A Hero's Farewell

[Belinda Barfield]

I think we should, as a group, start a way to offer flag cases for our vets that have earned them.....

I did, in fact, send an email to the pastor of the church where SFC Beale was being honored, and offered a flag case. I did not hear back from him, I would have been proud to have honored his service to my country.

If you need any engraving done on a case just let me know Ed.

But.. when the security of the country has been secured.. we go back to fghting each other even though we do often take a break to drink a beer together and laugh a bit. But.. when the bottle is empty.. time to fight the other branch of service again until the next armed conflict that threatens the United States occurs when we get serious again.

A little side story, John. I've lived in the same condo complex for nine years. The first summer I was there I hung out at the pool every weekend. There was also a group of Vietnam vets who were there every weekend - two Marines, two Army guys, and one Navy guy. The group and I always sat on the same side of the pool, and I listened to their stories, and their bickering, and their outright arguments over most of that summer. Then, they sort of adopted me. When one of the guys, Dan, met the woman of his dreams (number 5) he brought her to me for approval on their first date. She later told me that I "grilled" her that night. Heck, I probably did. They've been happily married for four years now.

I understand that you guys know when it's time to argue, and when it's time not to argue. All of the guys from the pool group have moved away from the complex but, of course, they all keep in touch with each other, and with me. When we all go out it's like having five big brothers along. They are overly protective of me, but that's okay. One of the group is losing a battle to cancer right now so we don't have much time left with him. When my friend J.D. returned from Iraq (minus his right arm), the group took him in, so the traditions continue, and the stories will be remembered, and the one-uping and arguing are ongoing.

I said all that to say this . . . I have the utmost respect for military men and women and am proud to be able to claim at least a few as friends.

Thank you all for sharing.

[John Thompson]

BTW, when we took off from Saigon, when the wheels left the ground, everyone - and I mean everyone - spontaneous applauded (then went to sleep). Was it the same when you left?

Mike

When I sat with my legs dangling out of a Huey Slick and left my team in the field still in a tangle with the 197 Regiment of the NVA 3rd Div.. I felt guilty for not being there with them. I still felt guilty.. sad and worried about them for two more days until I got on the Silver Freedom Bird and the wheels lifted from Danang.

Only at that point did I feel elated to be leaving my comrades and Vietnam period. So... I would say yes to your question about was it the same.

Regards...

[John Thompson]

If you need any engraving done on a case just let me know Ed.



A little side story, John. I've lived in the same condo complex for nine years. The first summer I was there I hung out at the pool every weekend. There was also a group of Vietnam vets who were there every weekend - two Marines, two Army guys, and one Navy guy. The group and I always sat on the same side of the pool, and I listened to their stories, and their bickering, and their outright arguments over most of that summer. Then, they sort of adopted me. When one of the guys, Dan, met the woman of his dreams (number 5) he brought her to me for approval on their first date. She later told me that I "grilled" her that night. Heck, I probably did. They've been happily married for four years now.

I understand that you guys know when it's time to argue, and when it's time not to argue. All of the guys from the pool group have moved away from the complex but, of course, they all keep in touch with each other, and with me. When we all go out it's like having five big brothers along. They are overly protective of me, but that's okay. One of the group is losing a battle to cancer right now so we don't have much time left with him. When my friend J.D. returned from Iraq (minus his right arm), the group took him in, so the traditions continue, and the stories will be remembered, and the one-uping and arguing are ongoing.

I said all that to say this . . . I have the utmost respect for military men and women and am proud to be able to claim at least a few as friends.

Thank you all for sharing.

You are a out-standing example of a class act Ms. Williamson. If we guys had even an inkling of understanding about what makes women tick as much as you appear to have the exact number of our license plate.. there would be sudden shortage of mystique in the world. But.... not likely to happen so I would advise all guys to hang onto their stock in "mystique" as it is.. and probably always will be.. Blue Chip.

Thanks for being who you are.. outstanding to say the least....

[James Harrison]

Thank you very much for this film.

[Dave Anderson NH]

Hey John, When I was with B 1/7 I was fortunate enough to have good officers with one exception, and he lasted about 2 weeks before the CO canned him. Our CO was a piece of work and we would have followed him into the gates of hell. He was a MGySgt when commissioned and had fought in both the So Pacific and Korea so we saw the absolute minimum BS. The only thing that mattered to Capt James Hoffman was combat effectiveness and discipline. When I moved to the CAG teams I saw an officer twice a month when he came out to have us sign the paybook and when he came back on payday. Other than that we were left alone and Corporal and Sergeants ran their own show. This worked well since every CAG Marine was a volunteer and had been interviewed and screened before being accepted and had to have 4 months in country with a rifle company in order to qualify. CAG had both its up and down sides. An easier life than the line companies with less humping heavy loads through the mountains, but more dangerous since you were an unsupported small unit of Marines and PFs (Vietnamese militia) and worked a given AO.

