Consider the following Vietnam sub-topics. Do some research and post your ideas. Make connections with the Chicago 1968 video and Tiger Force when possible. Respond to at least one other classmates' post.
A) Kent State shooting. (What happened, when/why, your thoughts etc.)
B) My Lai Massacre (What happened, when/why, your thoughts etc.)
C) Nixon/Kissinger Efforts re: Vietnam War (Vietnamization, Operation Menu, Operation Duck Hook, Cambodian Incursion)
D) Weapons of War-What weapons were used? How do they differ from today's weaponry?
E) Bruce Crandall (Ia Drang Valley Hero) and the Congressional Medal of Honor
HELPFUL WEBSITES: http://www.vietnampix.com/index.html,
http://www.pbs.org/battlefieldvietnam/index.html,
http://www.cmohs.org/medal.htm
Eyewitness book “Vietnam War” is the know all of this war.It has everything about the war in this book or at least a mention of it. The book has a section dedicated to weapons of war. This book is a reference that I am using for my interview.
ReplyDeleteNapalm was used by the United States in the Vietnam War. Napalm is a thickening agent generally mixed with gasoline. This chemical was used in bombs that burned everything it hit and as a flamethrower type of instrument. Napalm was a highly destructive weapon that the U.S. used throughout the war. The Wikipedia for Napalm states that it generates temperatures of 800 to 1200 degrees Celsius. Napalm as the use of a weapon in military war is no longer used.
M-16A1 is an M-16 assault rifle with a built in grenade launcher. The options on this weapon made it deadly. It came with a 30 round magazine for automatic firing and grenade launcher. This weapon was used widely in the Vietnam War by the United States. The Vietnamese has similar weapons like the ak-47 and a separate grenade launcher.
This particular gun is no longer in production because of malfunctions however the M-16A2 was its replacement. The Wikipedia for the M-16 provides additional information on this weapon. The M-16A2 is now the current issue to the Marine Corps’ recruits.
Technically speaking, the use of Napalm is a good choice in guerrilla war. Since, you usually do not even know where your enemies are when they are attacking you in guerrilla war. The guerrilla soldiers are hiding in the juggle. By using Napalm, you can basically burn everything. Even though you cannot see them, you can destroy their covers or simply destroy their rice paddies, cutting off their food supply. I think that is why American Army chooses to use it in Vietnam War.
ReplyDeleteThe My Lai massacre was one of the most infamous events of the Vietnam War. The My Lai massacre took place on March 16th 1968.
ReplyDeleteMy Lai was a village of about 700 inhabitants some 100 miles to the southeast of the US base of Danang. Shortly after dawn on March 16th, three platoons of US troops from C Company, 11th Brigade, arrived in the Son My area having been dropped off by helicopters. 1 Platoon was commanded by Lieutenant William Calley and was ordered to My Lai village. They were part of Task Force Barker – the codename for a search and destroy mission. They had been told to expect to find members of the NLF (called Vietcong or VC by the US soldiers) in the vicinity as the village was in an area where the NLF had been very active.
When the troops from 1 Platoon moved through the village they started to fire at the villagers. These were women, children and the elderly as the young men had gone to the paddy fields to work. Sergeant Michael Bernhardt, who was at My Lai, was quoted in 1973 as stating that he saw no one who could have been considered to be of military age. He also stated that the US troops in My Lai met no resistance. An army photographer, Ronald Haeberie, witnessed a US soldier shoot two young boys who he believed were no more than five years of age. Other photos taken at the scene of the massacre show bodies of what can only be very young children.
Those who returned to the village claimed that it took three days to bury the bodies. They were later to report that some of the children had their throats cut and that some of the bodies had not just been shot but had also been mutilated.
