A Soldier's First Day in Vietnam

One of many brave souls. Thank you for your service and sacrifice. God bless.

[@franciscocastillo4687]

my brother got drafted nam 68-69 198th infantry americal division chu lai my other brother joint the marines nam 69.70 hoi ann semper fi to all vietnam veterans thank you

[@keithdavies1395]

Once a Marine,always a Marine. UK 🇬🇧

[@ratter531]

Semper Fi brother.

[@earljohnson50]

PFC Thomas Lyle was considered one of the best medics in the 25th infantry division during his deployment. He unfortunately lost a leg in Vietnam due to a grenade. The record I found seems pretty accurate, from May 1966

[@petermalloy5360]

Medics in Vietnam were so brave and did many wonderful acts of helping the wounded,under enemy fire

[@RaptorFromWeegee]

guess it wasn't that fun after all, huh

[@CACTUS48]

I was in the Marines, my 1st day in Vietnam was in April 1969, flew into DaNang from Okinawa... 1st MAW, MWHG-1, MWCS-1, was issued a M-16 & 6 Clips w/ammo...

[@earlhester825]

I arrived in Vietnam early December 1967. I was sent to 90th replacement in long bin to wait for assignment to a unit. I had just finished jump school and 2nd and 3rd brigades of the 101st had just arrived in Vietnam so all jump qualified personnel were placed on hold for the 101st. So while awaiting orders you were put on work details. My first morning I was assigned to pull KP in one of the mess halls. To say the least I was pissed off about that. The mess sergeant told me I would be a DRO that day. Dinning room orderly. Around ten o'clock a staff sergeant came it to get a cup of coffee. He was the sergeant who had assigned me to the mess hall detail. He asked me how my day was going? I was pissed off and started unloading at him. He abruptly stopped me and said he understood and told me that he had another job for me. He then told the mess sergeant I was going with him and that he would send another man over to replace me. I was just thrilled to get out of the Kp duty. We got into his jeep headed down the road. All this time Im thinking this sergeant is a pretty cool dude. In a few minutes we pull up in front of 3 latrines. This sergeant with a shit eating grin on his face proudly informs me that my new job for the day is shit burning. I was almost in a state of shock I was absolutely clueless about shit burning, but I learned that day! I also learned don't ever bitch about anything because it can definitely get worse.

[@999gojoey]

The cat who reported this story for CBS, John Laurence, was one of the very best on the ground in Vietnam, Republic Of. He was a soldier's scribe. If you ever saw his special on CBS about a First Cav infantry company you might agree that it was a masterpiece. He relied on a multi-tour sergeant nicknamed "Killer" and gave a chilling account of how the men refused to follow a FNG officer's command to go down a path. Anyone who walked the bush knew better. Laurence's book was great, too.

[@forwardobserver2048]

The FNG new guy was a friend of mine. 2 weeks in country. He was ordered to get his troops down the path before an Arc Light Strike ( B 52 run) was due to hit the area imminently. The experienced troopers refused the order until eventually convinced discretion was the better part of valor. My friend was relieved of his command and showed up at my unit a few days later ( our mothers were in touch with one another). I hadn’t seen him since we were 5 years old. The incident destroyed his military record and his life has not been easy. His name was not mentioned in The World of Charlie Company, but if you haven’t walked the walk, you don’t get to talk the talk!

[@topcatandgang]

My first day in Vietnam. 2 planes 48 people arrived in Saigon from Fort Benning, Georgia. climbed on a Huey for the trip to the Highlands, a town called Pleiku. assigned to Headuarters Company 52nd Combat Aviation Bn. at Camp Holloway. introduced to my workplace, the post motorpool. went to the Armory to draw a weapon. received a bayonet, no rifle, the Armory was destroyed during an attack early part of February. met with a civilian construction company from the states, they were building concrete bunkers. bought an M3 greasegun that they got from the black market with 3 clips for $20, this had to be my weapon for 2 weeks until they got my new rifle. i hope everyone else made it through their first day.