As I said, my experience with Army units varied. Some were excellent and well disciplined and led, Ranger units, LRRPs, 101st Airborne. Others were absolutely awful and had questionable combat effectiveness like most of the Americal except one batallion.

Going home was a mixed experience. Leaving was fine except I felt uneasy about leaving my team in the hands of Sgt who had never seen combat and who was new in country. I still feel occasional guilt feelings about leaving since on November 22, 1969 my team was almost wiped out and had to be deactivated. Two Marines (Pfc Peter Gruca, PFC Wesley Sidener) were KIA along with my Corpsman HM3 Gerry Keesling. 6 were wounded badly. The PFs ran and disappeared and a company from the Americal was heloed in to save their butts. Like I said, Army units varied.

[Mike Henderson]

I had my best duty during my whole tour in the army when I was in Vietnam. I was assigned to MACV HQ and worked in an air conditioned office. The commanding general had his office across the street from where I worked.
I had been drafted and went to infantry OCS at Benning but was commissioned in the signal corps because of my degree. When I arrived in VN, I was assigned as an advisor to a RF/PF group because I was infantry trained. I called the major who I would be reporting to to ask him how to get to his location. The call went something like this:
Me: "Major, I just arrived in country and have been assigned to your outfit. How do I get to you?"
Major: "What branch are you?"
Me: "Well, I'm signal, major."
Major: "I don't need any *&#*** signal officers. I need INFANTRY officers!"
At this point I could have explained to the Major that I had gone through infantry OCS as was as qualified as any other infantry second Lt that he would get assigned to him. But I had been in the army long enough by now to know not to volunteer anything. So I said,
Me: "Well, major. OPO must have made a mistake. But I'll go back to OPO and tell them you need INFANTRY officers."
So before I went to OPO, I went to MACV HQ and started asking if anyone needed someone with my training. People were very helpful. The first ones didn't have need for me, but they kept referring me on until I found a place that was looking for someone with my training. They agreed to make a request for me to OPO.
I went back to OPO and told them that the major didn't want me but there was an office right here in Saigon that was going to make a request to have me assigned to them. The guy at OPO didn't even wait for the request - he just cut me orders to that group (MACV CORDS RAD).
And that's how I spent my time in VN working in an air conditioned office, eating lunch in the O-club, and hanging out at the pool.
And to really rub salt into the wound, I met my wife in Saigon. She was an American working for Control Data on contract.

As I said, there are a thousand stories. Don't get me started.

[Jimmy Williams]

Thanks for posting this Belinda. As a fellow Georgian, and one with a brother currently serving in Afghanistan, I am glad to see others respect what this young man did for this country. I live not far from the new National Cemetery in Canton and this video makes me want to take my family out there the next time I hear of one of our fallen soldiers being laid to rest there.

Thanks again

[Belinda Barfield]

Thanks for posting this Belinda. As a fellow Georgian, and one with a brother currently serving in Afghanistan, I am glad to see others respect what this young man did for this country. I live not far from the new National Cemetery in Canton and this video makes me want to take my family out there the next time I hear of one of our fallen soldiers being laid to rest there.

Thanks again

You're welcome Jimmy. Like Nike would say, just do it!

[John Thompson]

Afternoon Dave... just picked up 100 bd. feet of QWWO so I've been in the shop stickering. I hear you on officers as some were great.. some were not great. We had some 2 Lt's who came to we Sargeants and just flat told us they didn't have a clue and needed help. Those guys were fine but.. the one's that had the gung ho attitude were dangerous in about every action they took looking for the promotion.

But.. I was actually Long Range Recon Patrol trained and only spent about two months in a line unit as a sniper. But.. in Jan. of 69' the Army decided to re-enact the 75th Ranger Battalion. LRRP was designated Ranger and each Division had a company with Brigades as 173 also getting a company of Rangers. They broke us off into what we were trained for which was recon but with a twist. Instead of true recon my Division formed 4 six man hunter-killer teams with the team leader issued a Marine M 40 bolt action Remington.. bull barrel.. lined glass stock.. Redfield 12 x scope. I outfitted one man with a M 14 with competition barrel.. three with M-16's with silencers and the PRC 25 man originally carried the thump gun but... I took it away and gave him a 12 guage-9 round- pump shotgun with 00 buck.