What happened at My Lai only came to public light in November 1969 when a US soldier, Paul Meadlo, was interviewed on television and admitted killing “ten of fifteen men, women and children” at My Lai. His admission caused much shock and a great deal of pressure was put on the US military to launch an investigation. In fact, the US military was already aware of the allegations and had launched an investigation in April 1969, some six months before the public was made aware of what had gone on. It soon became clear that many hundreds of villagers had been killed. The actual number killed was never established but it was officially put as no less than 175 while it could have been as high as 504.
Though a number of US soldiers were charged, all with the exception of Lieutenant William Calley, were acquitted. Calley was sentenced to life in prison with hard labour. He served three years before he was released. However, Calley had his supporters and many believed that he was simply following orders. His defense, which was initially rejected, was that he was there in My Lai to hunt out communists and to destroy communism and that he was only carrying out his orders that were to hunt out the NLF.
President Nixon informed the nation that the massacre was an "isolated incident." I believe it is more than just in incident, rather it was an "uncontrollable rampage" of soldiers unconsciously murdering unarmed civilians. Tiger Force's original obligation was to creep into jungles in small teams, find enemy positions, and call in air strikes (spy squad). If the Tigers needed to kill, then they would do so without telling anyone. Unfortunately, the Tigers, while fighting the war, endured anger, pain, and resentments, resulting in doing the complete opposite. They instead, became a kill squad, rather than a spy squad.
ReplyDeleteThis occurred when the force approached farmers growing rice, and they refused to leave their homes. As long as they were growing rice, the VC had food. The force was fed up, and murdered the Vietnamese regardless. This flashbacks to the concept of "free-fire zones," in which the Tigers abused greatly. Originally, a free-fire zone meant that U.S. troops were free to attack enemy targets in civilian areas, and use safety precautions to minimize collateral damage. It also signifies civilians living in such areas to evacuate the area; otherwise, they risk getting killed in cross fire. Hawkins, and other lieutenants took advantage of the free-fire zones, killing "everything that moved." I believe that those who abused legislations enforced by the military, such as killing unarmed civilians, knifing a baby's head off, etc... should be prosecuted and charged. Cases like these need to call for more serious attention, but since the war has ended many years ago, it is clear that those cases would be ignored and dropped.
The Chicago 1968 "incident" also relates to the My Lai Massacre, in which policemen charge at unarmed citizens, protesting the Vietnam War, which was also during the 1968 Democratic Election. I think the police force did the worst and most gruesome job they possibly committed to its own American citizens. Their job was to resist protesters from getting to the convention. Unfortunately, officers went out of hand and created unnecessary violence.
I lived about 40 miles from Kent State, in Youngstown, OH, and coached the Tri-County youth hockey team, which my son was playing on, in 1994-96. Our home ice was Kent State's ice arena. I have been to the campus many times, and saw a little memorial they built in memory of the victims of the shooting. I've heard that in 1999 they built memorials to each individual killed at the exact spot they fell, but never seen them by myself.
ReplyDeleteThe shooting at Kent State in Ohio happened on May, 4, 1970, when Ohio National Guard opened fire on students, protesting the American involvement in war in Cambodia, which President Nixon announced on April, 30 of that year. The protests started the same day, and over period of 4 days became very violent, threatening lives, and causing significant damages(the ROTC building was burned to the ground by protesters). The National Guard were called in to resolve the situation. Unfortunately the tempers flared, National Guardsmen came under attack by mob, throwing rocks and Molotov cocktail bottles; the shots were fired (presumably over the heads of protesters). But it took place in a little ravine, over which the sidewalks were full of students, who did not participate in direct confrontation. Total 67 shots were fired, and 13 found targets: 4 people fell dead, and 9 were wounded. The shooting is known as Kent State Massacre, and you can find out more about it at www.ohiohistory.org. There are also several sites dedicated to the even itself, you can google them. I first heard about it in Russia, right after it happened. It was highly publicized by the Soviet propaganda machine as an example of the "wolf face of imperialism'. Obviously, I did not give it too much credibility at the time. I didn't even know that the Kent State my team was skating out of was the same Kent State I heard about 25 years before. One of my player's parents opened my eyes. This is an example how history and personal experiences collide sometimes.
