I know my dad has a pic of him pointing to a relatives name on the wall.

I can't recall the name offhand, he was my grandfather's cousin.

Boot camp straight out of high school, then straight to Nam. Stepped on a land mine second week over there.

I lost many friends in that place and watched many others die after having been there.

I've never been to the wall. I don't know if I ever will. A lot of those guys I want to forget and many I guess I never will.

Tj

I visit "The Wall" from time to time, but because there are 27 names of family, friends, and service buddies engraved there, I find it too emotionally draining to go very often. My "Hero" was my cousin who was killed January 8, 1969, just 4 months into his tour. During a VC ambush, he had carried several wounded members of his squad to safety and was carrying another buddy out when he stepped on a mine, killing them both instantly. He was posthumously awarded all the ribbons and medals that nobody ever wants to receive, mostly because we knew those trinkets would never help our family heal or fill the void left in their lives.

I requested deployment 2 months after his funeral in order to get some payback. That allowed me the opportunity to learn one of life's very important lessons:

While no amount of payback will ever heal the pain of losing a loved one,
it certainly makes sleeping at night a whole lot easier!

I have an ucle who served in Vietnam. He did the search and de... "sweep and clear" stuff. He took some shrapnel from a mortar I believe, and pierced a lung, and did some other damage. To my knowledge he still carries some today. And my Father In Law was in the AF. He worked COM, and was stationed in Da Nang.

my dad's brother served over there. he's never spoken a word of it to anyone.

an older guy i know and i am good friends with him and his whole family was on a boat over there, and on occassion he's gotten drunk enough to talk about it a little, but not much at all. i do know he saw some terrible shit.

another guy who does electrical work for us was over there too. when i was little and didn't know better, i asked him about it. all he said was "putting your friends in body bags sucks. killing people sucks even more."

I went to a military high school between '79 and '82. I was in Charlie Company, and our unit military officer was Master Seargent James Hunter Smith. He did 2 tours in Vietnam, and was highly decorated.

He was an Army Ranger, and was there before we were officially in the war as an "advisor." He wrote a book about it. He was there for 2 years, and only admits to killing one enemy, a sniper on his second tour. His first tour started in '64. His second tour had him there during the Tet Ofensive in '68. He wasn't there as part of our Army. He was there as a member and "advisor" to a South Vietnamese Army Ranger Batallion. he lived, ate, slept, etc. with the South Vietnamese army.

He taught me more about leadership than I have learned from anyone else. He would say thigs like:

"The first time you do something wrong, it's my fault because I didn't tell you otherwise. The second time it's your fault. There will be no second time."

"The only stupid question is the one you were afraid to ask."

"If you ever go to war, stick close to a seasoned non-com. Stay away from young lieutenants... they tend to get shot by someone in his own platoon, and you don't want to be anywhere near one in case they miss." I knew he was saying that in jest. His point was that experience is sometimes more valuable than education.

At my high school, he headed up a group of the elite kids to do war games. We would go up against the Indiana National Guard once or twice a year. Imagine a bunch of 16-18 year-old kids being led by a guy with 2 tours in Nam (with the SVN Army Rangers) running around in the woods, going up against a bunch of 30+ yr-old out-of-shape men who only are there because they had to be. We would routinely wipe them out.

He also taught rappelling, and could rappel using just a rope and his BDUs. He would turn up his collar, snake the rope around his body, then walk right down the wall, face down... looked like friggin spiderman. Some of the students could do it too. I was too chicken to try it. He'd take his bootlace and make those special knots and would climb back up the rope. For normal rappelling, we made our own swiss seats out of a length of rope. I can still do that, but I need a longer piece of rope now that I'm about 70 pounds heavier than I was then. When you got good, you were allowed to rappel down the outside wall of a 4-story bldg. That's about 60'. I didn't do that either...

He also taught hand to hand combat techniques... all of which I have long forgotten.

He is one of the few men other tham my Grandfather and Father who I believe shaped me into the person that I am today.

ETA: corrected the number of tours and added facts about his duties while there.

Nothing like highly motivated troops...

