Vietnam War Archives - Page 2 of 35 - TogetherWeServed Blog

GySgt R. Lee Ermey, USMC (1961-1972)

Together We Served is among those remembering R. Lee Ermey, aka ‘Gunny’, famous Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant-turned-Hollywood star. Ermey passed away on April 15 2018, at the age of 74, as a result of complications that arose from pneumonia. R. Lee Ermey Turned Rebellion into Marine and Film Success Ermey developed a reputation for being a strict authoritarian and was eventually typecast as the stern authority figure, but as a youth he was anything but. Born in 1944 in Kansas, Ermey and...

Heroes of Hill 488

Profiles in Courage, Vietnam War

During the Vietnam War, one of the 1st Marine Division's primary area of operation was the southern two provinces of I Corps - Quang Tin and Quang Ngai, located in the southern portion of South Vietnam's I Corps Military Region. Astride the boundary between Quang Nam and Quang Tin provinces is the populous, rice-rich Que Son Valley, considered as strategically important in controlling South Vietnam's five northern provinces. For that reason, it was a principal focus for the Marines in I...

Service Reflections of MSgt David Manchester, U.S. Air Force (1966-1986)

Air Force Reflections, Cold War

Just before I graduated from high school, at 17 years old, I was home. It was just Mom and me, and she said to me, “I think you need to call the ‘recruiter’ and enlist in the Air Force. Since my Dad served in the Army Air Forces during WWII, there was no other choice but to join the Air Force. Mom knew that the best thing for me was to get away from home, and we could not afford college tuition, so this was the logical step.

The Fighting Arkansans

Profiles in Courage, World War II

Lloyd L. "Scooter" Burke - the most highly decorated soldier in Arkansas' history - was born in Tichnor (Arkansas County) on September 29, 1924, one of five children of A. D. Burke, a foreman at a lumber mill in Clarendon (Monroe County) and his wife, Belly Burke. In 1942, Lloyd Burke graduated from Stuttgart High School and enrolled at Henderson State Teachers College, now Henderson State University. Lloyd Burke Rose Through Courage and Leadership In 1943 when Burke was 18-years-old, he...

Vietnam War – Fire Base Mary Ann

Battlefield Chronicles, Vietnam War

Richard Nixon had campaigned in the 1968 presidential election under the slogan that he would end the war in Vietnam and bring 'peace with honor.' However, there was no plan in place to do this, and the American commitment continued for another five years. The goal of the American military effort was to gradually build up the strength and confidence of the South Vietnamese armed forces by re-equipping it with modern weapons so that they could defend their nation on their own. This policy...

Landmines in Vietnam

Military Myths and Legends, Vietnam War

Horrific stories and pictures from all around the world often show that large numbers of civilians are the main landmine casualties and continued to be so years after the warring factions have left the battlefield. Even today, with a multitude of mine-clearing methods and equipment, de-mining efforts remain challenging and risky. This is particularly true in cases where records were not kept on exact locations for any or all landmines. Landmines Still Endanger Civilians After Wars On land...

Out of the Darkness : Navy Seals

Profiles in Courage, World War II

On June 6, 1943, the Naval Combat Demolition Unit (NCDU) training school was established at Ft. Pierce, Florida. Training candidates came from rugged, physically capable Marine Raider and Navy Scout and Construction Battalion volunteers with previous swimming experience. Demolition work was emphasized without restriction. Grueling nighttime training conducted in the snake- and alligator-infested swamps of Florida produced a specimen of a man who was at home with mud, noise, exhaustion, water,...

Service Reflections of RM2 Donald Moores, U.S. Coast Guard (1961-1965)

Coast Guard Reflections, Cold War

I grew up in a suburb of Dallas, Texas, and had never heard of the Coast Guard. I had a job, but I had no plans or ambitions. Spent non-work hours with a good buddy who happened to have a friend who was a Coastie. My buddy had an ambition: he wanted to join the USCG and become a radioman (he was a ham radio operator). The Vietnam War was in full swing, plus the Cuban involvement, and guys were getting drafted regularly. So he talked me into joining with him, and the rest is history.

Service Reflections of LtCol James J. Davies, U.S. Navy (1965-1996)

Navy Reflections, Vietnam War

I don’t know what drew me to the Navy, but I’ve always had a powerful sense of patriotism and wanted to serve my country in some way. The Vietnam War was heating up during my junior year of high school, and I wanted to quit school so that I could do my part, but my father wouldn’t let me. On June 22, 1965, the day I turned 17 1/2, he did allow me to join the Naval Reserves. I attended drills every Tuesday night and on some weekends until I graduated and reported for active duty on June 22, 1966, at Naval Station, Long Beach, CA.

Together We Served’s Buddy Finder Provides a Faster Method to Find Former Service Friends

Significant TWS Website Features

Buddy Finder Tool is Free and Easy to Use Togetherweserved.com's new Buddy Finder was created specifically to help Veterans find those they served with. Now with more than 2.5 million members in five separate service branch websites, TWS has possibly reconnected more Veterans than any other website or organization. The secret behind this high rate of success is the depth of TWS’s hand-built databases that contain hundreds of U.S. military units, ships, squadrons and bases going back to WWII....

Who Brings an Accordion to Vietnam? by V. E. Flango

Military Book Reviews, Vietnam War

Army veteran Dr. Victor Eugene Flango usually writes about court reform. He has authored more than 100 publications and articles (and even a web video) on the topic. His 2024 book, “Who Brings an Accordion to Vietnam?: A Lighthearted Look at the War,” is a standout, not only because it’s not about court reform, but it’s also not a combat memoir, because Flango didn’t serve in a combat role.

Vietnam War – A Shau Valley