Some very close calls but I am alive at age 74. They also had a 12 gauge, and a M 79 grenade launcher and M 16. 30 Apr 2023 00:05:29 Once they were on the continent in 1944, other than the initial days of the Battle of the Bulge, there were few withdrawals in the face of the enemy. As it was, less than 40 did not need evacuation. Thank God I made it. Michael Doolittle..I was with 1/8 inf, 1st Brigade, and that day, March 22nd was also our darkest day. 10 1/2 months in the bush. When Roeski got hit, I took over the M-60. Instead, they were soon engulfed in the biggest battle of US Army history. The American lines in the Ardennes were thin when the Germans attacked there in 1944 in part because the troops stationed there were there to rest. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_aircraft_losses_of They accomplished the task with little knowledge of the tactical situation which drove them to take and abandon positions, engage and disengage the enemy, sleep in the open in driving rain, sleet, snow, or the hot humid summer of 1944. If the enemy was near, we never saw any. Dap, Hope this helps. The Army currently lists AT&T, Hewlett-Packard, Kraft Foods Global, Sears Holdings Corporation, Time Customer Service, and Walgreens as partners of PaYS and great employers for Army Infantryman post-service. Be glad you served with a soldiers soldier like LTC Herbert. I spent 10 1/2 months in the jungles of Vietnam. He encountered the open fields and farmlands of France, the dense woods of the Ardennes, the mountainous terrain in Italy, Les Voges, and Alsace, in all weather conditions. From the Landing Zone, we were carried not too far. I always was told that the life expectancy of a LT was 14 seconds in INITIAL combat versus 9 seconds for an RTO. In total, the United States military lost in Vietnam almost 10,000 aircraft, helicopters and UAVs (3,744 planes, 5,607 helicopters and 578 UAVs). 1st Platoon, C Company, 2nd Battalion 327th Infantry. I quit trying to make sense of all the numbers that have been generated about Vietnam. The key may be the word initial since we became more savvy with successive combats and had improved survivability. We used to provide cover for these guys. American infantry from the 28th Infantry division march on the Champs Elysees in Paris. I was over there twice serving as a Hospital Corpsman with a marine unit. Your email address will not be published. During the Second World War, the US military purchased about 1.9 million Colt .45 semiautomatic pistols, manufactured by Colt Firearms and under license by the Remington Rand Typewriter Company, Singer Sewing Machine Company, and other contractors. Hats off to them. HOOAH!!! A sled laden with ammunition is dragged by US infantrymen towards the fighting during the Battle of the Bulge in 1944. Marching through rain and mud, or in snow, soaked the feet, making them susceptible to blisters and trench foot. As I made it back to the road I remember seeing the I applaud the courage and difficult and all so dangerous job of Roger Herforth when he served as an RTO for the Hawk Recon Platoon of the 101st airborne division in Vietnam.. They used the callsign MEDIVAC and were armed. When Apache Snow began, I was an RTO, after Airborne, and before the CA on Dong Ap Bia, I became the AG for Roeski. I met a Marine a few years ago who was stationed North of Da Nang. Sorry,I was one of your Brothers in Arms that helped talk you out of enlisting for another year in Vietnam. Housing: Allowances for living expenses, utilities, and maintenance. Two of my classmates were killed within 2 weeks incountry and three wounded I know of. He said when they were ambushed they took defensive positions, returned fire, called for assistance when needed, and retreated when necessary. Life was seemingly grand for Napoleon's army, but reality told a far different story. Most of us have memories of these kind of experiences. Soldiers also act in the mobilization of vehicles, weaponry, troops, and more. 1st Cav, 101st, etc. I was trained as a RTO in 1970 at Fort Ord then went to Fort Gordon for teletype school, my MOS was 05C20 when I finished. As an Infantryman, you may be listed as an MOS 11X. Their war was a personal one, with the enemy when engaged in plain sight, and the casualties inflicted by themselves and their unit revealed before their eyes. In our spare time we did medevacs and medcaps for the local communities and when required inserted SEALs . Each battalion contained a heavy weapons company with machine guns and mortars, and three rifle companies of infantrymen. 