Michael Braxton - USMC 1968-70 | Vietnam War

(The following except is taken from Captain Hopgood’s draft of the Bronze Star Award citation)
Michael Braxton served with Company “E”, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division. Until April 1, 1970. He served as the Company Radio Operator and participated in many combat operations, including "Pipestone Canyon", and was always a highly visible and inspiring leader to all those with whom he worked. Sgt. Braxton called in over thirty emergency medical evacuations: his prompt and professional actions undoubtedly resulted in the saving of many lives and materially enhanced the morale of his unit. An expert in calling in close air support and adjusting supporting arms, he was instrumental in many defeats suffered by the enemy at his units’ hands. Reassigned as the Right Guide on 1 April 1970, he continued to provide outstanding service as he readily carried out and directed all the supply and logistic functions of his unit. While his actions in many combat operation were brave and produced outstanding results, his actions on 19 May 1970, about six miles south of Da Nang are typical. Sgt Braxton led his unit against a suspected enemy bunker. He simultaneously directed air support and automatic weapons fire on a suspected enemy bunker. His bold and decisive actions resulted in the capture of four enemy soldiers and two rifles at no cost to his unit.
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00:00 - Opening Titles
00:20 - Skip Intro

[@kentkrajick5496]

this guy is the "real deal".........humble, but did his job for his brothers........an example for ALL of us- duty, honor , country. A true "man"

[@Brotherken1234]

Agree 💯

[@garyluck8502]

Thanks for your service I was there in 67. Every one please remember the ones that didn’t make it back home?

[@mechcavandy986]

🇺🇸🫡

[@laurasalazar9222]

Thanks for kicking ass for me in Vietnam ! I understand completely why American soldiers were there , my hat is off to you for your service my friend , thank you !!!! 😊

[@Michael-CharlesAust-ee5oo]

American corporations funded the NSDAP. Best Enemies Money Can Buy - Antony Sutton.

[@MykeFord950]

You sound foolish

[@d888verush3]

Thank you for surviving the war for all of us, sir. Semper Fi

[@tomrutherford3139]

You represented all of us well, Michael. Semper Fi, Marine!

[@kennethprice5628]

Welcome home brother, you served with honor, sir, I salute you...72 yo Navy Veteran

[@williehubbard3989]

Thank you Mr.Braxton for your service and sacrifice 🙏🏾 may God continue to watch over you 🙏🏾♥️

[@timo4040]

Very good story teller. I can listen to him all day

[@elishameeks1726]

Great to hear your experiences as a 2531. I was lucky enough to lead 85 2531/33s at 8th Comm. Bn. Camp Lejeune post Vietnam. A third of them were like you, Vietnam Veterans. They were all fine Marines whose experiences were invaluable. Semper Fi,

[@christiantroy3034]

The love for his Brothers, just Marine Corps Green, Light Green and Dark Green

[@user-os5he2op7n]

Wonderful , humble man!! Semper Fidelis!! 0311 USMC

[@5330MALLARD]

They will never be forgotten. And, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.

[@frankcastle4435]

Sir God Bless you, thank you for your service and welcome home Marine. Semper Fi

[@jason-hy8ci]

Thank you, Mr. Braxton your story was enlightening and encouraging your humble and selfless attitude is everything that I have tried to bring to my life everyday. And thank you for your dedication and sacrifices for they allowed me to try to exercise those freedoms everyday. God Bless you and 🎉WELCOME HOME!!!!!!🇺🇲 🎊WE LOVE YOU. 🇺🇲

[@feltwedge]

Thank you for sharing. People like you set a high bar for those of us who followed.

[@venomizd93]

What an awesome human being this gent is!! Thank you!

[@kenwenzel9040]

Michael, thank you for your service. God bless you for your return to the world. This from one Vietnam vet to his brother in arms.

[@ejsocci2630]

Welcome home,thank you all so much for your service.👊🏻🇺🇸

[@Flu_Tang_Clan]

Thank you, sir.

[@bradr2142]

Thank you for your service to us. Your just a hell of man. This is a great channel i like and subscribe.

[@user-pc9nr2mc4r]

This Marine is a hero. What impresses me is after all the shit he went through he came back and went to 8th and I and served with the USMC silent drill team. If you have never seen this fantastic performance with the Drum and Bugle Corp and The President's Own. Fantastic!

[@pekolucky]

Thanks Michael for sharing your experiences in Viet Nam with us, and I'sorry for the loss of your good friends and your beloved wife. God bless you and Semper Fi.