In response to Kristen's comment: M-16 originally came with 20-round mag. Only after experiencing superior firepower from AK's, American military addressed the issue, and a 30-round mag was introduced in 1968. Thre was a show on Nat Geo channel today, where Eugene Stoner(M-16 designer) was talking about just that.
AK (avtomat Kalashnikova) was named after it's designer Mikhail Kalashnikov, who started his career as a tank mechanic in WWII, and became a self-taught engineer, a Major General, and the head of design bureau. Ak is a whole family of weapons; from AK-47, AKM,AKMS (all 7.62 cal), to AK-74(5.45 cal), AK-101 and 110 (5.56 NATO cal), to Saiga semi-auto 12 gauge shot gun, and many more weapons based on the same design, which was introduced in 1947 (therefore AK-47).
The whole family is famous for its simplicity and absolute reliability. I had an AK-74 in the service, and to me it's the best weapon in the world.On several occasions it literally saved my life. You could drag it through the mud, dip it in the water, bury it in the sand, and it will still shoot. In Afghanistan I found an AK with the receiver rusted shut. I kicked the bolt with my boot, pulled the trigger, and it was still working! I own one today; it's Chinese-maid, and semi-auto(full auto is illegal), and it's a 47, not 74, but I still love it, and I'm still pretty good with it. It's like riding a bike; I think Tom can back me up on that.
By the way, this is my SECOND version of the comment; the first one was even longer, but it got lost for unknown reason.
This is a response to Kristen's post, with the current issue of the M-16A2 in Marine Corps’ recruits. The issue, is that the M16A2 is heading for retirement after 25 years of service as the primary training weapon.
ReplyDeleteThe Corps is nearly finished with a one-for-one swap in which all 5.56mm M16A2 rifles at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., and MCRD San Diego will be replaced with M16A4s. They were the last major commands to use the M16A2, although a few Reserve units and “low-priority supporting establishments” may not have received the M16A4 yet.
The major difference between the two weapons is the integrated rail system on the M16A4 that allows Marines to use a variety of optics and laser points in combat. The upgrade had been planned after Marines first started fielding the M16A4, around 2003. Still, it marks a cultural milestone for the Corps, which had taught prospective Marines at the boot camps with the M16A2 since 1985.
The M16A4s have not been essential at boot camp, where Marine leaders have been reluctant to introduce rifle combat optics. Instead, recruits are required to learn how to shoot with iron sights.
The M16A4 has a backup iron sight available. This can be installed and provides redundant means for aiming if optical sights fail or become detached from the weapon. In my opinion, recruits must be trained in basic marksmanship skills prior to using the various accessory optic systems.
Kent State shooting
ReplyDeleteOn April 30, 1970, President Nixon announced during a televised speech to the nation that American forces had invaded Cambodia. In response to Nixon's announcement of a new invasion, students across the United States began to protest. Protests by students at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio began on May 1, 1970. At noon, students held a protest rally on campus and later that night rioters built a bonfire and threw beer bottles at police off campus. The mayor declared a state of emergency and asked the governor for help. The governor sent in the Ohio National Guard.
On May 2, 1970, during a protest near the ROTC building on campus, someone set fire to the abandoned building. The National Guard entered the campus and used tear gas to control the crowd. During the evening of May 3, 1970, another protest rally was held on campus which was again dispersed by the National Guard. All of these protests led up to the deadly interaction between Kent State students and the National Guard on May 4, 1970 which is known as the Kent State Shootings or the Kent State Massacre. On May 4, 1970, another student rally was scheduled for noon at the Commons on the Kent State University campus. Before the rally began, the National Guard ordered those congregated to disperse. Since the students refused to leave, the National Guard attempted to use tear gas on the crowd. Because of the shifting wind, the tear gas was ineffective at moving the crowd of students. The National Guard then advanced upon the crowd, with bayonets attached to their rifles. This scattered the crowd. After dispersing the crowd, the National Guardsmen stood around for about ten minutes and then turned around and began to retrace their steps.