2) by my research, medics suffered 93% casualties with about 33% deaths. The Infantry makes up approximately 15% of the Armys total force. Appx: 6 months in, all of the 543d TC joined forces with the 572d TC. They were lazy, cowardly and of questionable loyalty, especially the RUFF/PUFFS, and they would steal your under ware if given half a chance. What was the average life expectancy for soldiers during World War 2? There is no guarantee that recruits going through 11X Infantry Enlistment Option will become MOS 11B. said to me. See my calculation below in the comments bogus indeed. Related Article: Marine Machine Gunner (MOS 0331): Job Description And Summary. If there was anything to this life expectancy of a few minutes then myself and many of my friends that are still alive today would be a long time dead. LUCK pure LUCK. Care of his feet was paramount to the infantrymen since they were his primary means of conveyance. Lo in France. Depending on the season in which they arrived, the camps could be pleasant or miserable; for example, Mediterranean fall sunshine or the bitter Mistral winds of winter. In Vietnam 70% 0f the casualties were Infantry BUT it might be 70% of ALL the Infantry that served in Vietnam. Some Brothers said why spend another year in this hellhole???? Since U.S. Army Infantrymen are the primary land defense for the branch of the military they regularly participate in shooting drills. I had a 20% death rate in my Hospital Corpsman Class. Mail though censored was read and written. [1] However, this claim is as much an indictment of US Army personnel practices and miscalculations as it is an indicator of tank crew losses. Infantrymen must protect the country against any threat by land. For an infantryman, the Expert Infantry Badge is the gold-medal standard. I did worry about the strength of my flax vest. The one number that is really important is 56,220 and we all know what that number represents. To cut the Ho Chi Minh Traila week after the mission endedthe trail was booming with business from the north.. Ed, I was in a Grunt Platoon in Vietnam 70-71. If my memory is correct, only the 1st Cab flew wiith doorgunners. Different jobs have different life expectancy. Related Article Marine Corps Infantry Assault (MOS 0351): Career Details. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Different type units, different locations, different opinions on dangers. Really? That was the reason for two dog tags. My bud, Price took over as RTO. a RTO got killed, it happened within 5 seconds but not that always ALL RTOs got killed. As of July 2019, the Army had 19,820 11B Infantryman on active duty. The 276th was not going into combat as a division, but as a task force, meaning that it was used to plug gaps in the line in response to fluid conditions during the German attack in Belgium. Yes, I made E4 at graduation, that was considered a NCO then. They did not carry weapons. Commanders like him were few and far between many were afraid of their own shadow and were only there to get their ticket punched. In previous American wars volunteer units were often composed of men from the same communities, but not in World War II, when a typical squad included members from all over the United States. Sore feet and sore backs were part of life. While waiting for their orders for deployment the food was at least usually hot and plentiful, opportunities to fraternize with the welcoming French were frequent, and the mail arrived regularly bringing news from home. Color Vision discrimination for MOS 11B is red/green. The special military bonus is reserved for particular in-demand, or highly-dangerous positions. It didnt matter who you were or where you were. The Republic of Vietnam lost 1,018 aircraft and helicopters from January 1964 to September 1973. The 11X recruiting program is designed to pipeline Army Basic Training to the Army Infantry training program. The job training for 11B requires 14 weeks of One Station Unit Training (OSUT) which is a combination of time spent in the classroom and in the field. Wow I was 31.8 Gun shot Carried model 1200 Winchester shot gun WIA May 68 Article was great. All the members of the squad carried additional weapons, including a sidearm and bayonet, and when deployed in the field carried both smoke and shrapnel grenades. Every infantryman must be fluent in any weapon and equipment that is involved in the operation. It is an important role of MOS 11B and just one of their many responsibilities. If you have other information let me know. Since infantrymen spent a lot of time on or digging in the ground, most rotated out of combat for rest and recreation