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Vietnam War

Service Reflections of ATCS Frank Nelson, U.S. Navy (1972-1994)

Service Reflections of ATCS Frank Nelson, U.S. Navy (1972-1994)

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My dad influenced me tremendously. I had no prospects of getting a job living overseas. My dad did all he could to get me into the Academy. He wrote letters and made phone calls to BUPERS and NAVSTA Rota (in those times, there were no recruiters nearby). I was tentatively accepted to the Prep School in Bainbridge, MD, but I was medically disqualified when they received my physical results due to my vision. I had vision correctable to 20/20, but there was too much refractive error between the left eye and the right one. My parents couldn’t afford to send me to college back in the States, so off to the Navy I went.
But before I joined up, my dad made sure I got into a field where I would have a good chance of advancement, so I took a whole array of tests and was found qualified for the ADVANCED ELECTRONIC FIELD, qualifying for either AT, DS, or FT. I signed up for six years, and I would get PO3 upon successfully completing “A” school.

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James E. Williams, U.S. Navy (1947–1967)

James E. Williams, U.S. Navy (1947–1967)

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After serving nearly 20 years in the Navy, many enlisted sailors might opt for an easy assignment for their so-called twilight tour. But that was not why James E. Williams joined the Navy. He joined in 1947 because he thought getting paid to serve your country was possibly the greatest thing he could ever do. Over the course of the next 20 years, Williams would eventually become the most decorated enlisted sailor to ever serve in the U.S. Navy.  Born in 1930, Williams was a South Carolina native who convinced a county clerk to fudge the date on his birth certificate so he could enlist in the Navy at 17. Early Career and Naval Beginnings of James E. Williams After graduating from basic training in San Diego, he became a Boatswain's Mate. He didn't get the adventurous assignment he wanted from his first Navy enlistment, but he did learn a valuable lesson that would carry him through the rest of his career.  "I'd got orders to an [landing ship, tank] that just sat around a buoy in the...

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Undaunted Valor by Matt Jackson

Undaunted Valor by Matt Jackson

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Author Matt Jackson grew up in a U.S. Navy family, spending his formative years at every naval submarine base on the American East Coast. Considering his family's proud Navy tradition, it might seem odd that Jackson would grow up and not only join the Army but stay for 25 years, serving in Vietnam and retiring as a commissioned officer. Today, Col. (ret.) Matt Jackson is a prolific author and creator of the "Undaunted Valor" series, one of the highest-rated book series set amid the Vietnam War.  Undaunted Valor: A Helicopter Pilot’s Journey in Combat In his first book, "Undaunted Valor, An Assault Helicopter Unit In Vietnam," Jackson introduces us to Cory, a helicopter pilot recounting the tale of his transition from high school to flight school. He then tells us the story of his time in the skies over Vietnam. When American ground troops make contact with the enemy, combat helicopter pilots must move in and bail them out, becoming a casualty themselves. Cory is a newly minted...

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Our Vietnam Wars by William F. Brown

Our Vietnam Wars by William F. Brown

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Real stories told by real people, in their own words, 100 veterans, men, and women caught up in an all too real war. From the Delta to the DMZ, come walk in their boots. If you were there, you understand. If you weren't, grab a copy.  The Vietnam War dominated my generation and affected so many lives in so many different ways. Some of us were drafted. Some enlisted. Some became war heroes, intentional or not, but most of us were just trying to survive. As we all knew, Vietnam was all about luck, good or bad. And there were hundreds of different wars depending on where you were, the year you were there, your service, branch, unit, rank, job, and race. Whether we were truck drivers, helicopter pilots, infantryman, clerk typists, medics, engineers, MPs, sailors out on Yankee station, artillerymen, or cooks, from 1956 to 1976 from the Delta to the DMZ, these stories tell who we were, the jobs we did, our memories of that time and place, how it changed us, and what we did after we...

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Service Reflections of SK1 David Pitts, U.S. Navy (1972-2000)

Service Reflections of SK1 David Pitts, U.S. Navy (1972-2000)

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Both my father & my brother served in the Army. They certainly influenced my decision to join the military. Also, my best friend in high school, Vince Chostner, convinced me to join the Navy together under the “Buddy” Program. This program guaranteed that we would attend Boot Camp, Storekeeper ‘A’ School, and our first duty station together. But after only 3 weeks in a 9-week boot camp together, I came down with double pneumonia, sinusitis, with a side of hemorrhoids. I ended up at Balboa Naval Hospital for six weeks. Needless to say, he went on and graduated without me. Once I got out of the hospital, I had to start all over in another company that was reduced to 7 weeks.

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Capt. Larry L. Taylor, U.S. Army (1966–1971)

Capt. Larry L. Taylor, U.S. Army (1966–1971)

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Larry Taylor's family had a long history of military service. His great-great-grandfather fought in the Civil War, his great-uncle fought in World War I, and his father and uncles served during World War II. When Larry attended the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, he joined the school's Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) and carried on his family's longstanding military tradition.  Larry L. Taylor Begins His Journey in the Vietnam War When he began his studies in 1962, the United States had only a token involvement in the uncertain future of South Vietnam. By the time he graduated in 1966, the U.S. was fully committed, with more than 380,000 ground troops in the country. Initially, he was commissioned as an armor officer. Though he graduated from the Army's armor school, he knew he could do more flying helicopters. Because of his critical moment of self-reflection, he would lead a daring rescue under heavy fire, saving the lives of his fellow soldiers and performing an...

