Army rifle squad-vietnam war

[exlrrp]

I remember it like this:
2 fireteams per squad, 5 men each, each with an auto rifleman and m79, the rest riflemen and one team leader, an e5s slot. The squad leader was sposed to be an E6, this totals 11. 3 rifle squads in a platoon,. one heavy weapons
We had 2 machine guns per platoon, in a heavy weapons squad, there was also a 90mm recoiless rifle in Panama but not in VN.
This was how it was in Panama, 3d/508th PIR but we still had M14s with the M14 automatiic rifle then. Of course everyones an atoumatic rifleman with an m16
It was supposed to be the same in Vietnam, except things were about half the size or less, I don't remember more than about 20 men per platoon in the war, squads were 4 or 5, SP/4 squad leaders, E5 or E6 platoon leaders.
A lrrp team is 5 or 6 guys, sometimes with sp/4 squad leader, I know this for a fact.
James

[grunt66]

The Army had one more blooper gun than we did but the rifle units were about the same . And yes we were always well under T O . 14 men on the first day we landed and was on the average 9. I marvel that there was so few of us bush grunts.

I am damned proud to have been an infantryman .

[exlrrp]

If you go here you will see a picture of my infantry platoon http://hackworth.com/photo0022.html --28 guys--Every 101st vet asks me why it was so big, some think its a company picture.--how it got this big was they combined 2 understrength platoons together, then added some cherries. at the end of the next operation it was back to about 16 or 18 again.
There is no officer in the picture, half the time the platoon leader was an NCO, an E6 or E7. I carried the radio for 5 different platoon leaders* in the time I was there (5.5 months, half that time as an RTO)

James


* please excuse me, I can see how this could be considered bragging

[exlrrp]

Like your dancing banana, Frank
Its the real me, too

James

[philly]

James,

Nice photos.

[grunt66]

Thats ok to be proud of your time in the Nam . Chu Lai & Tam Ky.
West of Hill # 69 is one hell of a valley. In 1966 there was nothing in the valley but a deep stream full of fish.

[exlrrp]

Originally posted by grunt66
Thats ok to be proud of your time in the Nam . Chu Lai & Tam Ky.
West of Hill # 69 is one hell of a valley. In 1966 there was nothing in the valley but a deep stream full of fish.

Well it looked like the dam moon, after we left it. The biggest battle I was in in the war was there, some say it was regimental size but I only saw a couple dozen altho a couple of dozen look like a LOT when theyre coming at you.
I was glad to get out of there, it rained constantly--I volunteered for the lrrps to get out of there. I went to the Central Highlands where the weather was more sanguine to my taste

James

[Timothy R. Kuhr]

West of Hill #69
There were still too many trees and bushes for my taste on the downhill side in early '68. We (9th eng.1stMardiv) had a platoon stationed there for road-work, minesweeps, bridge maint. and help grease the Army tanks that laagered there at night. Only stayed there once when we finished some bridge work too late to get back to ChuLai before dark.

[grunt66]

Hill # 69 /Chu Lai was VC country in the Summer of 1966. Lots of Booby Traps and some pungi pits.Dang old frag grenade in can was a doozy . We did mostly squad patrols in those days and the secret was stay off the trails .
Interesting to read about that country a couple of years later.