as a grimy, gritty, and unshaven lot, unconcerned with their non-parade ground appearance. According to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) there are now officially 58, 318 names on the wall. Thanks. The soldier spent a majority of his time in camp drilling, with . The course is intended to provide an intermediate step between the buddy aid -style basic life support taught to every soldier and the advanced life support skills that are taught to US Army Combat Medics and to US Army . Regardless, several civilian jobs are comparable such as: Soldiers should consider enrolling in the Army PaYS program following retirement. His comparison to a FB was that if we were fired on we returned fire and requested assistance when needed. The rifle automatically ejected an exhausted clip, emitting an audible and distinctive ping. The PaYS program is a recruitment option that guarantees a job interview with military-friendly employers following retirement. I am 81 now and survived the encounter by terminated the sniper. There were also wounded. As we were, steadily building up, our area for protection. Love this analysis. He then said that they were generally on patrol moving through their area, both attacking and being attacked depending if the VC knew their location. Soldier,this is a wardont forget that, and anytime we are in a fight we will be toughest SOBs in the fight!! Of the American combat troops which served on the continent of Europe during the Second World War about 15% were frontline infantry. He was wounded and suffered permanent disability shortly before his tour was up. As I remember it the life expectancy was based on after the ambush was sprung or the fire fight started. And us the living that served, who suffer from PTSD ,that figure or percent-aged would be about the greatest of all. Bloody May 1968 Mini TET. Food: Allowance for the on-base dining hall and access to tax-free department and grocery stores. It was an honor indeed to serve with some of the finest soldiers I have ever met. my left and saw this rice paddie farmer and his ox and I was trying to motion him to get down he just looks at me and starts Second Lieutenant was the most junior commissioned rank in the Army and experienced squad leaders often had to make up for their commanders lack of experience in the field, and with the Army overall. The infantryman ate, slept, marched, fought, and died with his squad. No trees or anything on the ground. You have to earn it, so hard work during your education and training is extremely important. An Rtos job was essential, tough,(Carrying the extra weight of the radio transmitter along with his rucksack), and dangerous. Look at the armament options in this article---those are all LRPF guns from .50cal to 30mm to 105-120mm cannon---and no "area saturation," "area destruction," and "mass fire" that China and Russia have. A documentary about our company and our 1st Sgt was made. So I guess i lasted longer than I was supposed to. You just do the best job you can and if you got hit, so be it! There are a few other skills that are not mandatory yet go a long way in proving what makes an excellent U.S. Army Infantryman 11B: Related Article Marine Corps Tow Gunner (MOS 0352): Career Details. Yet the famed French commander could not have achieved success without the hard efforts of . It means, IF (!) document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thank you for both articles: (1)Going up river to port and (2) the flight from Italy back to Nam. The average life expectancy of a front-line soldier in eastern Ukraine is four hours, a Marine said. Transportation was provided, and troops were not allowed to wear unit insignia outside the camp, nor discuss their unit or the camp with civilians. A typical United States infantry division contained about 15,000 officers and men, divided into three infantry regiments, with supporting companies and battalions. Required fields are marked *. Other severely wounded men and those recovering from surgery were sent, if necessary, to hospitals operated by the Army, the International Red Cross, or the medical services of the nation in which they were located. KICK ASS AS NEEDED!!! His clothing alone weighed more than twenty pounds. Many were killed or wounded ! I carried the PRC-25 for most of a year. Tired, footsore soldiers experienced difficulty keeping up with the rest of their unit, and traveling alone was far more dangerous than within the unit itself, for both the straggler and the rest of the unit. Cameron Rogers from 1st Battalion, 66th Armored Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, plots