Anyhoo... at that point we had Master Sgt. Mickey McCoy commanding the all 4 teams and he worked directly with a Major in the operations bunker. The Major was a gung-ho for sure but Mickey could side step him as he knew the ropes. If we had one of our night trip wire rigged Claymore quad traps go off we knew NVA had tripped the wire and most likely enemy casualities. With the exception of two tigers who were in the wrong place at the right time.

But... if we radioed that info back on a Sit Rep.. the Major would order us to go down to get a body count. Concealed in a night position we weren't going to do that. Morning and day-light would come. So.. we devised a secret code which would be picked up by Sgt. McCoy to let him know we had contact but disquise the fact to the Major. We changed each time we were inserted. Something of the effect of Chicken Jumped the Wire.. etc. That way McCoy could monitor the PRC 25 for the evening in case of trouble and report contact and confirms the next morning after day-light. You gotta do what you gotta do for every obstacle there is a by-pass if you think.

So.. all officers cannot be classified as bad... but the one's that were bad can kiss my southern *ss and we found ways to go around them due to a Master Sargeant (same a your Gunny) in charge of us.

Regards...

[John Thompson]

Well Mike.. again I am shocked as I only thought the Air Force had air-conditioned barracks and cafeterias.. etc. So now I find out my Army MACV boys did too. We hated those Air force pilots who would make a pass with 20 mm blazing.. drop a few 500 lb. bombs or a load of napalm.. do a barrel roll and then head back to Danang for cold beer and air conditioning.

We really needed the 500 pounders.. the naplam and 20 mike mike as we wouldn't have called an air strike to begin with but.. that victory barrel roll and head back to Danang after 15 minutes work in the cock-pit to the luxury life got under our 45 day old without a cold shower or shave skin. And their flight suits were probably clean on top of that in lieu of faded jungle fatiques rotting off your body ever two months and the same with the combat boos that were always wet. Throw in no leaches to pick off when you crossed a stream of water.. stagnant canteen water from a 1000 pound bomb crater treated with purification pills.. etc. and you have bunch of guys working in air conditioning. ha.. ha... ha.. ha..ha..

Now.. I won't tell you I would have loved to trade places with those guys or even go fishing with them in the states but... I can tell you they were not well thought of by those not so fortunate. I suppose a man has to learn to forgive though so....

Yeah.. thousands of stories like the squad of 13 men I so go out one night while at A-2 on the DMZ and come back in just before daylight with 14 men. Those young-uns learned to count off after that the the hilarious part was the NVA that crashed the party behind that ambush patrol took off running back down the wire corridor coming into the compound. A guy on an M 60 tanks fired at him with a .50 caliber all the way and simply missed. If you can't hit someone with a .50 machine gun as accurate as it is.. they should have sent transferred him to the Air Force where cluster bombs are more effective.

Yep.. a million stories could be told no doubt. But most will go to the grave with us I suppose.

Regards... well... let me think about that Mr. Air Conditioning..

[Dave Anderson NH]

I differ John. I loved both arty and air support no matter where it came from and no matter who delivered it. I will however admit to envy of the guys who had clean clothes, enough to eat, and something other than a paddy dike to rest their head on at night.

In 1st CAG we had a close relationship with the Jake FACs, 2 Air Force FAC planes out ot the Tam Ky airstrip. They had real guts with their little OV10s ( Cesna Super skymasters) and got our butts out of many a jam. They even broke the rules for us a couple of times by having the fast movers drop as close as 500 meters after verifying twice that it was what we needed. One afternoon when one of them got shot down and we recovered him intact, a couple of their officers made a special trip by unescorted jeep out to our position with 3 cases of ice cold beer from the province TOC in Tam Ky. Gotta admit though that they scared us tight ... Marines with their friendliness and informality. Any Marine officer getting that friendly would have had some serious explaining to do to the field grade weenies.

I appreciate the sacrifices of the guys who are currently in Iraq, and particularly those in Afghanistan. It's a tough job. Except for the jungle, they face a lot of the same stuff we did and even a few more like extreme altitude. Mountain humps, extreme heat, and artificial barriers to doing their job placed there by the politicians. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?