[@unclelarry9138]

Thank you Michael.

[@jhaymanmyles2226]

Great story, thanks for your service.

[@timcordero8453]

Thank you sir and God bless you

[@TheGainfather]

Welcome home and thank you for your service. God bless all Vietnam vets. You helped pave the way for the vets before and after you. You'll never be forgotten. 🙏

[@georgepobi3531]

The only colors in the corps are green as brothers..light green medium green and dark green . I love all my buddies. I was comm also , Wireman and 2511. Hugs

[@thomasglenn1454]

Semper fi- thank you

[@michaelbimonte9112]

INCREDIBLE INDIVIDUAL … ARTICULATE AS THEY COME!!! GOD LESS YOU SEMPER FI!!!

[@chadkesterson1173]

Thank you!

[@Hemidakota]

"U DA MAN MIKE!" Semper Fi brother.

[@robertpage5053]

Bless you, humbled by your sacrifice. You are the best this Nation has to offer, one of the few who has made the great sacrifice by Bravely serving in harms way.🇺🇸🙏

[@johnciummo3299]

Michael. Served with Hotel 2/1 for 5 weeks as a Marine Scout Dog Handler north of the Cua Viet river. Skipper P.T. Jones was the CO then. Great unit and I was proud to serve with them. Later they went to Marble Mountain. I moved on to serve 30 days with 1st Recon. During my tour I served with various units with the 1st,5th and 7th Marines. Got out in June of 69. Worked my way thru college earned two degree’s and went into the Chemical Industry. Had a great career and retired in 2013. I have blessed. You are to honored! Semper Fi.

[@oldguyofarizona8602]

Thank you sir for carrying the burden for me.

[@steveedington5231]

awesome story you guys are my heros always will be.I served 28years army and air force reserves but full time thank you

[@Mr0001jack]

Thank you for your service - you are quite the man - God bless you 😊‼️

[@stevenwiederholt7000]

When I watch shows like this "My God We Were So Young!" come to mind.

[@user-sm5qk6te9p]

Truth be told D/ Sgt 75/77. I know thanks old school hard times Mississippi

[@edwardoverton1662]

Thank you for your service. For me it was US Army, 72-76. Always loyal..

[@hudson5573]

God Bless you Marine! Your video really touched me, you're a true American Hero. SMSgt Hudson, USAF Retired

[@williamfreeh1198]

i am a navy air corp vet and i thank you for your service.

[@amir4r803]

Thank you for sharing, thank you for your service...God bless

[@shawnathon60]

What a great man,, thnx 4 ur service and sacrifice!

[@AllAroundAtlanta]

God bless you and all the other warriors!

[@db0311usmc]

Semper Fi Brother

[@stevewalker4638]

Thanks for your service..

[@williammills9507]

You are the coolest guy!

[@ken2tou]

Army Qui Nhon, Long My Depot, ‘69-70. ll Corps logistics command 1st Log Division. Our unit stored and hauled ordnance, food, water, mogas, JP 4 (Phukha AFB) along with AO. The mine sweepers were our friends.

[@christianlorenz843]

Thanks,, Sir.

[@gilbertapodaca9747]

God Bless you and your family sir !!!

[@jmarco4331]

THANK YOU!

[@jimd8008]

Thank you

[@darrellwyatt1265]

Sir, I have the utmost respect for each and every one of you soldiers. You guys were and still are The Best of The Best. I can only attempt to try and visualize and understand what you guys had to go through over there. GOD BLESS EACH AND EVERY SOLDIER WHO ANSWERED OUR COUNTRY'S CALL TO GO AND SERVE. YOU GUYS ARE HEROS EACH AND EVERY ONE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR GREAT COUNTRY.

[@libertyman3729]

Well presented , Thanks for getting this out . 66-67 alumni A 1/26

[@breider1116]

63-69 alumn

[@ralphfenortner3026]

An exceptional man!

[@chillymoe0331]

Welcome Home Brother.

[@timp3035]

Thanks Mr Braxton. Gods speed.

[@wtpence4731]

Semper Fi Marine ! Sgt.,69-72

[@georgepobi3531]

Semper fidelis Marine...

[@Shinobi33]

The love he feels for his brothers is palpable. And was that R Lee Emery at 1:20? He was a Drill Sgt during the Vietnam War.

[@mikemeeds4648]

US MARINE VIETNAM VETERAN, love you Semper FI God bless you.

