Posted on 09/21/2005 5:35:25 PM PDT by SandRat
It was a major city, a provincial capitol with the historic "Citadel", home to ancient rulers. (the walls were 26 foot thick, and it was occupied by the North Vietnamese.
It was the first major urban warfare by the Marine Corps since the capitol of Seoul was liberated after the landing at Inchon.
I would imagine our fight was much like the Marines in Fallujah, except the current Marines have a commander in chief that will let them use the tools that are available, unlike the piece of crap I served under. Lyndon (blow job) johnson, and mcnarra would not allow the use of "heavy" weapons.
And when I saw the movie, it seemed to be the kind of fighting I remembered. Usually not seeing the enemy, lots of sniping and firing at muzzle flashes.
I like R. Lee, but I still have to scream at my TV when he, or the writers, makes some blunder (usually related to artillery, or old weapons) on "Mail Call". But he gets to go to cool places and shoot cool weapons, and I'd give good money to do that.
Add Woman, booze and a fully functional washing machine.. ah! :-)
So what was he expecting when he volunteered for the Marines, and volunteered to be a sniper? When did he first realize it was all "for real", and the best way to come home in one piece, and with an intact mind, was to be the best killer you could be?
I had a pretty good idea it was "for real" when I got off the chartered flight at Ft Campbell, and on to the Army bus, in 1970. I wasn't going to wait until incoming rounds started before I accepted the fact that my life would condense down to "kill the enemy, protect your buddies, and come home in one piece".
The only disillusionment I had was the chow hall at Echo-Seven-Two. It consistently won "best mess hall" at Ft Campbell year after year. I shuddered to think what everybody else's chow must have been like.
bingo...
he laments over the reason he is sent to SWA... boo friggin' hoo...
we all thought it was great that we were finally going to get to kill $#itheads that needed killin'...
SOG: The Secret Wars Of America's Commandos In Vietnam by John L. Plaster, Major USA Retired
Review: From Library Journal
For all the negative imagery attached to Americans who served in Vietnam, an unbiased and sober review of the historical accounts
reveals an astonishing record of valor and sacrifice. Largely unknown outside of military circles, the Studies and Observation Group
(SOG) was a U.S. Special Forces detachment formed to penetrate the Ho Chi Minh Trail and to rescue downed airmen. Plaster (Ultimate
Sniper, Paladin, 1993), a veteran of three tours of duty with SOG, has written the most complete account of the missions to date.
Together with their Montagnard and Nung allies, these small-raiding, observation, and rescue parties were inserted within enemy
strongholds on uniformly perilous missions. Always outnumbered, SOG volunteers suffered catastrophic casualty rates. They also earned
ten Congressional Medals of Honor. Written as a tribute to the memory of fallen comrades, Plaster's narrative is an engrossing and
thoroughly exciting account of this unknown aspect of the Vietnam War. Highly recommended for academic and public libraries.?John R.
Vallely, Siena Coll. Lib., Loudonville, N.Y.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Try War Story by Jim Morris
Try War Story by Jim Morris
Thanks, I'll look it up.
With few exceptions, I'm not a fan of military books (fiction or nonfiction), but I'd rate this one high.
"I think apocalypse now is a farcical piece of $hit," somemoreequalthanothers wrote.
One person's trash is another person's treasure.
I saw "Apocalypse Now" when it was released and then waited about 15 years before I watched it again. The second time I was by myself at home with a note pad in hand.
To me the movie was filled with hundreds of metaphors. Depending on one's experience in Vietnam, any number of them can be relevant.
I can truly say that what was depicted in the scenes in "AN" didn't happen to me, but, by the time I was through with the second viewing, I had about 75 references jotted down on my note pad about things that did. Many of those references were long forgotten, repressed if you like, since serving two tours in Vietnam.
AN wasn't intended to be a literal movie depicting "Vietname." It was intended as a update to Conrad's Heart of Darkness. However, since John (Red Dawn) Milius wrote part of the screenplay, there's no doubt there was some accuracy.
I don't know the history of the film but I do know what it did for me.
I will say that I have never talked to anyone who said that anything in AN accurately depicted any of their experiences in Vietnam. But, the movie is a great memory jogger if one allows it to be.
I was at the 3706 BMTS Flt 209 Dorm B2 September - October.
SSGT Euregas and TSgt McIntyre
The female D & B flight dayroom door was connected to ours. Lois Mock was an interest of mine :) met at the laundry room
She went to Keelser, I went to Chanute....
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