. Thank You General Vessey for the almost 53 years I have lived since that day. Many of the skills you learn while in the U.S. Army are universal to just about every type of job. They did not carry weapons. John Doever Housing: Allowances for living expenses, utilities, and maintenance. Both served in A 2/18 1st Infantry Division. by Jeffrey J. Clarke, Center for Military History, February 26, 1992, Citizen Soldiers, by Stephen Ambrose, 1998, Ardennes-Alsace, by Roger Cirillo, Office of the Chief of Military History, Department of the Army, 2003, online, American Battle Casualties and Non-Battle Deaths in World War II, by the Combined Arms Research Library, Department of the Army, June 25, 1953. It had a crew of 4 (forward gunner, the coxswain (steering and driving) and the two aft gunners. waving then I realized they Werent shooting at him only at the The ASVAB is short for Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery which is a series of tests that help you better understand your strengths in the U.S. Military. While the platoon was commanded by a commissioned officer, usually a Second Lieutenant, the squad was led by a non-commissioned officer, usually, a Staff Sergeant serving as squad leader, assisted by a corporal. We killed a lot of the enemy but we took few serious casualties. 10 1/2 months in the bush. I was sitting on the ground one day trying to dry out my gear and better configure my ruck when my squad leader came walking over to me and said, Gow, youve got the radio. As he turned and walked away! According to General George S. Patton, the M1 was, the greatest battle implement ever devised. The .30 caliber M1 was designed to be easily disassembled for cleaning in the field. As an Army Infantryman, you will likely see time in combat. Do the math. It featured a reduced recoil, allowing an infantryman to more readily keep it on line with the target when firing multiple shots, and offered a simple range adjustment. The American lines in the Ardennes were thin when the Germans attacked there in 1944 in part because the troops stationed there were there to rest. If there was anything to this life expectancy of a few minutes then myself and many of my friends that are still alive today would be a long time dead. When in close proximity to the enemy smoking at night was forbidden, as were cooking fires or open flames. we were getting it with machine gun and mortars. We were all in our Bunkers, and at the ready with our weapons. Motorized elements of the division and the supporting logistics facilities traveled by road.