[@luckyorion9634]

Amazing!!!

[@JoeSimone-xz7lm]

God Bless this American Hero!

[@universalsoldier462]

Salute

[@jamesoconnor110]

Semper Fi brother

[@JohnRodriguez-zn4gf]

Yes, when they tell me "... Thank You For Your Service...". I also tell them you are Welcome and then say " Now Where is my Check...?"

[@boondocker7964]

You got it on the 1st and 15th, of every month, just like the rest of us did.

[@badlt5897]

The sad part is I flew on the same Phrogs from this video in the 90s!! LOL

[@jserran2]

Semper Fi

[@boondocker7964]

Did RVN '66-'67, E/2/1 1st Mar Div. Know Anderson trail real good.

[@user-wn3il5fq9l]

My dad was a Marine and tunnel rat he was in Vietnam in 69 70 and im trying to find a way to get his metals does any one know how i can get them when he passed away we could not find them i was 15 years old when he passed away and I don't know ware they went i know he had quite a few i have them in a file of his can u order them no offense to any veterans im just trying to have them

[@chrlmmartin7776]

This guy is a warrior.

[@thomasfx3190]

Thank you so much for protecting me by fighting for democracy in Vietnam. Welcome home.

[@markjfox866]

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽🙏🏼🎖🎖🎖

[@mechcavandy986]

🇺🇸🫡

[@72stones43]

Why don’t you do one with that trump guy?

[@BinhLe-bz2eu]

The Truth about the Vietnam War that was never fully told. United States had No intention of winning the Vietnam War from the very beginning. Fear it might become like the Korean War with mass continuing Communist Chinese troops from China pouring against American military force in Vietnam. And the threat of a thermal nuclear War with the Soviet Union. This why United States never launched a full US military ground invasion against North Vietnam. The Vietnam War started during the Civil Rights movement and racial tension between whites and blacks all across America. Several members in the US government were segregationist and they had their eyes dumping their Blacks problem on Vietnam with the chaos that was happening in Vietnam at that time between Communist North Vietnam and South Vietnam. At that time, the South Vietnamese had 250,000 troops and North Vietnamese had 60,000 troops and the DMZ line had already been establish at the 17th parallel. Many Vietnamese peoples from both North and South did Not support going to War and killing each other over the idea of Communist. Even though several North and South Vietnamese leaders believe Vietnam should Not be divided and try to distrupt one another. But they couldn't rally enough support among the Vietnamese peoples in Vietnam to support going to War. Until Nov. 2, 1963 When JF Kennedy and LB Johnson order his CIA to stage a military coup assasination on a catholic South Vietnamese President, Ngô Đình Diệm and his young brother Ngô Đình Nhu. This give America the power to do what ever they want to Vietnam and to the Vietnamese peoples. And they appointed an ex-Vietminh soldiers for Ho Chi Minh, Nguyễn Văn Thiệu as their puppet South Vietnamese President. The South Vietnamese President who cause the lives of 500,000 South Vietnamese troops killed or capture by the North Vietnamese army and their communist allies The Pathet Lao army, and the Communist Khmer Rouge army of Cambodia when he order them to be station and patrol in Kampuchea. And who told Nguyễn Văn Thiệu to do so? The United States, fear more Americans troops will be killed in Kampuchea. 20 days after the military coup assassination of South Vietnamese President Ngô Đình Diệm and his young brother Ngô Đình Nhu. US President JF Kennedy was assasinated in Dallas, TX on Nov 22, 1963 and LB Johnson was sworn in as the 36th US President. On Aug 10, 1964, US President LB Johnson declare US military action to Vietnam over an alleged attack on a US destroyer, Maddox that was on patrol past the 17th parallel near Hanoi, the capital of North Vietnam. While supporting the South Vietnam. 500,000 US ground troops was sent to fight in Vietnam. 40% of those US troops that were sent to fight in Vietnam were adult blacks male along with high school drop out white male, non-college white male, trouble teen white male, and white convict male were all sent to fight in Vietnam. And when these US troops arrive in Vietnam and they did their "Search and Destroyed mission." The Communist North Vietnam gain mass support for their cause and their army grew from 60,000 troops to over 1,000,000 troops. In 1975, the Democrats control congress cuts off funds to all US promise military aids to South Vietnam causing the Fall of Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam on April 30, 1975. Thus began a mass flow of Vietnamese refugee fleeing out of Vietnam. 10 of thousands of Vietnamese refugee died at sea from hunger, thirst, illness, Thai pirates, and Chinese warships. Today over 100's of thousands young South Vietnamese childrens are born of birth defect from the US toxic biological chemical, Agent Orange which the US military spray all over rivers and forest of South Vietnam. 3,000,000 innocent Vietnamese civilians of women, childrens, and old peoples had to die in their country during the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War is the worse United States War Crime in history. From Truman, JF Kennedy and LB Johnson were all were WWI and WWII veteran who sent the next young American men to become killers. Why I post this is because for years I'm tired Americans use Vietnam War as a Propaganda War story. Telling peoples that they there to help South Vietnam fight against communist North Vietnam. When America is the root cause of the Vietnam War and the downfall of South Vietnam.