points on a map during the fire . US Army. The U.S. Army features the same base pay regardless of job within the military. Ron. Photography by James Salzano. Sometimes walkie-talkie sets were substituted, they weighed far less but offered a more limited range. The troops found that in southern France the French were friendly and welcoming, crowding around the train when it stopped in villages and towns, trading wine and bread for chocolate and cigarettes. Impressed with this secrecy and their implied importance, many of the soldiers discovered that civilians in Boston knew of the camp, its purpose, and the fact that the soldiers being temporarily held there were on their way to Europe. Their war was what they encountered. We can all hold our heads high and be proud of our service. I remember hearing a Lieutenant (Kennedy) say to one of his two platoon RTOs My RTO is Foxtrot Uniform. On Sun, Mar 8, 2020 at 4:00 PM CherriesWriter Vietnam War website wrote: > pdoggbiker posted: A friend recently sent me the link to an article > claiming that the life expectancy of a radio operator in the Vietnam War > was only 5 seconds. I was an M-60 machine gunner for a battalion recon platoon in 1967, for the First Infantry Division, Known as The Black Scarf Battalion. Newspapers and magazines were available for the troops as were recreation activities such as baseball and softball, volleyball, and during the warm months swimming if a suitable body of water was near. The fact is that most machine gunners, RTOs, junior officers and other extremely dangerous jobs survived the war. Both served in A 2/18 1st Infantry Division For some reason, the written word of this article was somehow deleted and lost. Mech. Officers and sergeants frequently carried the M1 carbine, which used the same ammunition as the M1 rifle but was lighter and easier to handle in the field. The liners had been gutted and great rows of tiered bunks filled their hulls. No combat assignments for another year of service in Vietnam or get out in about a month. Really no mention of the regular rifleman. AS LEADERS IN AMERICAS SERVICES WE MUST BE PROFICIENT AND READY TO ACCOMPLISH OUR MISSIONS- I was an FO back in the day. US Army. You can follow the pay table below to figure out what you can expect to make based on U.S. Army rank for Infantryman MOS 11B: The U.S. Army has several benefits included with a monthly salary: It is also worth noting that you could earn up to $41,000 in cash bonuses for enlisting under certain Military Occupational Specialties. Replacement infantrymen were often treated as an outsider, and no doubt already somewhat fearful of what they were getting into, they bore an additional burden of being considered to be little more than a casualty waiting to happen. I was an O5C-20 in Vietnam. The ration packs also included tablets for the purification of water they encountered in the field from streams, ponds, and even wells, since it was unknown if the Germans had taken any steps to contaminate wells as they withdrew. An infantry platoon commander in combat had an average of 6 weeks life. The name came from the labels painted on the sides of the cars, which in French read 40 Hommes chevaux 8 meaning 40 men or 8 horses. . I always felt that Infantry units were in more danger because of ambush issues and no permanent defensive structures. I loved it. Your email address will not be published. But I made it back in one piece. See you in the next life!!!!! At age 55, World War 2 Veterans During some periods of intense combat more than a month could go by without clean clothes or a shower. 1: physical position (in the field / column) We were very, lucky. It was more or less next man up . In my tour everyone had the same chance of getting shot. Im laying behind a rice paddie dike.I put my whole body as far down in the muck while the bullets were over my head. Hi, the whole thing is going nicely here and ofcourse every one They served in squads, led by a junior officer and experienced sergeants, slogged through and slept in mud and snow, maintaining contact with the enemy, taking and holding ground. I handled Top Secret Commo on a daily basis. Welcome home. Those who arrived during actual combat received a warmer welcome than those arriving while the squad was resting. We flew north, then made a stop, in Cam Rahn Bay. Gotta say I think you hit it on the nose. I was never formally trained as an RTO. S-91: Survey of Combat Troops in England S-100: Attitudes of Combat Infantrymen S-101: Attitudes of Combat Infantry Officers S-106: Post-War Army Plans (Officers and EM) What the