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LTC Stephen F.
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Thanks for sharing the Vietnam War Tactics video SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL.
All surviving and thriving military forces adapt. We try to be ahead of the enemy we are engaging in terms of tactics and most importantly interrupting his or her decision cycles.
We went from special forces missions to large airmobile missions in 1965. We used LRPs, ranger companies, and others to conduct raids and/or gather intelligence.
We went from leaders being conspicuous and up front in movement to a wiser distribution of leaders and having the generally indistinguishable from the troops. At that point the radioman and whoever was next to him was more of a target than point men in many cases.
We used Mohawk and other planes to gather intelligence and guide strike aircraft on missions.
We tried tanks and armored personnel carriers in the lowland and city areas.
When we encountered tunnel systems we recruited and trained tunnel rats to go into those systems.
We tended to adapt our tactics after something happens in Vietnam. I hope we are more forward thinking now.
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SMSgt Lawrence McCarter
SMSgt Lawrence McCarter
6 y
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LTC Stephen F. - No problem and thanks, it was My area having spent a good part of 1968 into 1969 there. There was also a Navel Support Hospital near the Marble Mountain airfield and South of Tien Shau that I visited a guy I went to High School with. He was PFC Arnold Holden of the 5th Marines and was in there with His 2nd Purple Heart. Good thing I visited Him when I did, the following morning He was being discharged and would be on His way back to His unit in the field. (He did get home ok but years later lost a leg in a motorcycle accident) The Marble Mountain airfield was just South of that facility China Beach also wasn't far from there, just North of the airfield and a right turn from Tien Shau. If You didn't make that right turn the road would bring You to Monkey Mountain. The picture here is of Tien Shau and China Beach as seen from Monkey Mountain. Not in View is the Marble Mountain airfield which would be to the right.
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SSgt Boyd Herrst
SSgt Boyd Herrst
6 y
I was at Ton Son Nhut and my partner was a S. Rok Marine.. and a very good ball player*. I did my augmentee duty with him... it seem were near a place that was in kind of a dead spot for radios.. we still had to wait for go-ahead to fire.. we had some buckets.. loaded them with baseball size rocks from the base of our tower.. we weren’t waiting for permission to fire...
i wasn’t the best ball thrower but could hold my own.. I could get 2 out of 4... I wrote little messages on the rock... mean stuff about their leader.. get ‘em p.o.’d... we were doing good one night and hit a bunch of them. Security found some knocked out.. had to haul them out on litters.. We still had our full magazines.. so technically we hadn’t fired.. 2 of the concussions were our own contract kps.... so we got some kudos for those hits... Our Lt. Said we still disobeyed the no-fire rule.. we turned in full mags so technically we didn’t fire.. “you broke the spirit of the rule.. The Colonel wouldn’t charge me.. it seems the Lt was a humanitarian.. we still caused injury during a cease fire he said.. Somehow my name got pulled off tower list and they stuck me in the armory, that augmentee took my place.. so no hostile fire pay for me.... the Colonel said we proved they were still on our fence line.. I wanted back in the tower ..
The Colonel got me on a better sector... under a different Lt... I was attached to a gate... check’g
Transports coming in and going out.. The day went by quickly.. we had a busy gate... I came up with an idea to get a large shiny piece of sheet metal that could actually see a body tucked up in a space under a truck or even a bus .. but buses had to turn around a half City block back down the road.. With that sheet metal mirror we caught 30 or so trying to sneak in.. We had a good thing going.. we got some more for other gates.. “A1C Herrst, we got bad news guy, Some Lt. Taking credit for your shiny sheet of steel.”. I can imagine who it was.. the same one that didn’t like us throwing rocks over the fence line..
I don’t care, we’re on the same team... if he wants it so bad, he can have it... I started Augmentee 3 months into my tour and it ended when I had 3 months left.. my $30 a month propay ended too.. (2d 6 mo. ). 3 mo. Early.. I got promoted to Sgt. My test date got moved closer.. right after my augmentee duty ended , I tested for SSGT. .6 months later I was 3 months into. My Thailand Tour.. and I found I had got my line number forSSGT.
3 months before I tested testing was froze/capped off.. it had got lifted just before I got off Augmentee.. I didn’t argue or discuss it.. why start stuff if didn’t need starting ? A couple months
Later I got to wear it.. We had 4 guys got their Numbers red-lined..
They had been there before me a few months. Positive golden flows.