[@AllAroundAtlanta]

Let it go. We've all heard you type of rant and it serves no purpose at this point except for yourself.

[@BinhLe-bz2eu]

@@AllAroundAtlanta The one who still whine about the Vietnam War that end 49 yrs ago are American. Let the Vietnam War rest and stop bragging a War that their country started.

[@BinhLe-bz2eu]

@@Randy_Richmond Your US President LB Johnson. You don't remember when he announced of US military deployment to Vietnam over the Gulf of Tonkin incidents? You can pull the video of your US President LB Johnson announced the deployment of US troops to Vietnam over the Gulf of Tonkin incidents on KZbin. You can also pull LB Johnson admitting of killing the former South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem on KZbin and JF Kennedy too. This is year after when United States agreed to support a South Vietnamese politician Ngo Dinh Diem when he was appointed by the emperor of Vietnam Bao Dai Nguyen and France as President of South Vietnam when France lost all claims to Indochina in 1954.

[@BinhLe-bz2eu]

@@Randy_Richmond Your US President LB Johnson over the Gulf of Tonkin incidents that happen on August 2, 1964. You can pull out that video on KZbin on LB Johnson reports on the Gulf of Tonkin incidents. You can also pull out LBJ admits assassinating Diem on KZbin and JFK speak of Diem Coup and all this happen during the Civil Rights movement. Ngo Dinh Diem was a South Vietnamese President whom was appointed by the emperor of Vietnam, Bao Dai Nguyen and France as President of South Vietnam. And America agreed to stay and support him. This was when France lost all claims to Indochina in 1954. That later change when a young Democrat by the name JF Kennedy became US President in 1961. And guess who President JF Kennedy put as President of South Vietnam after the military coup assassination of South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem? Nguyễn Văn Thiệu. Nguyễn Văn Thiệu Văn Thiệu is an ex-Vietminh soldier to Ho Chi Minh whom many of your US Vietnam Vet would know him as NVA, Vietcong, or gook. And you can pull Nguyễn Văn Thiệu online and read his biography. You and all your fellow Americans Vietnam Vet were helping North Vietnam the day you step foot to South Vietnam and bring your racist way from United States to the Vietnamese peoples during your Search and Destroyed mission. The Communist North Vietnamese knew of this and planted those weapons Into those village. You and all your fellow Americans Vietnam Vets is the key for Communist North Vietnamese winning the War.

[@BinhLe-bz2eu]

@@Randy_Richmond What is AA are you talking about? While you at it. You can pull this on KZbin You can look up these videos on KZbin video and see/ listen yourself and see and listen your President JF Kennedy and LB Johnson admitting the killing and assasination of South Vietnamese President. A year after that, LB Johnson declare US military action to Vietnam. 1) LBJ Admits assassinating Diem (1967) 2) JFK Speak of Diem Coup -Whitehouse Tapes Assassination. 3) Lyndon Johnson -Report on the Gulf of Tonkin Incident. 4) Whistleblower John White on Gulf of Incident. 5) President Lyndon Johnson using the N word. 6) Violent racism during peaceful protests in the Civil Rights Movement. 7) Lyndon Johnson - Report on the Gulf of vT 8) LBJ announce Vietnam increase and rise in draft. 9) The Truth about the Vietnam War (PragerU) Look up the bio Nguyễn Văn Thiệu. The South Vietnamese President that US President JF Kennedy place as President of South Vietnam after he had the South Vietnamese catholic President, Ngô Đình Diệm and his younger brother, Ngô Đình Nhu killed.

[@184876ela]

TRUE MARINE SEMPER FI

[@laurasalazar9222]

I’m not sure if I could have let a Vietnamese barber cut my hair or shave me with one of those straight razors since not knowing exactly who the enemy was , Geesh !!!