Soldier Thinks, no. After consolidating the division and its equipment infantrymen were moved to the front, which by December 1944 was nearing the Siegfried Line, defensive fortifications protecting Germany from invasion from the west. S/F, There were no door gunners on dustoffs. At this time- senior Army leadership ordered us all to read the Geneva Convention to our troops because of the My Lai debachle. I for one commend you for your courage and thank you for your service to your country. AnswerIt depended on the position they had. Where do we find this stuff? It featured a reduced recoil, allowing an infantryman to more readily keep it on line with the target when firing multiple shots, and offered a simple range adjustment. Ernest, Im glad that your first tour with the VN airborne was rewarding. Men in the field soon learned to carry as many extras as they could, frequently stuffing them under their shirts and in empty pockets. The M1 rifle, which was the standard rifle for American infantry in 1944, weighed over ten pounds loaded, and the twelve eight-round clips in his cartridge belt added another six and a half pounds to his load. During the winter sleeping bags were issued. The prestigious badge, offered only to infantry and Special Forces Soldiers . Me, a vehicle mechanic with Btry E, 41st Arty Quads 1970. I think those numbers are percentages of US KIA, not mortality times. Here are our sources: Company A, 276th Infantry in World War II, by Frank H. Lowry, 1991, Life in the Infantry, by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, The War, PBS online, 2007, Command Decisions: The 90 Division Gamble, by Maurice Matloff, Center for Military History, Department of the Army, 1960, online, The Infantry Organization for Combat, by Hugh Foster, April 26, 2000, online, The European Theater of Operations, ed. For example, troops in the south of France were moved first by rail, then by Army trucks, to their destination blocking elements of the German army from reinforcing and resupplying the assault in the Ardennes. 101st Airborne Division. It began just as, it was getting dark. In the case of a night attack, the men could not exit the bags quickly, and most infantrymen quit sleeping in them, preferring to stay on top of the bag and cover themselves with their overcoat or blanket. That was supposed to be 58, 220. but wait, there are more numbers for the same story. Comfortable with the results of his inspection, the soldier sits on a nearby log, powders his feet and inserts them into his damp boots, making sure to tuck his fatigue pants into the tops before tying the laces - a preventive measure to keep leeches and ticks from crawling up the legs. Units would send a thorough report of their KIA and WIA, battle action coordinates, estimated enemy troop strength, enemy unit KIA/captured and any known direction heading. Here is an 18 Remember he wanted to reenlist for one more year in Vietnam. Here are ten examples of what life was like for the combat infantryman of the Second World War. National Archives. Here are 10 of the most dangerous: 1. We killed a lot of the enemy but we took few serious casualties. The infantry rotated troops to and out of the front, either as it receded while the Germans withdrew to new defensive positions or as replacement troops took over, giving the squads an opportunity to rest, shower, obtain fresh clothing and recover from combat. A Civil War soldier would find that modern axiom very familiar. Motorized elements of the division and the supporting logistics facilities traveled by road. Welcome Home Roger. RTO, John Scheur. Lived too tell about it. Prayers for all. I was a 2LT on Hamburger Hill and had 4 RTOs over a 7 day period (excluding the times I ended up carrying my own radio). We were like sitting Ducks. Cleaning tools and oil were kept in the buttstock. Saw from mostly safe distance almost all the weapons systems that where there used. Toothbrushes and tooth powder were included in ration packs, and the teeth could be brushed using water in canteens, except for during the colder periods of the winter of 1944-45 when the canteens froze solid. As always during the war, the combat infantryman knew little of the overall situation and did as he was told ignorant for the most part of the reason why. happened. Comments were more interesting than the article it self. Related Article: Army Height And Weight Standards. 