Officers/sargent/ E4 or less

[39mto39g]

Just what I was saying,


Also--- I joined the Army and volenteerd for Vietnam after going to Dominican Republic with the 82nd.

Ron

[splummer]

I didn't know you were in the airborne. I could never figure out why you guys wanted to jump out of perfectly good air planes.

[frisco-kid]

Originally posted by splummer I didn't know you were in the airborne. I could never figure out why you guys wanted to jump out of perfectly good air planes.

I'll let Ron respond to that one . Be sure to tell him how you ended up in the infantry, Ron.

[39mto39g]

Not airborn, Was attached to the 82nd in Dominican republic. There were a lot of guys there that were not airborn in a airborne unit? don't ask me why?

Ron

[Seascamp]

The Navy had some issues during the VN War that yielded some unsavory situations and bad attitudes, at least for a while. Anything with armor and guns was more or less considered the leper colony and thought to be inhabited by the unclean. The elite fast trackers went for Carriers and the newer missile Destroyers, etc. Us first cruise Sailors were left to our fates and were usually snapped up by the old armored gun toting WWII retread Destroyers and Cruisers that were coming out of or saved from the mothball fleet or scrap yard.

But after getting over my boo-boo lip about being pulled from the new fast fleet, I found that I quite enjoyed the old rust buckets, all the trouble we got ourselves into and the Sailors that got press ganged into such a fate. Something like, yo o ho o, it?s the pirate?s life for me. The down side is that I could never even consider going back to the Carrier battle groups and all their fast and fancy ships, nope. And especially I didn?t miss the Type Commander Staff pukes that went with life beyond the ?leper colony?. It was like being pain free after being too long in misery, so no point in going back to such pain and silliness on purpose or even by default. As luck would have it all the anal O's were in the fast fleet Carrier battle groups, so we got all the good guys that were supposed leftovers.

Scamp

[exlrrp]

Originally posted by LRP1 39mto39g

Ron

New here and don't know everyone yet, so I always keep my eyes and ears open......It sounds as though you were extremely unlucky with NCO and Officer assignments to your Plt/Squad.

Since the beginning of recorded Military History there have been Leaders and Followers. The Leaders, the ones in charge, telling the Followers, the ones doing the work, where to go and what to do. The result of such arraignments - great accomplishments or sound defeat. Winning was expected, especially when the men Believed in and Trusted their Leaders - failure was a given when the opposite was true.

I have been out of the Army since 5/69......but watching the Military evolve over the years one thing jumps out at me....The same thing still happens......

Most of the time when one person passes judgment on another - the judgment is based on the ones' personal standard....That is why I try and keep an open mind ......I'll be quiet now.

Cal
I'd be intersted to hear what you have to say about The Unfortunate Demise of Calvin Greene, Dec 67. I had heard a few different versions of the story but the version that Sam P tells is that the 1st platoon was working with the 101st as staright infantry (Malone must have loved THAT!) and CA'd in on a sorta hot LZ. While they were assembling, 2 NVA Scouts were seen, almost waving at them. Experienced heads said it was a trap but Greene (the platoon leader) insisted on chasing them. he led 1st platoon into a Claymore ambush, getting 3 people killed (including himself) and many more wounded. According to Pullara's version they had to chopper in elemnts of the 101st to extricate them. This was the worst day ever for Easy Co in terms of casualties.
Were you there? Is this the true story or ?? Pullara seemd bitter when he told it but he lost a good frind there.
also what was the name of that big 1st sgt we had, can't rmember it. He useta get into the bearpit we had by the rapelling tower in Enari and dare anyone to challenge him physically. I was th only one who did--then pulled out my .45 and shoved it in his face. He said it wasn't fair. I told him I wasn't fair, I was a lrrp.
Stay good
James
happy just to be alive

[LRP1]

James

A lot of folks thought the LT was a hard ass Audie Murphy type.
He did have his moments but he was overall a good officer. In Dec 67 when he was KIA , it was the result of small arms fire, not Claymores..Yes it was an ambush and no he did not chase two lukes. Team -1- 1 walked into the damn thing and we were not acting as infantry for the 101st. We were doing sector recon for them - How in hell are 6 men going to act as infantry?

As Jimmy Buffett says " the stories people tell." Green was a SF qualified officer and was at MACV RS the whole time all four original platoons of the 20th were going Thur training. I got to know him very well there and when he was assigned to Echo LRP, at the request of Mad Mike, he specifically requested the first Platoon, LRP1, and Malone said yes.

I will not go into all aspects of the KIA incident with him in a public forum, but send me a email if you have any more questions.

BTW - where the hell have you been?.......

[LRP1]

1SG Frank Malone - remember we named the Baboon aafter him.

Cal