Combat Marine’s Five Year Odyssey in the Vietnam War | Full Veteran Interview

[@johnciummo3299]

Captain James Graham, MOH, was my company CO at Camp LeJeune, NC. I was straight out of PI and ITR. Third Battalion, Sixth Marines. I joined the Marines in June of 65, three days after graduating from high school. He was a straight shooter. Tough but fair. He shipped out to to VN shortly after I joined the company. We were all a bit shocked when we found out he was KIA.

[@MyAyeNusHurtz]

Welcome home Brother. Thank u for your service. Super happy you can use KZbin and find these stories

[@johnciummo3299]

Served from 6/65 thru 6/69. Vietnam from 2/68 thru 3/69. Was a Scout Dog Handler attached to the 1st MarDiv. Pulled stints with rifle companies with the 1st,5th,7th Marines plus 1st Recon. Came home with a Bronze Star w/V, 2 Purple Hearts, Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry and Combat Action medal. Went to college and retired in 2013 after a wonderful career in the chemical industry. Stumbled upon this interview. It’s and yet haunting. Semper Fi.

[@jon-jo5pn]

Colonel Houghton, CO of the 5th Marine Regiment in 1967, was a Major General and was the Commanding Officer of MCRD in San Diego while I was at Marine Corps boot camp from August of '76 until November '76. General Houghton retired in November of 1977. He was renowned for leading the 5th Marines in some very tough combat in the Que Son valley during 1967. Colonel (lieutenant) Houghton had fought in WWII (Tarawa and Saipan). Korea (Captain, Pusan, Inchon, 2 Purple Hearts, Silver Star) and as the CO of the 5th Marines in 1967 in Vietnam. (Colonel, 2nd Silver Star award, and a Navy Cross, Que Son battles). My General Houghten at MCRD in 1976 was the same Colonel Houghton that was Captain Graham's Regimental Commander on May 26th, 1967, when Captain Graham was killed (MOH) near Que Son while desperately trying to save his Fox Company. I had no idea that Fall at boot camp in 1976!

[@kennethprice5628]

Welcome home Marine, you served with honor, I sslute you, Sir...72 yo Navy Veteran, never in country

[@LightWarriors4Life]

Happy Veterans Day to all our Brothers and Sisters, much love ❤️🇺🇸

[@jakhaughton1800]

Mr Marengo explains the chaos of the Vietnam. Arriving with no maps or plan on their mission. To spend 5 years in that Hell must’ve been a nightmare. It’s brave men like this that sadly we’re lacking in todays society. Westmoreland had a lot to answer for.

[@tombats6428]

But as far as the top shirt is concerned one of the best interviews I've had. 0 except the commercials

[@StoryBeam-YT]

Happy Veterans Day to all of you! 😍

[@dogfoodking]

Wow. Thank you for your service. This is one of the most captivating accounts of combat I have ever listened to.

[@boondocker7964]

Did RVN '66-'67 2/1 1st Mar Div, did Union 1 + 2, Queson valley/mts., Every day was a holiday, ever meal was a banquet. Higher ups in the rear, surrounded by the CP group, nice and safe.

[@jon-jo5pn]

Wow! Heavy duty shit during Union I and Union II. Operation Swift right before Union! An Hoa, Antenna Valley, Elephant valley, No-Goi Island. 1,000 Marine KIA's in the Que Son, Hiep Duc valleys, mountains for 5 grueling months, May-September of 1967. At least 2 Medal of Honors! (MOH). Hue, Khe Sahn, Danang......yes, but more Marines/Americans KIA during the Vietnam War in the Que Son area than anywhere in Vietnam, at any time! And Know body has ever heard of the Que Son? Don't forget that the US Army ended up in the Que Son (Americanal Division. The largest Army division ever) after the Marines went further North for the TET offensive battles in late '67 early '68, and the Army got the Shit Kicked out of them every day in that area! (2nd NVA "Yellow Star" Division). Would you enjoy reading an excellent book about the battles? The "Road of 10,000 pains" authored by, Otto Lehrack, tells the story of that terrible summer! The book might even be at your local public library to check out for Free? I was a peace time Marine with 3/1 Comm plt. I spent 3 years and 9 months with the 1st Marine Regiment. (Camp Horno). The 5th Marines were down the road nearer to Main-Side and the airstrip then ('76-'80). I guess the 9th Marines are at Pendelton now (7th Marines old billets?) and the 7th Marines relocated out to 29 Palms/Southern Mohave dessert? 3/1 fought in the 2nd battle of Fallujah in Iraq and got "hurt" pretty badly that November of 2004 operation. (Lima Co. 3/1, 34 KIA, six weeks of heavy house-to-house fighting).