For an unknown reason, during their retreat, nearly a dozen National Guardsmen suddenly turned around and began firing at the still scattered students. In 13 seconds, 67 bullets were fired. Some claim that there was a verbal order to fire. Four students were killed and nine others were wounded. Some of the students who were shot were not even part of the rally, but were just walking to their next class. The Kent State massacre angered many and incited additional protests at schools across the country.
The Kent State shooting was unbelievable, as it was happened in the U.S., a country known for its democracy and free speech. I really hate to admit, but it did sound like what happened in China, the Tiananmen Square Massacre. There are several reasons for the protesting. First, the war was to invade another country which was super injustice. So as highly educated American college students would definitely protest. Second, the Vietnam War had already tortured Americans so much, so if another war stared, their lives would become even more horrible. Third, during the 1968 U.S. presidential campaign, Richard Nixon ran with a platform that promised "peace with honor" for the Vietnam War, so after he took the leader ship, people watched and waited for him to fulfill his campaign promise. However, President Nixon announced during a televised speech to the nation that American forces had invaded Cambodia. Most people felt that they were cheated. Obviously, Cambodia war was an expansion or lengthening of the Vietnam War. They did have enough reasons to protest and it seemed like there was no reason for the involvement of national guards. So what I am thing is that the governor’s power should be limited. The involvement of National Guard was unnecessary for the protesting of unarmed college students, even though they did throw some beer bottles at the police.
This my though after reading Alex's post on Kent State shooting! Being a Conservative, the thought of a group of "students" and the violent takeover of a college building is appalling. It was the beginning if the downfall of the America that many people wanted too live in. Liberals took the shootings as an act of vengeance by the government, and starting plotting its downfall. Conservatives like myself look at the shootings in a different way. If the take over of the building, the civil unrest had not taken place, if the students had some type of respect for law enforcement and the Army, no one would have been killed. You cannot throw bricks and fire bombs at people and not expect any type of self-defense by your targets.
ReplyDeleteFrom that point on, the military was containing the threat of the VC. By early 1968, people in Washington were telling a growing discontented public that the tide was turning and we were winning. Unfortunately they could not have been more wrong. On January 31st, the Vietcong w/ support from North Vietnam invaded over 100 cities, towns, and villages. The purpose of the offensive was to strike at military and civilian command and control centers and to spark a general revolt to the corrupt South Vietnamese government.
ReplyDeleteIt was the largest offensive conducted in the war. The attacks stunned the U.S. and South Vietnamese military, but most were quickly contained and beaten back, inflicting massive casualties on communist forces. The offensive was a military defeat for the communists; it had a profound effect on the U.S. public. The people have lost faith in their military and in the federal government. The camera doesn’t lie and neither does Walter Cronkite. Once he no longer backs the war, it’s a lost cause.
Tet Offinsive on Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3mfXnFtwQc
By the time the Democratic National Convention rolls around in August of 1968, the country has lost its’ hearing on how to respond to the citizens. The world is in turmoil, as we spoke about in class from other events. The country is almost at a tipping point on Vietnam as we can see at the convention. The turmoil outside and inside were tearing the political system and this country apart.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epxmX_58tOo
One can watch the United States view of the Vietnam Conflict gradually change over this three years period. Every time you turned on the television, Vietnam dominated the news. The country was in the midst of chaos, not a surprise that we elected Nixon.
Riots of 1968
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jb22dA5_-w8
WARNING-Video is graphic at some points.