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From Mess Decks to Wardroom by CDR Lee Foley

From Mess Decks to Wardroom by CDR Lee Foley

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Enlisted people definitely have their favorite officers, and usually, the most popular officers are the "Mustangs", which is military slang for those who began their military careers as enlisted. It's not just that they're older and wiser, as most make the jump from a non-commissioned officer rank – it's just that they still feel like one of us. The Rise of CDR Lee M. Foley in the U.S. Navy That's the kind of officer U.S. Navy CDR. Lee M. Foley was. His memoir, "Mustang: From Mess Decks to Wardroom," documents his 32 years of naval service. Born in landlocked Arkansas, he somehow grew up loving the Navy and enlisted in 1961 as a signalman. Over the next three decades, he would rise in rank to Master Chief Petty Officer, then jump to Warrant Officer. After making Chief Warrant Officer 4, he earned a commission, rising to the rank of Commander and Captain of his own ship, the Agile-class minesweeper USS Excel, and finally, his last posting as Executive Officer aboard the USS Kansas...

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Service Reflections of PNCM Rene LaMarche, U.S. Navy (1961-1980)

Service Reflections of PNCM Rene LaMarche, U.S. Navy (1961-1980)

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My father, Rene A. LaMarche, Sr., and his brother, Raymond LaMarche, were probably the most influential in my decision to join the Navy. My Dad served on board the USS HEALY from the time it was commissioned in 1943 until it was decommissioned in 1946. He was a second-class carpenter’s mate and ship’s diver. He and my uncle Raymond would tell hours of stories about what they did in the Navy. In later years, I would learn that my Dad blocked out some of the terrible ordeals he went through on the Island of Saipan during that action. My Uncle Raymond was a YN1 assigned to the European Central Command as a fingerprint expert. He worked to help identify the war criminals that were later charged at Nuremberg.
The stories from those early years led me toward joining the Navy as I approached high school graduation. However – I blew it in a way. I was 17 years old and had a Forest Service 4-year Scholarship in my Senior Year when I got in trouble. I got involved with a gang shooting and was placed in Juvenile Confinement. A Superior Court Judge gave me a choice of joining the Armed Forces or spending some time in the pokey (until I was 21). I had previously investigated the Navy and had taken the basic battery tests. GMCA Tom Eagling, Navy Recruiting Office, Seattle, WA, spoke up for me, and the next day, I was on my way to San Diego, CA, on what was called a Kiddy Cruise enlistment. I would serve until I was 21 years old – a period of 3-years and two months; but got credit for 4 years for retirement, A thing called constructive time.

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Famous Air Force Unit – 37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron (37th ARRS)

Famous Air Force Unit – 37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron (37th ARRS)

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"There was only one man on the ground that day that would have turned down a ride out of that hellhole - and that man was Pitsenbarger." - F. David Peters, C Co, 2nd Btn, 16th Inf, 1st ID 37th ARRS: A Legacy of Courage in Air Rescue Operations The Air Rescue Service (later the Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Service) first used Kaman HH-43 Huskie helicopters, unofficially known as "Pedro" from their radio call sign. They later added larger Sikorsky H-3 helicopters, nicknamed "Jolly Green Giants," with greater range. The 37th ARRS was activated initially during the Korean War when helicopters were first used for medical evacuation. The Jolly Green most notably served during the Vietnam War, during which, in addition to their helicopters, they also flew the Grumman HU-16 Albatross amphibious flying boat and the HC-130 specialized variant of the Hercules transport. They carried out numerous search and rescue operations in combat areas, including the evacuations of Phnom Penh and Saigon...

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Service Reflections of SSgt Tom Bauman, U.S. Air Force (1966-1970)

Service Reflections of SSgt Tom Bauman, U.S. Air Force (1966-1970)

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I was attending Junior College part-time and working. In October 1965 I received my notice to appear for my pre-induction draft physical. To be honest, in spite of the fact that the Vietnam conflict was going on, I really had not given much thought to the military other than registering for the draft. I was in a fraternity and several of my friends had joined the Marine Reserves. This was just before things heated up and the first group of combat Marines landed in Da Nang. So I went down to sign up. The Marine recruiter told me that they were full up. So I decided to talk with the Navy recruiter. They had a delayed enlistment program. Meaning you could defer going on active duty for up to one year. So I decided to sign up.
In December 1965 I went to Navy Basic Training in San Diego. I was also required to attend weekend drills. After several months I was having second thoughts about serving Active Duty in the Navy. My best friend had joined the Air Force six months prior to my enlisting and liked it. He suggested that I see an Air Force recruiter. I took the AFQT and got 95 percentile across the board. The recruiter said that ALL technical training areas would be open to me. The only rub was that I had to be formally released from the Navy so I could join the Air Force. I got a release and I enlisted in August 1966 and went through Basic Training at Amarillo AFB.

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Vietnam War – Operation Ivory Coast – The Son Tay Raid

Vietnam War – Operation Ivory Coast – The Son Tay Raid

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The Operation Ivory Coast has been called the most daring raid of the Vietnam War; Operation Ivory Coast was an effort to rescue prisoners of war who had been held by North Vietnam for years. It did not rescue any of the prisoners, but it did change the way U.S. Special Operations planned and executed its missions.  By 1970, the United States not only knew that hundreds of American POWs were being held by the communist North Vietnamese, but they also knew those prisoners were being subjected to torture and mistreatment - and many had been suffering for years on end.  Special operations planners knew the location of where at least 61 of them were being held, a camp near the North Vietnamese capital of Hanoi known as Son Tay. The United States designed a plan to rescue them right out from under the communists' noses.  The mission would not be an easy one. At least six of the prisoners were believed to be near death, and the Son Tay prison was in an area where intelligence...

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