[@boondocker7964]

@@jon-jo5pn Read the book 10k Pains, good read. Did Hastings, did a bunch of smallish ops, in between, the Union's were really intense for a lot of units, not so much for my squad, could have been a lot worse, some one up there must have liked me. I went back to the world in Aug. '67, Operation Swift was in Sept. '67, some 3+ months after Union 2. I'm not so sure that the KIA's were 1000, for just those 5 months, could have been, but, more than likely it was for the entire time that the USMC had units in the QueSon valley/mtns. area from '65 till they pulled all the units out and back to the USA. Did Op Mississippi Dec '66, can't recall it too well, if it is the one I'm thinking about, it was in support of a rice transfer operation, and we were stuck on a hill, and didn't get resupplied with C's for two days, cuz the '46's were supposedly too busy flying rice away from the VC/NVA to government controlled areas, wonderful monsoon weather, cold and rainy, but, no contact.

[@boondocker7964]

@@jon-jo5pn You might want to pick up a copy of: SWIFT SWORD, Marines of Mike 2/5.

[@ellisandrews440]

An exceptional talk. A fantastic memory and the best talk I have heard about Vietnam

[@darcybowers3258]

THANK YOU to all who served.

[@Historyguy277]

Remarkable career!

[@jon-jo5pn]

I stand corrected! You are so correct on the September dates of 1967 for operation Swift, Sir. You also mentioned operation Hastings. Lots of well-armed, new haircuts, very motived Unfriendlys just South of the DMZ during Hastings. If you were in the Que Son area you must have been in or near Hiep Duc? Very unfriendly for you Marines and later the US Army's 31st Inf. 196 Light Infantry/Americal Div. in that rugged, mountainous, jungle, and fallow paddy area. Rocky Blair had been drafted into the US Army December 4th, 1968, during near the end of his rookie season with the Pittsburgh Steelers and then volunteered for combat in Vietnam. Rocky served as a squad leader with a 40mm M-79 grenade launcher in the Hiep Duc/Que Son valleys while in Vietnam. Rocky Blair, (running back) who eventually went back to the Pittsburg Steelers (1970-80) and Won 4 Super bowls with Terry Bradshaw and crew was severely WIA twice on the same day by a 2nd PAVN/NVA Division enemy ambush on August 20th, 1969, near Que Son. (5th Marines old stomping grounds in 1966-'67). 1st wounded by an enemy gunshot to the left thigh and then the second wounding by enemy grenade fragments while he was "down" that severely wounded his right foot and lower right leg. (the 7th Marines were supporting the Americal/196th during that operation by operating in the Hiep Duc District of Que Son in support). He lost part of his right foot in the engagement and later the doctors at the VA in Tokyo said Rocky would never play football again. With the help of his teammates and a lot of determination, Rocky Blair returned to professional football with a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart.

[@Gary-ux9yo]

Thanks my man your a hero

[@crackcoursehistory4566]

Holy shit he’s talking about Carlos Hancock in the Vietnamese female sniper Hancock killed.

[@davidjacobs9644]

Thank you

[@denishannan1408]

Excellent. Great people.

[@otadashi1570]

Could someone please get this man a glass of water.

[@MyAyeNusHurtz]

He didnt drink smoke or curse.. that was 3 signs for me

[@bryanfrombuffalo7685]

1:23:55 i had to have some coffee....b4 it jumped off...i love that

[@mickeykillian613]

Combat Veterans - American Royalty

[@lifeinlimbo2186]

Any Marines remember or serve with Herman Troester? Served in Vietnam sometime between 64 n 69. Also did Howitzer div. and D.I. during his 20 years of service and retired Gunnery sargent 1974. Transferred between Camp Pendelton and Camp Lejuine. Last stationed at Camp Lejuine. Any reply would be greatly appreciated. Thank you,and on behalf of Herman E. Troester,Jr.,Semper Fi

[@philreppert1993]

Semper Fi from your Navy corpsman

[@jamescrouch740]

You got hit by an anti sniper group that were sent for snipers not a

[@jamescrouch740]

Small group

[@tombats6428]

0 too many commercial breaks. That earns you a thumbs down

[@Thevietnamexperience]

KZbin automatically places commercials on the video, I have no control over it. Your thumbs down only hurts my channel and ensures this man’s story will be seen by fewer people.

[@boondocker7964]

@@Thevietnamexperience Git 'em!