Later 1 of them was a false positive .. he didn’t get his number back right away.. and when he did, it was higher than mine.. He seemed oblivious to it.. When asked, “i’m Just glad to get one !” .. We had a new Cmdr by that time and he worked hard to get that Sgt’s line number back.. He asked Sgt. Jack if he could wait 4 days.. ..He said he would.. orders had to be amended.. One day into the 4 extra days The.Cmdr called him in and told him he was “out of uniform!” and gave him a pack of SSGT. Stripes..! He hurried off to the parachute shop where the riggers were.. .. not long after he was back. Wearing his new stripes.. He still couldn’t leave because his date was shifted .. He’d already sent a bunch of pkgs back by Mail.. I found he was also going to Travis to base Svcs Sqdn.. So
I’d have a friend to maybe pal around with.. And we did hit some
Sites .. I rotated back after SSGT. Jack by a month... I got to Travis and process’g In.. I didn’t drive, I left my car at the bks and rode the shuttle bus.. at the in-process’g center.. The Airman got me processed in in only one stop.. his. It took me a total of 45 minutes to process .. he helped me with my travel voucher.. so easy.. He went over to a window in the wall and passed my voucher through.. I still had to go do a regular pay voucher with my Re-up $$ on it.. I was receiving it in quarterly payments.
I lay my voucher on the counter at the window and put it through.
The payroll agent took my voucher and came back with it stamped.
She counted out $1,200 .. “ excuse me ma’am, you’re short $800.!”
“I have to take out taxes.!” “No Ma’am, see there I pointed to the box where I was sworn in. Republic of South Vietnam, Zone II... and here it says in accordance with U.S. Code xxx, ch. x, para x... This was done in a combat zone, Ma’am!” “You’re in The United States now, you have to pay tax on it ! “May I see your payroll officer,
Ma’am ?”... harrumph .. she’ stormed out of the little room and came back with a officer.. He had the voucher.. looked it over.. and took $800 more out of the drawer and counted it to me. She stood back in a corner with a scowl on her fsce.. I smiled and said “thank you Captain and Mrs. _________!, may both of you have an Awesomely bodacious day!” I recounted my
Money and left.. (later she sent a letter to my Squadron saying I was arrogant when I got my money.) I went out and got the bus and went to the base Credit Unkon and put my money into the account I opened the previous day. I went to the Squadron to the orderly room and turned in my copy of my process’g paper... The Clerk looked at it and commented; “why already? You get 3 days .. actually 5... the weekend also!... “ you sure know how to milk it don’t you Airman !.. 1SGT and Cmdr. Came out into the room.. “what’s going on here?” The Major asked... I heard s’thing about milking it.. milking what, SSGT?” Milking processing in time, Sir. I got it all done in 1 day Sir.. I got a few set of whites .. I’m ready to go to work
Sir!”... He smiled and told me to report in Monday.. He had the clerk call up the hill to the hospital Food Svc Section.. to let them know I’d be in for duty.. He told me to be there at 0800 . I told him thanks..
and smiled and went to my room to get changed into civvies. .. hmm.. where to go?... I’d seen a paper on the board for a serviceman’s Center.. maybe.. I went to the exchange and strolled through.. I picked out a few items.. paid for them and left.. some women from a group had a table with treats.. I picked a few things, paid for them and went to my car and went to find that Serviceman’s center.. I had a small map they had tacked
By the sign., it was easy to find.. it was still kind of early(about 1300 hrs.). Sign said hospitality hour was at 5 p.m. I’ll swing back by around 1600.. I hadn’t forgot that time in Va. in Petersburg.. maybe these folk aren’t like them.. We’ll see what happens.. I showed up around 1530.. about a dozen cars here already.. they’re setting up some tables and canopies.. nice !
I went over and introduced myself, they gave me a name tag to clip to my pocket.. .and after some of the usual small talk I wandered over by the grills.. they had bbq country ribs.. looks like they were cut in half on a butcher’s table saw.. nice.. there was burgers too..
I went over and seen they had tubs
With chunks of ice and what looked like some rock salt.. people were bringing out different salads.. and setting them in the tubs. On little platforms so they were above water just s little.. looks like they had it pretty much under control
“If it works, don’t try to fix it!”..
had a good fellowship, good eats, no pressure yet to witness.. They had some kids with a banjo, guitar, a kazoo and a adult on a mandolin and a adolescent young man on a fiddle.. doing some blue grass Christian music.. “wow.. I can get into this !” Had a great time.. I stayed and helped them break down tables ... they had used plastic melamine plates and inexpensive plain silverware.. I knew California is really into ecology and using real plates and ware like cups and silver .. they used that environmentally safe dish liquid.. that’s California ., Their closet neighbor was a 1/4 mile down the road.. so there was no noise prob.. it seems they still had a noise ordinance after 9:00.. The chickens across the road got to get to bed .. yeah, ok ! I got invited back.. I said I might have late crew that day.. i’ll Find out Monday, ok!..
