Repost 2012
By J. Stryker Meyer
I'll reflect on and thank God for Sau, Hiep, Phouc, Tuan, Hung, Son, Quang, Chau, Cau and Minh. Captains Tuong and Thinh and lieutenants Trung and Trong will follow them in my thoughts. Then, I'll think of my loving wife, our talented and unique children, and our folks.
Why the Vietnamese men before my loved ones? Without the courage, strength and fearless verve as combatants in America's secret war in Southeast Asia, I wouldn't have returned to the United States.
Today, on the 25th anniversary of the fall of Saigon, I'll pause to salute those warriors, men most Americans will never hear about, including the more than 3 million U.S. troops sent to South Vietnam during America's longest and costliest war.
More @ FNC
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Via Kingbeeman Pham
Many more @ HCMTrail
Roswell
ReplyDelete"Where do we find men such as these"?....
(The author is unknown to me)
Brock Townsend
No more, possibly.
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Anonymous
Bravery does not know nationality, race or creed. I am always in awe of men who can do what these men did.
Brock Townsend
Indeed.
Brock, methinks you have been in the thick of it. DEEP IN THE THICK OF IT. Just piecing it together over the years. Are you one of the ones we are to salute on sight? No Matter if you don't want to say. It is an HONOR to read your posts and learn so much. THANK YOU SIR, for your service to this GREAT NATION.
ReplyDeleteNo Sir, I just had a good time and am in awe of the true heroes in the field.
Delete10/'67 - 5/'69 USARV, 6/'69 - 09/'71 OICC/RVN+, 06/'73 - 25/04/'75 DAO, US Embassy RVN
I have made a study of the uniforms and equipment that the RT/LRRP/SF/SOG teams carried. There are thousands of mission photos so nailing down a timeline is pretty easy. From 1963 until 1966-67 ,tiger stripes and M-2 carbines dominate the US team members. Most of the rest carry M1 Garands and BAR's with a few M14's. From 67-69 most men carry M16A1's or M14's and have replaced the tiger stripe with US ERDL uniforms. By 1970 almost everyone except the navy is using the XM177E2 or some variant of it. The navy is all Stoner 63's and M-60's. Right up to the end of the war. Then they go all AKM all the time. From 1971 till the end is where it gets interesting with entire teams equipped with Com Block weapons. Almost no one is photographed with any version of the M16 after 1971. You see everything else in SE Asia with the US teams, including M-1 Garands and M14's. But no M16's and almost no tiger stripes. Some of the units like SOG abandoned camo altogether and went back to OG107 jungle suits. They are also the ONLY unit in the US armed forces, that I can find "in the bush" photos of using the XM177E2 exclusively until the end of the war. Contrary to reenactor myth and bullshit they would have been hard to pick out of a crowd of GI's on post in Okinawa. Nothing they used was "special OPPs" except for there STABO rig's, and rescue gear --Ray
ReplyDeleteThanks Ray and I appreciate you sharing your research. By the way, please check out the picture at the top of the blog and see if you can come up with the probable unit by viewing the patch. My best guess is Ranger.
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