[@chrissanto2613]

My dad was a Australian Vietnam veteran

[@Joe67888]

Got drafted in 1968 and reported to the induction center in L.A. I was headed to the Army, but I ran straight over to the Air Force Recruiter to see if he could get me in before the Army got their hands on me. I had to take their tests, passed them, and they got me in the USAF just in time. BUT... I got sent straight over to DaNang in April 1968 and stayed there until April 1969. Got rocket attacks often and one night we got hit and 5 of my guys were killed with less than 30 days left on their tour. Another guy killed himself after being there just 4 months. We weren't even out in the bush, but some of these guys couldn't take being away from their wives, especially the lifers. I got out without a scratch, but I saw some sick stuff there and when I got back to the states I was not even welcomed home by anyone. They just thought that just because I was in the USAF we didn't get shot at or hit by rockets on a regular basis. Anyway, here I am. Still remember every single day of that miserable tour, and that's that. I still feel the loss of the guys that got hit that night with the rocket attack. Only 30 lousy more days to go, and they got hit. What a freaking joke. LBJ started that war and he was responsible for the 58K human beings that died over there, and for what. Absolutely nothing.

[@josephryan6593]

I arrived in Vietnam in January of 67 and was a replacement draftee in the 725 Maintenace battalion. I ended up in the recovery and evacuation of A company wrecker operator and m88 crewman. Since I was a draftee out of our group of five they used me like a red headed stepchild and went out with the wrecker every day when i wasn't crewing on the 88 pulling down rubber trees down around the base camp with 2 m88s tanks with a ships anchor chain. I ran with the convoys up to Tay Ninh and pleiko plus going out into the field to pull tank power packs spending nights in the rice patties and on the road of small villages..

[@forwardobserver2048]

I ran a M88 crew when I served with 1st Division. Ran over a full sized Blue Bird school bus on a lights out run on Thunder Road one night in October 1969.

[@josephryan6593]

I didn't think anybody read my little story , but it took two of us to hook up the anchor chain to the pintle hook on the m88 being it was so heavy while getting aphsitcated from the exhaust. I have a mud divers story of how a M88 pulled me out of a rice patty one time when i was sent out into the field. If you go back to where you read my first story that i wrote about my time in Vietnam, you can read about it or i can retell tell the story to forwardobserver2048

[@thevet2009]

A M88 crew saved my ass during Desert Storm when my M113 drove over an Iraqi fighting position and fell thru the overhead cover. That was during the battle of Norfolk. I was lucky enough to flag down a M88 during combat to pull my track out of the hole. Salute to the M88 crews!

[@josephryan6593]

@@thevet2009 The first time I went out on the M88 I was in country a week or two. There was the operator of the 88 , platoon Sargeant and myself to pull a M113 out of an canal that sunk that day. The driver told me to get inside of the 88 because there was reports of a snipper in the area so i did what he said plus it was getting dark. The next thing I know the platoon sergeant is hollering at me what am I doing inside and get back out on top of the 88. We turned around and went back to base camp leaving the APC right where it was since you couldn't see it anyway being it was under water. That night the sergeant sits down on my cot and starts talking about me being afraid since I went inside of the M88 .I didn't say anything since I had just got to Vietnam and was in the army only 6 months and I could smell on his breath and he was drinking beer or alcohol, Sargeant Willey was his name and Welcome to Vietnam and lifers Pfc Ryan.hahaha Whenever there was a recovery to be done with my wrecker he would call me out since there was only four of us in the recovery section. This story is one of the many I did in Vietnam and if you want to hear anymore let me know since my wife knows all of them.hahaha

[@donaldreed9402]

😂

[@multitieredinvestor5246]

Rode to Vietnam aboard the USNS Leroy Eltinge. We sailed up the Saigon River. (first troop ship to do this). We had soldiers on each side dropping M26 hand grenades to thwart sappers. I was the dropper on the port side. Dec 22, 1965.

[@stevecarlson9557]

I hadn't slept for several days, got sent to Long Bihn repo depto & artillery went off all night long. No sleep that night either. The next day I got assigned to my unit in Bien Hoa. That night we got hit by rockets & I slept right thru. Memorable introduction to that nasty little war.

[@BenLewis-zi8wg]

I served 25th Infantry Div Pleiku 1965 to 1966

[@April-kl7vg]

These men were treated horribly when they came home. There were no ticker tape parades… no welcome home committee…. Nothing but protestors spitting on them and calling baby killers and all sorts of things. I can’t imagine what these men went through, and how they felt after they came home. God bless them all.