History has turned on the use of superior weapons. During Vietnam War there were many variety of weapons used by the United States. The two well known were the M16 rifle and Napalm, which Kristen has mentioned seem to be just the beginning of development. Since, the Cuban Missile Crisis was believed to be the closet the world ever came to nuclear war. These weapons have the capability of wiping out most of the Eastern and Southern United States in few minutes if they become operational. Furthermore, there were many types of technology being invented and advanced. Unfortunately, on August 6, 1945 the United States used a massive atomic weapon against Hiroshima as well as Nagasaki, Japan on August 9 caused the world even more shocking. This powerful weapon caused approximately 200,000 people died and many thousands died later from radiation sickness. Therefore, there is no argument that the United States Military is the most powerful military in the world at that time. However, today there are several countries to have detonated nuclear weapons such as the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea as well as Israel. These countries made as a way to scare the enemy but also to send the message that if you fire the weapons we can too. The increasing number of nations who possess nuclear technology today caused nuclear security to be even greater concern than it was during the Cold war. Moreover, the threat of nuclear disaster is also more deadly than ever. Since the United States’ Manhattan Project developed the atomic bomb in 1945, advanced technology has made nuclear weapons more destructive. The weapons used in Japan in 1945 produced energy equivalent to about 20,000 tons of TNT; today’s thermonuclear bombs generate energy equivalent to many millions of tons of TNT. However, I strongly believe that the size of weapons does not really matter since all of them are designed for one major purpose to kill and destroy lives. Therefore, we should take a look at our past, so that the history doesn’t repeat in the future.
ReplyDeleteI would like to respond to a few different posts about the Kent State Massacre and the M-16A2 service rifle.
ReplyDeleteAs others have pointed out, the Governor, of Ohio, activated the National Guard after the local police force could not control the crowds at the campus of Kent State. It was deemed a domestic emergency. It is well documented that states used their National Guardsmen to maintain order due to lawlessness. The people of the National Guard work only one weekend a month 2 weeks a year. Every other day of the week, they are just like you and I. What people forget are these people in the National Guard live, work, shop, and play in the same city as you do. These people are your neighbors, parents on the PTC, and boy/girl scout leaders. It is easy to say that the military shot those students and civilian, but just like Tiger Force, these citizen soldiers have to live with that guilt every day.
I was in the National Guard for 5 years. During that time, I was taught once on crowd control. The reason we were taught this was due to our deployment to New Orleans, because of Hurricane Katrina. The training lasted only for 2 hours. I can only imagine what kind of training those soldiers received before they went to Kent State. One can speculate that the training, if there was any, was very poor. Most of the officer corps is also part-timers, just as the troops are.
I think we can draw a direct correlation to the Boston Massacre in 1770. No one knows if there was an order to “fire.” Both the protesters and the military were in each others’ faces ratcheting up the tempo. Once the shooting started, the other members of the National Guard instinctively started to fire. That is how training works, less thinking more instinct. The troops should have been called in, but not allowed to be armed with live ammunition.
The M-16A2 was a nice weapon when you used it under normal conditions. It had a major strength over the previous weapon of choice for the U.S. military, and that was precision. The rifle was incredibly accurate up to 800 yards (2400 feet). Unfortunately, it had some draw backs as well. The weapon would perform horrible in the field. Any sort of dust, grime, rust, etc… would cause the weapon to misfire, jam, or not operate. I hope the new rifles; M4 Army and the M-16A4 work better. In my opinion I think these weapons will have the same problem as the previous generation. The M4 is a smaller version of the M16 class of weapons and the M-16A4 is just a modified A2 with a better scope.
Bruce P. Crandall received the Medal of Honor for flying in and out of extreme lines of fire by helicopter 22 times in one day in order to evacuate the wounded and deliver ammunition and other supplies to those fighting on the ground. It is amazing that he survived this mission, let alone was willing to do it numerous times throughout the day. He definitely deserved the Medal of Honor.