One of the more meaningful experiences I've ever had was when I accompanied my Mom on a trip to D.C. where we went to the Wall and she found the name of a guy she dated in High School. As strange as it was to think about my Mother being a teenager and going out on dates, it was also incredibly powerful to see her getting choked-up seeing her old friend's name in the granite there.

I have seen the traveling wall. My Uncle was in nam 101st was hit by artillery he laid on the jungle floor for hours until someone found him, They thought he was dead as the padre was going around blessing ppl he told him he was not Catholic. Spent some time in Japanese hospital and several weeks stateside in a hospital to recover only to die a few years later of cancer....agent orange. He is still missed. God Bless Our Troops past, present and future.

My uncle still has a hard time expressing how difficult it was to be in Nam. He doesnt talk about much due to the horrific actions over there. he still battles with health problems that he blames on agent orange. He gets nothing but doors slammed in his face at the VA hospital when he brings that up.
Not a good way to treat our heroes that survived.
I also have seen the traveling wall and saw the emotions pouring out of the Veterans who were looking at names.
I was lucky enough when I was younger to place a wreath at the "Tomb of the Unknown Soldier" and give a speech that I wrote in school at a ceremony at the Arlington Cemetary. That was one of my proudest moments while I was in school.

It is my experience that those who saw action, who actually had to kill another human being, rarely speak of it. We are all desensitized by movies and media to death and killing. however, the reality is, that other then approximately 2% of the population that is pre-disposed to homicidal/psychotic behavior, killing another human being is one of the most morally horrific things that one person can do to another, even in self-defense, war, etc.

I have never seen combat. I have never fired my weapon at another person. I will prepare for the day that I may have to, in hopes that my preparation will be the one reason I'll never have to do it. But with only four years on the job I have come close to pulling the trigger many times.

The best quote to give about this topic is this:

TO THOSE WHO FOUGHT FOR IT, FREEDOM HAS A TASTE THE PROTECTED WILL NEVER KNOW.

I want to extend my thanks to anyone in this forum who is a veteran, whether you were ever deployed, saw combat, or not. From my wife and I, and every cop I know, THANK YOU...

My boss talks about it every so often.. he is rated 70% for his PTSD and got purple heart for ruptured eardrum via RPG attack. He was Army mobile riverine.. guess they saw some serious shit.. everytime they went out they got hit.

My brother in law volentered did six years in the Nam. Two years in a rifle squad then did four more in 3rd Marine Recon. Spent a lot of time in Cambodia when we were not supposed to be there. Search and destroy along the trail.

Hey Guys, I spent a year in Nothern I corps flying choppers for the 101st Airborne. If you are interested go to a101avn.org and nose around the picture section for 1968-1969 and you will see pictures I have posted. You get to see me when I was a skinny 20 year old :-) .

My first post and I'm glad to have found the site. I pick up my first black gun Saturday at the Fort Worth gun show, a lefty Stag.

Later, John Steen "Comanchero 29er"

Welcome! And thanks for your service!

Today, at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, take a few minutes and say thank you to the Warriors....Old, New and Those Remebered.

I will be taking some time to remember all those I have served with over 22 years, those who have passed on, and those who were never recovered. May each and everyone find peace and liberty....

God Bless...Amen

I was a tank commander in the Army and spent 9 months in Nam Sept '68 - June '69 when I was hit. Spent 6 days in Japan and then 7 months at Madigan General Hospital (between Ft. Lewis and McCord AFB) in WA. Two of my crewmen's names are on The Wall. I've been there twice to visit them but each time I leave a wreck. The wife doesn't like it when the nightmares come back.

Howdy!!!

If ya have never made it up to the VA in Cheyenne come on up & get what you have earned! I've been told time and time again that the VA in Cheyenne is much better than the one in Denver & if ya holla at me before ya come on up I'll buy ya lunch

My Grampa's served, my Uncle's served, I served. I've read most of the books that relate to Vietnam, but nothing brings it closer to home than my uncle. He was a fighter pilot in 'nam and was shot down...had to eject, broke his back etc. To this day he hates the sight of a "slope"...doesn't matter what their nationality is, he just figures they all are. However, he has the heart to beat all lions hearts. He lost his wife, my Aunt last year. Died of kidney failure and cancer. He never gave up...he never has, he never will. He's stuborn like that and I hope when push comes to shove I can prove myself worthy.