[@topcatandgang]

we had our brass band just before we climbed on our plane to go to Vietnam. 1965

[@darrengilbert7438]

Those same protestors are the liberal democrats in congress now.

[@robertisham5279]

​@@darrengilbert7438No not all of them. This is not a liberal or conservative issue. And they were right to protest the war.

[@terryslota2224]

3rd Batt. 7th Marines ChuLai,RVN 10/65-11/66

[@PacoOtis]

Thanks for the video! Drove Hueys there in 69 and feel I understand what you are saying! Every life lost was lost, both sides!

[@danielsheeler4796]

Drove Huey’s ? Don’t u mean flew them?

[@tyronejones8395]

I wish I would’ve been stationed where these guys were hot meals. I was there for two years and don’t remember eating anything but sea rations and Leur rations. I was 5 miles from the DMZ camp Evans. These guys had a pretty easy I think we were shot at every day started with 101st airbornewent through 198 infantry up with the 7/23 maintenance

[@Wolverine-vg4jo]

Concerning two questions below. I don't know if the man's name is spelled Lyle or Lisle, but he must have survived as no one named Thomas with either of those last names is on the Vietnam Wall. The 25th Infantry began deploying in late 1965, but I think this was probably shot in early 1966, based on the soldier's conversation with another man he had known at Schofield who had been in Vietnam six months.

[@wizart49]

outstanding video.thanks for posting

[@beefhat1]

great video, i hope he got home alright

[@jonhall9752]

Thank you for your service. I am from Johnstown Pa. also!

[@philbrown9764]

When I landed in Da Nang in’68, I couldn’t believe I was in Nam. And the short flight to Chu Lai 1st MAW, made it more believable. But what has made it less believable was, no one, not my family, relatives, friends or coworkers, ever asked me about it. Not one question. So, over the years, I almost have to look at the few pictures I have to remind me that I WAS there.

[@wasserdagger]

I know that feeling. Years after my time in service, no one near me ever asked me a blessed thing about what it was like, or what I went through. I guess most people are happy to get their understanding of war and military life in general from Hollywood movies and leave it at that.

[@twg2118]

I would love to hear about your time over there. The mundane to the scared shitless moments, I will read what you type. Both of you.

[@danielcotts8673]

Wow. Now that you mention it, same for me. Not one question. No "Welcome Home."

[@jaybennett236]

Would you have welcomed questions like, "Who did you kill", "How many did you kill", "Were you scared", "Was it hot", "Any friends of yours die", "How were they killed" . Most of us civilians don't want to offend or bring up bad memories that would make you feel bad.

[@wasserdagger]

@@jaybennett236 Yes, I see your point, and it is a valid point, but what has always been a bit strange to me is that there is virtually NO curiosity exhibited whatsoever. I can understand (and appreciate) people not wanting to ask the more morbid questions you cited, like "Who, or how many, did you kill," but the point I'm trying to make is that they seemingly express ZERO interest whatsoever. Me, I guess I'm different. I've met many former servicemen in my time and have always asked them a few civil, polite questions about their time in service. I just feel it's a decent and respectful thing to do. Hell, if they don't want to talk about it, I'm okay with that too. But the gesture of simply asking people about their experiences goes a long way towards validating them as a fellow human being. In my time I've even talked to WWII veterans who've told me some amazing stories. For that matter, I've talked to old Germans, as well as old Brits and Russians and Poles etc. who were civilians during WWII, and I've heard some absolutely amazing recollections of what they went through. When people have no intellectual curiosity whatsoever, it is certainly the death knell for our collective history. Just my two cents worth.

[@gregarnold3858]

I am currently reading "The Cat From Hue" by John Laurence, seeing these videos is really bringing the reading of the book to life.

[@picksboy]

From Schofield to Vietnam, Tropic Lighting Wolfhounds!

[@Thomas-uw1gq]

My brother did the same , SFC James -------. I later went . Put our poor Mother through hell !!!!!