ReplyDeleteThe story of Crandall's Medal of Honor reminds me of the American soldiers that told their stories on the Day One documentary. They were also brave, and discussed their dedication to saving their fellow soldier’s lives because they knew that the other soldiers had their backs. It is just impressive to me the brotherhood that goes along with fighting war. It is amazing that such a close knit bond can develop over such a terrible circumstance such as war.
In response to Alex’s post, I just want to say that I cannot even imagine what was going through your head when you put two and two together and realized that the Kent State University was the same University you coached at. I really appreciate your comment about how history and personal experience often collide. I think that tragedies such as the Kent State Massacre can become personal experience when you put it into perspective. Whether or not you know anyone who suffered through such an occurrence obviously makes a difference, but I think that a lot of people can put themselves into that position and can at least say “WOW. What if that would have happened at my school?” Either way, it makes people think, and it forces United States citizens to accept that America is far from perfect.
ReplyDeleteMy Lai Massacre
ReplyDeleteThe My Lai massacre was a massacre committed by U.S. soldiers on hundreds of unarmed Vietnamese civilians, mostly women and children, on March 16, 1968, in the hamlet of My Lai, during the Vietnam War.
U. S. military officials suspected Quang Ngai Provine,more than any other province in South Viet Nam, as being a Viet Cong stronghold. The U. S. targeted the province for the first major U.S. combat operation of the war. Military officials declared the province a "free-fire zone" and subjected it to frequent bombing missions and artillery attacks. By the end of 1967, most of the dwellings in the province had been destroyed and nearly 140,000 civilians left homeless.
Why did it happen because many smart American men dodged the draft by going to college. What they have left were some men like William Calley. The U.S. general had orders to kill every Vietcong soldiers but the U.S. army was thinking that they would have to kill all of the Viets in the living area.
This is a response from Kent State Shootings.There is no credible evidence that any commanding officer gave the order to shoot that day. Some contest this, but there is no evidence of it not matter their protestations to the contrary.Two of the students who died were not involved in the protest at all, but were simply passers by one of them a U.S. military recruit. This shows that, whatever happened, the soldiers did not aim directly at the students that were, nonetheless, threatening them as a mob.Everyone has the right to protest; no one contests this. But as someone already stated,no one has the right to destroy public or private property, no matter what their complaint with "the man".
ReplyDeleteTo BBRADY10's comments on the Lai Massacre.
ReplyDeleteIt is a very disheartening story to hear no matter how many times it's told. I can-not imagine the mind state of the soldiers, as they were obviously out of their minds. But it also does not give the right to condone these actions as War. As that was clearly not who they were fighting. Personally I feel that the people of Lai should be compensated for their loses even today,(it's never too late to fix a wrong) and the American Government should have held themselves responsible then and today for the crimes of War, that are committed on innocent civil ens. If we do the crime we do the time.
The Military Leaders as well need to be punished, for allowing these acts to be committed. And the American soldiers that did the actual killings, needed to be committed not released back into society. Where do we all draw the lines between Killers and Hero’s. I understand War and the exchange of gun fire, but brutally killing a whole village where do we draw the line. And to think these acts of brutality against innocent people and communities are still being done by our military in today’s Wars.
The Kent State shooting happened on May 4th, 1970 at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. In this shooting, the Ohio National Guard fired 67 rounds, killing four students and injured nine others. The students who were shot were involved in a protest in the American Invasion of Cambodia and others were innocent bystanders who happened to be near the protest at the time, watching or just walking past. In the few days leading up to the 4th of May, some of the rallies held had gotten out of hand and had become violent, however there were incidents where students were volunteering to help and clean the community as well. The protest that was scheduled for that Monday, May 4th had supposedly been canceled but yet more than 2,000 people still gathered at the originally arranged spot at the time that the protest was supposed to be held. The protest proceeded and this is how the shooting occurred.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe that this was the proper way to fix the incident at hand. I know that extreme measures had to be taken, but to shoot students who were trying to take a stand for what THEY believed was right/wrong was not the answer. There had to have been some other way that they could have handled the situation. It is understandable that the extreme violence that preceded that event on the first few days of May set an example that the crowds of students would not die down and would not stop their stand but one would think that if the government/officials in Kent had seen this for a few days, they would have tried to figure something logical out. If they let it go on for a couple days they should have been thinking about the best possible way to stop it (when they were not trying to manage the protests) in the least lethal way possible. No one should be killed or even injured for expressing their opinion and taking a stand for what they believe in.