15 May he was killed by friendly fire, and a host of us were WIA, myself included. The fact that PDoggbiker cant find any decent calculation/explanation, tells us a lot. both tours. Anyway I was wondering about the RTOs in a grunt platoon, was that their MOS or were they 11B that carried a PRC ? II As mentioned, who kept track of that in the first place? There were instances when some men used grenades to try to blast the frozen soil, a practice which was quickly stopped by the sergeants. So was the increasing use of forward-deployed ambulances, and forward treatment stations, surgeries, and evacuation hospitals. What was the average life expectancy of a soldier in ww2? Both are trained in OSUT (One Station Unit Training) companies, meaning trainees stay in the same company for basic combat training (BCT) and advanced individual training (AIT). The Americans who served in the Army in Europe were recruited and trained at various bases and camps in the United States before being sent to points of embarkation near major East Coast ports for transport to Europe. 10 Answers Out of thousands of men that invaded that town in southern Afghanistan, we have lost 19. One result of combat is dealing with prisoners of war, with Army Infantrymen being the first means to process POWs. Correctable vision must be 20/20 in one eye, and 20/100 in the other eye. A typical Patrol Boat River (PBR) was about 31 feet long and had twin 50s forward an M 60 midships and a 50 aft. There are a number of standards and qualifications you need to meet to become MOS 11B, especially since the Army expanded its OSUT training in 2019. I want to know what the life expectancy of a us infantry army soldier is. Some wounded received convalescent leave far behind the lines. Fellow members soon learned the strengths and weaknesses of each other, who could be relied on and who would shirk his duties. Bravo, 3/187th Inf, 101st Airborne Div, 2nd Plt, 2nd Sq, Hamburger Hill, May 69. Camp Standish was both a staging area for embarking troops and a prisoner of war camp. Fifteen percent of all American beer production was set aside for the American military, and it was brought near to the front for resting troops to consume. Bad apples were dealt with first at the squad level, and if that didnt correct the perceived deficiency the problem was presented to more senior personnel by the squad sergeant. Also, it would mean the killed RTOs died within seconds of the fight (it doesnt distinguish between ambush or regular fight, eg. The American army traveled to Europe by ship, and by a wide variety of ships including troop transports designed and built for the purpose, Liberty ships, converted freighters, and the great ocean liners of the Allies. It is Honor in the Valley of Tears. Infantrymen must know how to operate and maintain communications equipment including radio. We were in2dBn 503d . The article was interesting. 58,148 were killed and 304,000 wounded out of 2.7 million who served. 2 (January 1944) What the Soldier Thinks, no. I was in the AF a Reo in a F4-C. Who had time to worry about the life Got hit inside 15 minutes, first ambush we walked up too. waving then I realized they Werent shooting at him only at the A radio operator carried the normal load for a rifleman, as well as a radio which weighed nearly forty pounds. The infantrymen didnt know the reasons why they had to fight and too often die for a particular hill, or seemingly useless French farm or village, they simply had to do what they were told. NFS. by Jeffrey J. Clarke, Center for Military History, February 26, 1992, Citizen Soldiers, by Stephen Ambrose, 1998, Ardennes-Alsace, by Roger Cirillo, Office of the Chief of Military History, Department of the Army, 2003, online, American Battle Casualties and Non-Battle Deaths in World War II, by the Combined Arms Research Library, Department of the Army, June 25, 1953. Now, there are additional weapon qualifications including handling M4 rifles, M240 machine guns, and M249 squad automatic weapons. Theres 58,276. The Bronze Star was awarded to ALL that were awarded the CIB in WWII because the Infantry accounted for over 70% of the casualties in WWLL BUT NOT 70% )F ALL THE INFANTRY !!! During training, you will spend close to a week on vehicle platform training. On the march, they saw first-hand the horrors of the war they were fighting, dead and maimed bodies of Allies and the enemy, many of them scarcely recognizable as human. Army Infantryman 11B are riflemen, while Indirect Fire Infantrymen 11C carry mortar weapons systems. Before I became a team leader on ambush and recon I was in command of the scout jeep for the 25th ID resupply convoy from January 1968 to June 15, 1968 and I found the resupply convoys a lot more dangerous because the enemy always knew where it would be and when.