[@npxmnpxm]

Bob Jones, Honolulu Advertiser (May 1966) - Trang Bang, Viet Nam - They wore dirty uniforms and had muddy feet, and most of them smelled bad. They had more hard luck and bad breaks in 30 days than most units here experience in months. The 2nd Battalion of the 14th Infantry, known at Schofield Barracks as the "Golden Dragons," has come a long hard way since the days of training in the loolaus when the bullets weren't real. I was standing near a perimeter foxhole talking to SFC Robert R. Bode (pronounced Bo-dee) when an artillery registration round came crashing into the bamboo. A piece of shrapnel sliced through one man's combat boot and imbedded itself in his toe. Other bits went sailing through the aid station tent. Nobody flinched, especially not platoon Sergeant Bode. He once lost four men out of a squad when a friendly mortar round landed on his patrolling men and he's learned to take the mistakes with the same calm that he takes the successes. The bad breaks have kept plaguing Bode ever since he got in the war the first week of May. Just a day earlier, his company commander, Capt. William G. Norberg of Providence, R.I., died along with a PFC when a mine went off. Then one of the outfit's best medics, PFC Thomas Lyle, got hit with a grenade and lost a leg. Bode had to go looking for another doc to nurse his Third Platoon. With a new company commander, they picked up and went back out on patrol. A single burst from a VC automatic rifle killed the newest man in the company. There was some argument whether the dead soldier's name was Oland, or Orland. Finally it was decided that his name was misspelled on his uniform and his right name was Oland, David, Specialist Fourth Class. Cause of death: a bullet through the heart.

[@KairuDeLarge]

Fantastic content as always.

[@multitieredinvestor5246]

After docking at the Saigon docks, the troop commander had many of us take up a defensive position on the dock WITHOUT AMMUNITION! We were there until the dock commander kicked us off. Fork lifts trying to navigate around us was a Chinese opera!

[@mikethemechanic7395]

:46 My unit patch. The leaning shit house. My first year was 1993 Army. As a kid I wished I was in Vietnam. Used to play in the woods and pretend I was in Nam. After Airborne school. I was picked up by a Full bird Col and was given a ride. He asked if he could tell me a story. I said sure. He told me he was in Nam the first week of Tet. He was almost killed by a 60mm round. The mud was so thick it did not detonate. A few weeks later he did a raid on a village. He shot into a hooch without looking. He killed a mom and her 2 kids. The Col cried for about a min. He dropped me off. When I saluted him. I cried. I took back my wish of ever wanting to be in Vietnam. I got to serve under the last of Nam vets. Got to hear some stories that never made it to the movies or books. I served 93-97. Somalia happened when I was in AIT. Never saw combat. It scared me for years. Was asked to rejoin after 9/11. O knew my history. I told the recruiter. The Russians lost. Why would the US do any better? I was right over 20 plus years later. At 48. I am glad I never saw combat.

[@jaybennett236]

8 years ago I was working in an assisted living facility. A man in his 90's had been in the 10th Mt. Division fighting in Italy. I told him my lottery number was too high to be drafted in 1970. He told me I was one of the lucky ones. Made me feel better. He wouldn't talk about his combat experiences. But several of his fellow soldiers wrote books about their experiences.

[@jaymass1178]

My dad was in the 25th. Cu Chi then to Quan Tri. 70-71

[@TenRingGaming]

You are very welcome, sir. And thank you for your service to this great nation.

[@sandeewood2948]

The 25th infantry division suffered the second highest casualties of the Vietnam War I believe more than fourty five hundred were killed in action..somewhere around thirty thousand wounded…the first air cavalry suffered the most casualties….

[@WolfsH0ok]

My uncle was a Medic with the 25th. He never spoke about it, until after 911 happened. I think it must have triggered something in him. He saw some awful stuff. He was an Irish immigrant and got drafted 66/67 settled in Minnesota after vietnam

[@kevinjohnson-lf3kj]

Tropical Lightning

[@johnstuartsmith]

@@kevinjohnson-lf3kj The Electric Strawberry...

[@Dr.Pepper001]

Highest respect to all who were drafted during the Vietnam War and who didn't run off to Canada.

[@sailormoon732]

A wise man would try to escape to Canada and not participate in a war for a president and the country that decided to invade and slaughter hundreds out of fear of communism spreading in Vietnam. Invaded, murdered and still lost the war. Good job.