This is my response to Thomas' post. I do not think that Crandall made the situation any better for the people he was supposed to be leading. It seems as if he just created more violence. Crandall's actions made it look like he was either not thinking at all, or possibly only thinking of himself (but not even that at most points). It is sad to hear that his actions could lead to so many devastating things in the long run for the country.
ReplyDeleteThe Siege of Khe Shah-
ReplyDeleteBruce M Geiger - was a 1st Lt. Who did duty in Khe Shah in Feb,22 – Apr,14 1968, after being promised by a pentagon ad visor that he would remain in his current duty. Just 5 weeks later he received assignment orders to Vietnam
Glenn Earl Prentice – was a Sergeant Marine. Who did Duty in Khe Shah Nov, 2 – Nov, 20th 1967 & Dec,7th 1967 – May 16th 1968. During the Siege of Khe Shah 300 men were attacked out of those only 19 men were left un-wonded or dead, Glenn was 1 of these men.
Ronald E. Smith – was a Lance Corporal Marines, Communication Platoon. Who did duty in Khe Shah in Dec, 13th 1967 – April 18th 1968. He was responsible to keep communication lines open to Air and ground command. He spoke of a good buddy Geiger although he did not recall his first name I believe that he was talking about Bruce M. Geiger, as they were both stationed during the same months together.
Joe Amodeo – was a PFC Marine. Who did duty in Khe Shah in January – May 1968. His first night in Khe Shah, his platoon had to sleep in the elephant grass without cover. They then moved on to their location the next morning. He was then sent to the main base from his platoons current position, at the end of January to pick up supplies, in which he was unable to leave and reunite with his platoon until February. After returning to his platoon he through a grenade at his own men wounding 5 believing that they were the enemy.
The Siege at Khe Sanh
Was one of the most Brutal and Bloodiest Battle fields in Vietnam. President Johnson showed great interest in Khe Sanh base. As it was the most remote by January 1968. The Question had arouse if it was worth abandoning or keeping this Base open, as it was going to be coming under a full siege of North Vietnamese Army. To this day they say that the land is unable to grow anything on it and most of it is still blanketed with Bullets and Shell casing's. You are also able to still see the air field as well.
Before Khe Shah had been taken under siege, it was said to be peaceful, uneventful, welcoming place from the Battle fields in other areas of Vietnam. Described as a R&R Center but that would all change. As they came under siege the Marines were unprepared, they began to dig trenches, and lay concertina wire around the perimeter of the base.
These men went through a horrific experience. For some to have their first active duty be an all out blood bath and live is truly a miracle. The conditions they lived in were also dangerous and could have killed them as easily as the artillery fire. As described there were Rats the size of Rabbits which were infected with the Bubonic Pledge. They watched as friends and comrades who were killed off, on March 22 1968 on the anniversary of the the assault on the French in Dien Bien Phu. The VNA attacked the main base with heavy ground artillery and missile’s. The devastation they endured, unable to help their own, the guilt the carried when they had to turn away 20,000 Laotian civilians that mostly had wound up killed. This War not only killed people with bullets, but also killed their spirits, and minds. How can anyone live life with the experiences they have endured and must remember for a life-time.