I did look forward to going out there again.. I like when not being pressured to do certain things.. I know sometimes if they don’t move fast enough .. they can lose a prospective.. Some tend to hang on a prospective and be their minder .. got to give a new Christian room to breath some.. At first I thought I’d be a 9-6:30 worker .. just a few days.. next couple days after it was 10-1930 and then 0430-1330... I would be off Fri-Sat. That week.. maybe For a few months.. that lasted three weeks..
My days off got moved to Wed-Thursday.. don’t remember if I did a early day- late day that 4th week on Fri-Sat .. I got jockeyed around a few times.. The Lt. Apologized quite a lot.. I learned to not make plans.. from the time I first entered
The AF.... It was not about me but achieving the needs of the AF. .. I had guys say I let the AF use me..
I don’t see it that way.. A TDY came up to Alaska.. surprisingly not to the hospital.. but on base..
it was there I found the few meals for the hospital (about 15) were done at the base Airmen’s D.H.
How long that went on I didn’t know.. In fact my orders were cut using my 62270 Cook Supervisor AFSC. I was up there 6 months.. officially 178 days. Got hit by a blizzard lasted 6 days.. so I was there 4 days more.. the storm came up off the bay real quick..
So I worked, May as well ! Time goes by when busy.. I had all my paperwork.. vouchers and such !
Filled out and ready, just put the times ... I was kind of missing AK and kind of happy to get Home to Travis AFB, CA. I pulled off another day at Anchorage.. by doing that I left there got into McChord was on the ground an hour and a half and back in the Air.. landed at Travis not long after. If I had left the day before.. i’d Of got into McChord about 1 in the morn’g., and maybe got a early flight but doubted it..
Nobody questioned my decision..
except guess who? The pay clerk at finance.. she’d been working vouchers .. what’d she have .. the list of flights?.. either way I would not have gotten in until next day.. and prob’ly not ready for duty until the next day.. Finance didn’t even get the voucher until Monday.. .. I turned it in then.. I didn’t see the voucher box for fri-sat-Sun drop-offs. For people coming back.. those are fine if one is not in a hurry to get their money.. what I didn’t see was a time clock to clock your voucher in before putting in the box in the envelope provided. Stamp the voucher and the envelope as close in time as possible. Put earlier time on envelope .. doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll open your envelope first.. supposed to..
I took mine to finance and waited to turn in at opening time.. I was in and paid and out in a half hour.. The Sgt. Pushed my voucher through and got me cashed out..
Ol’ Mrs. Busybody ... must of had my finished voucher come across her desk. She made notations commenting I could have gotten a flight at 10 that night Anchorage time.. . Seriously, is she sign’g my paycheck? I commend her keeping an eye out.. I do try to get to where I’m supposed to be when I’n Supposed to be.. For practicality I was more rested when I arrived .. not frazzled. More control of what’s going on.. when that copy of that voucher reached the cmdr’s desk he marked it to let me offer my own comment.. And I did .. on an attached typed AF official Hospital stationary I gave my comment : re the comment on me traveling on a earlieir Flight.. It’s possible I could have been bumped.
The next day fight I had a sure seat from Alaska and a sure seat from McChord . To Travis. You need to be more concerned about things within your paygrade Mrs GS6 busybody.. I never heard back..
I wonder if she blew a gasket?
(Not real name)..
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SP5 Mark Kuzinski
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Some great shots - thanks for the post.
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SP5 Mark Kuzinski
SP5 Mark Kuzinski
8 y
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL - I was stationed in Thailand not Nam - I lost a lot of friends in Nam - I was a lucky one - Thanks for your thumbs up Joe - it means a lot to me brother. Again I was only part of the support group - the boys in Nam did all the real work!
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
8 y
SP5 Mark Kuzinski thanks for the clarification and humility, appreciated!
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SP5 Mark Kuzinski
SP5 Mark Kuzinski
8 y
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL - No problem Joe - just need to keep the record straight. Again, your post are so very awesome and they do bring back so may memories. The 60's were crazy is all I can say. Thanks for all your support Joe.
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
8 y
SP5 Mark Kuzinski roger that, for the Veteran of the Veteran brother!
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CPT Scott Sharon
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Great job Joe. I love your post!
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