[@truthseeker2321]

@@sailormoon732 Learn some history moron- invited in by the South Vietnamese Government, not invaded.

[@ceemore5862]

They should’ve never been allowed to come back.

[@robertisham5279]

​@@ceemore5862Yes they should've. Why should they be punished for not wanting to fight in some stupid war we shouldn't have been in the first place.

[@robertisham5279]

@@sailormoon732 Thank you. Someone who didn't drink the koolaid about Vietnam.

[@TheRodFarva]

My uncle arrived at Cu Chi in December of 1967 with the 25th ID 4/9th Alpha Co. 1st PLT.

[@edkelsey3617]

I think he changed his mind real quick

[@sureshchiatar9641]

Respect to everyone who stepped up, volunteered, etc.

[@terryfowler6090]

Sp.5 13e20. Arrived 15 jul 71. Americal div. Until deactivated. Then 196th brigade . Left Nam on 9 mar 72. Left early due to units being deactivated.

[@christopherneyfeldt4587]

Welcome home to all who served during this time. Thank you for protecting our freedom.

[@BenLewis-zi8wg]

Thank you!!!

[@robertisham5279]

Protecting our freedom from what. The Vietnamese were of no threat to us. They weren't trying to strip us of our freedom. They just wanted to be left alone.

[@BenLewis-zi8wg]

@@robertisham5279 do you know what communism is? If you think that is good go live in Russia under Putin a while and you will find out

[@BenLewis-zi8wg]

@@robertisham5279 sounds like to me your are a Biden fan

[@BenLewis-zi8wg]

@@robertisham5279 go to Russia and you will find out about no freedom

[@richard3536]

Color patches and non subdued stripes . Still early in the war .

[@xxxxxx-tq4mw]

The reporter said this pfc was from Johnstown, Pennsylvania, but he sounded like he was from Vermont or Maine

[@thebjm1967]

johnstown, pa!!!! that is close to me!!!

[@Thomas-uw1gq]

Me too.

[@jvolstad]

Fort Gordon, my old stomping grounds.

[@smokey77able]

What year was this

[@x-techgaming]

Was this footage colorized..? Or edited in any way?

[@wishicouldshowmyname5815]

Anyone involved, all I can say is thank you for your service, but that is never enough. I hate the Johnson and Nixon stupidity. They were very wrong. What foolishness

[@traviskarnes6825]

TF are you talking about? Nixon's Air to missile campaign broke the NVA IN HALF his covert Cambodia operations were successful AF. We had the NVA defeated Kissinger being the Communist stooge he was F-d many hungarians inbeded in Intelligence, State Department and DOD were mole operatives.

[@RaptorFromWeegee]

Don't forget Kennedy, he's the one that set us up to get sucked into it. At least give Nixon credit for getting us out of it honorably.

[@tuneyouup]

These guys had it good better then the rest in the jungle

[@donwalters8877]

All Heroes to me. Very proud. They went. Then you had guys like Tom Selleck, when receiving their draft orders and knowing they would go to Vietnam, somehow got into the national guard. But they claim they are one of the brave men who went, he's not.

[@martinjefferiss370]

Totally agree with Dr Pepper, I'm British.

[@oakspines7171]

The 25th insignia and the tent city of Cu-Chi.

[@AfromanKKK2]

What year was this shot?

[@richardhoepfner1633]

Before 1967, when subdued insignia was first issued in RSVN conflict.

[@ratter531]

In Viet Nam I saw way to much killings 24 hours day and night, bombs, mine fields, the rain, the heat of the jungle, this was over 50 years ago, I am still a mess us kids at age 20 killing in Nam was a f.. nightmare. We came back to our country, who treated us like shit .For those of us who made it back to the USA, we were hated for doing a war job we were forced to do

[@x-techgaming]

Looks like he's writing in cursive, to his letter to his Mom.

[@multitieredinvestor5246]

Which time? I had two of them. 65 & 69.

[@BlurrFn-]

thx for your service sir

[@kingdedede9135]

@@BlurrFn-don’t be a thoughtless enabler

[@BlurrFn-]

im 16 and dont understand how i am being a "Thoughtless enabler" @@kingdedede9135

[@SillyGoose2024]

Hot chow

[@victorsalisbury3554]

Letter6 man tent cabins I had to aply independence

[@pmf2994]

100% P&T, because of Cu Chi.