The UH-1 “Huey” helicopter became an icon of the Vietnam War and can be seen in basically every movie made about Vietnam. During the Korean War helicopters were mostly used as ambulatory transportation and until October of 1962 they were primarily used in Vietnam as ambulances as well. In Vietnam the helicopter took on an integral role in troop transport and medevac missions. Ground transportation was not practical in the hostile jungle terrain so troops would get dropped into areas and picked back up at the end of their missions. By 1965 the Huey was the main method for transporting troops deep into enemy entrenched territories armed only with a Door Gunner and a turret M60 machine gun. During a fire fight, a Door Gunners life expectancy was one to two minutes.
ReplyDeleteThe pilots of the U.S. helicopters were very brave and often had to land in areas under heavy fire and at great risk to their lives in order to get down and pick up troops. These incredibly dangerous missions became known as Dust Off missions. In the first major battle between the United States and North Vietnamese in the Ia Drang Valley, Lt. Col. Bruce Crandall flew his Huey in for 14 landings under fire and helped 70 soldiers get out of the valley that day.
The Huey was eventually replaced by the Black Hawk which transports 11 fully equipped soldiers and can be fitted with a 105 mm Howitzer. The Black Hawk, Apache, V22 Osprey, and Chinook helicopters all have very distinct roles in the armed forces. The Boeing CH-47 Chinook’s primarily function is troop transport, heavy lifting and battlefield resupply. The Boeing AH-64 Apache is an attack helicopter equipped with target acquisition and night vision systems. The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk is a medium-lift utility helicopter. The Bell/Boeing V22 Osprey is becoming the icon of the Afghanistan War as they perform well in the high altitudes where other helicopters are not able to generate enough lift.
In response to pattraporn’s response to Alex post on Kent State. I disagree that the national guardsmen were justified to kill student protestors. There were many alternatives to using deadly force in this situation. I agree the guardsmen had the right to defend themselves and bring the crowd under control. But it is inexcusable for them to open fire on scattering United States citizens. Although tear gas was unsuccessful, they could have tried fire hoses, dogs, rubber bullets, physical force with batons and shields. They had lots of options instead of firing 60 + rounds into a crowd of protesters. Additionally I agree with Yiming Chen that the Kent State massacre does sound like similar to Tianamen Square or other events from an oppressed country, not something which happens in the United States.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you that Napalm was used in this war strategically by The United States because of the guerrilla type warfare. I believe the guerrilla warfare was the reason Agent Orange was used as well. The mist could reached everything unseen and deep into the hiding holes of the enemy.However this weapon has caused pain to many (American and Vietnamese) with birth diformities and cancer.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Alex’s post about weapons…. In general I liked to learn about guns and what their used for and pretty much everything! I will fire anything once and if I like it I would probably do it again. I do not own any myself but I hope to one day. They are fascinating. The craftsmanship it took to build such an artistic piece of machinery is amazing. Shooting a gun is exhilarating!!!!Alex, I would just like to say that it is always a pleasure to read about the history that you have encountered and the experiences that you share. Thanks:)
Wow. Some great comments and responses:)
ReplyDeleteIn response to Yiming and a few others who covered the Kent State shooting I feel it was a terrible event to have occurred. I would have to agree with Yiming, on the view in which the students had enough reason to protest considering they were enraged with the thought of more war and felt cheated by the President’s promises which he hadn’t kept. However I don’t think that it should have gone as far as it did. The students were in the right for wanting to voice their concerns and opinions of the war but they almost seemed to have provoked it in the sense that they shouldn’t have defied and threw things at the police. The police were left with nothing else to do as they risked their safety, so as a result, the governor called in for the National Guard to help. While I feel it was the right thing to get the National Guard involved I don’t think they should have by any means opened fire on the crowds. There were innocent students just walking by that were affected by such actions of violence. I know the military officials have to live with themselves but that still doesn’t make it any better. I feel there just should have been better plans to disengage the students without the use of live ammunition. After viewing the Chicago 1968 video it almost seemed as if it was a “trend” during that time in the ways that people protested violently and police and military became active to stop it.
ReplyDelete