[Mike Henderson]

I appreciate the sacrifices of the guys who are currently in Iraq, and particularly those in Afghanistan. It's a tough job. Except for the jungle, they face a lot of the same stuff we did and even a few more like extreme altitude. Mountain humps, extreme heat, and artificial barriers to doing their job placed there by the politicians. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?

I second that. But Vietnam was somewhat of a special case. There was no way we were going to "win" unless we invaded North Vietnam. But no president was going to do that because the Chinese had let it be known that if we invaded, they'd enter the war, same as they did in Korea. And nobody - not Johnson, not Nixon - were going to get us into another war against China on the Asian continent.

Mike

[P.S. I know I had it easy in VN and I appreciate the efforts of guys like you and John who were out in the boonies. In every war there are a lot of people supporting the troops in the field. I was one of them in Vietnam. So I won't tell you about having a maid who washed and ironed our fatigues every day, etc.]

[Belinda Barfield]

[P.S. I know I had it easy in VN and I appreciate the efforts of guys like you and John who were out in the boonies. In every war there are a lot of people supporting the troops in the field. I was one of them in Vietnam. So I won't tell you about having a maid who washed and ironed our fatigues every day, etc.]

Geez Mike! Why don't you find a sharper stick and poke a little harder? You're bound to get a rise out of 'em then!

[Mike Henderson]

Geez Mike! Why don't you find a sharper stick and poke a little harder? You're bound to get a rise out of 'em then!

Yeah, I know, but it's just life in the military. The exact same stories are being repeated in Iraq and Afghanistan, and it was the same in WWII and Korea. So we tell our stories and razz each other. What else can we do?

Mike

[John Thompson]

I differ John. I loved both arty and air support no matter where it came from and no matter who delivered it. I will however admit to envy of the guys who had clean clothes, enough to eat, and something other than a paddy dike to rest their head on at night.

In 1st CAG we had a close relationship with the Jake FACs, 2 Air Force FAC planes out ot the Tam Ky airstrip. They had real guts with their little OV10s ( Cesna Super skymasters) and got our butts out of many a jam. They even broke the rules for us a couple of times by having the fast movers drop as close as 500 meters after verifying twice that it was what we needed. One afternoon when one of them got shot down and we recovered him intact, a couple of their officers made a special trip by unescorted jeep out to our position with 3 cases of ice cold beer from the province TOC in Tam Ky. Gotta admit though that they scared us tight ... Marines with their friendliness and informality. Any Marine officer getting that friendly would have had some serious explaining to do to the field grade weenies.

I appreciate the sacrifices of the guys who are currently in Iraq, and particularly those in Afghanistan. It's a tough job. Except for the jungle, they face a lot of the same stuff we did and even a few more like extreme altitude. Mountain humps, extreme heat, and artificial barriers to doing their job placed there by the politicians. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?

I will have to state I appreciate the sacrifices of every American from the Village Green of Lexington, MA. to current.. barr none even though with a few exceptions of any that participtated or allowed a massacre of innocent civilians as the case of the young 2nd. Lt. Caulley (sp) from my state I believe in VN.

BTW... there were mountains in Vietnam. If you got as far north as the Rockpile west to the Asaha they were there. Probably not as large as the ones in Afganistan but mountaineous terrain indeed. During the monsoons when the ground was saturated.. you had to tie a rope around you waist an to a tree in case you slid in the mud in your sleep down the hill outside the perimeter.

You know what happens when "any" noise or "anybody" is outside a night perimeter. Every weapon inside and on that perimeter line opens up on the sound. Even if it was a mongoose looking for a meal in an empty C-ration can some idiot didn't bury... who knows what or who is out there and shouldn't be.

I normally stay extremely busy in my shop but.. I have certainly enjoying going off topic here and that was not done purposely in all respect to Sgt. Beale who is from not too far from me. It's been fun talking the talk to another boonie humper who understands the lingo and has shared experience in actual combat. So.. thanks for your participation as it has been a pleasure for me to dig up a few bones and hash over them.

BTW.. I was stationed at Ft. Sill, OK. once which is the Army Artillery Tranining fort. I was there to cross-train Artillery officer candidates in Infantry.. teach them to repel cliffs and helicopters and we ran their Escape and Evasion Course. But.. I was a member of 5 Army Post Sky-diving Clubs including there. At that Club on post or at the actual drop zone.. rank was disregarded. A major.. colonel whatever was just another sky-diver at meetings an on the drop zone. If you saw them the next you saluted and they were sir.. but... just Jim... Frank.. Tom when the common bond was a para-chute and a free fall.

Regards...