[@skybot9998]

Now we send text messages home.

[@radio645]

The Cat from Hue...

[@jamieshubby1]

@Fr33zeBurn Wow...real mature. Resorting to name calling.

[@robcombs3785]

FNG

[@RTH-xo6gl]

Yes dust, area had been defoliated by Agent Orange

[@CGonzales033]

everyone should read John Laurence's memoir "the Cat from Hue"

[@jopflah416]

CGonzales033 because you say so? Who the hell are you to tell anyone what to Do?

[@ninemilliondollars]

@@jopflah416 It's a recommendation. If you're not interested, don't reply and don't antagonize. Be a grownup.

[@user-sd2gd5pj7w]

Excellent book. Well worth the read.

[@pwilson6439]

CHILD !@@jopflah416

[@johnschneider4160]

...however, all that went to Canada lived!!

[@darrengilbert7438]

Should have never been allowed to return to the United States. They were all traitors. Should have made them stay in Canada.

[@Fr33zeBurn]

why am i still getting replies to this.. I didn't even post that comment it was a trolling friend, AND IT WAS TWO YEARS AGO. plus I hate Call of Duty.

[@rrai1999]

have another!

[@KienNguyen-lv4kb]

They came to Vietnam with the title of the world's number 1 skilled professional army and what they brought with them were bombs, bullets and death for my country.

[@Stanly-Stud]

No1 professional army 😂 Mostly conscripts

[@Slithey7433]

@@Stanly-Stud False.

[@RaptorFromWeegee]

No, you're wrong. HoChiMin brought you all the death and horrors.

[@70stunes71]

All the liberal veteran haters just move to those countries you support.

[@darrengilbert7438]

Agree. They're all traitors who don't deserve the benefits of living in the United States.

[@robertisham5279]

This is not a liberal or conservative issue.

[@vincegedeon6583]

Only a fool would have went to fight that war drafted or not no way in hell! We had no business there!!

[@user-td2jw9ze2c]

Yet Ali gets bashed for seeing it for what really was

[@StephanPluemer]

Trump did not go...

[@robertisham5279]

Who cares?

[@topgeardel]

This is just another Vietnam BS video. I like the one I watched years ago of some "yahoo" who thought the Vietnamese would greet him his first day like the French did to US GIs during WW2. Within his first hour he found out that was NOT true. The people either didn't care or were hostile toward him. I'm a proud Vietnam/Draft resistor. I was aware of that truth @ 18 so no way in hell was I throwing my life away for that scenario

[@Ignozi]

Being that aware at that age and not drinking the kool aid is quite impressive. Unfortunately a lot of service members (volunteers and draftees) were not.

[@oldblackstock2499]

First, a big respect and thank you to all service men and women who participated in Vietnam. No war should be waged without a declaration of war from congress. Vietnam was not our fight. It lasted 20 years and just got many U.S. service men killed. I highly respect you all. But, I don't fault the ones who went to Canada. Congress should have intervened and stopped it.

[@simjtuder2531]

“throwing your life away”…yeah, just like the 58,000 names on the Wall. As far as I am concerned you put up a bs piece and you can go f yourself.. Drafted RVN 69/70

[@traviskarnes6825]

You can go F- yourself Commie you cowardly, stayed in and enjoyed the perks of freedom and liberty under the blanket of defense from the very men who provided it for you and paid for in blood. Let me explain to you Boomer Hippie A-Hole Communist Soviet Russia wanted the entire Southeast Asian region through proxy surrogates CCP and North Vietnam Communist Republic; with the greater goal of all of Asia. If we hadn't fought the entire region would have fallen a lot harder to Communism than what happened in 75 and beyond. With that Communist, would have had an open road to destroy the entire West and Western civilization with it. You didn't go because you knew what's up? You didn't go because you didn't wanna die and were scared shitless of that prospect among other things.

[@robertisham5279]

You're talking about Bill Earhart aren't you? This is who you're talking about right? kzbin.info/www/bejne/qprbgKyfh511Y5osi=canl9F5n6s-EypHZ

[@Jimbo-og6ei]

Little did they know what was in store!!! 🫡respect