Correctable vision must be 20/20 in one eye, and 20/100 in the other eye. The Army considered its use as an embarkation point a secret, and so warned the young soldiers when they arrived. Infantrymen in the Second World War quickly learned that everything they needed to know to survive in the field was not part of the training curriculum in basic infantry school. Infantry soldiers are trained at Fort Benning, Georgia. said to me. Was a door gunner and crew chief for just shy of 18 months (I extended to get out early). I knew some of this, but certainly not all. National Archives. In the absence of hard information, speculation and rumors spread, and the experienced infantryman learned to ignore the rumors and keep his mind on his job. Required fields are marked *. Army Infantrymen are experts in both weaponry and machinery, so there is a need to maintain and store combat weapons of all types. Besides being painful blisters could easily lead to infections. Many of the skills you learn while in the U.S. Army are universal to just about every type of job. * Basic training and advanced job training are combined into a single course. It was a lull before the storm, since more and more infantrymen were needed at the front. Cleaning tools and oil were kept in the buttstock. In the 1st Cav medics were right behind the rto making them a very easy find also. One result of combat is dealing with prisoners of war, with Army Infantrymen being the first means to process POWs. July 68 to July 69. meaning what is the chance of me getting killed in combat. You of course had the radio plus xtra batteries & handsets plus your rucksack with 7 to 8 canteens , 20 mags ( I used to carry 17 rounds in the mags instead of 20 ) because the springs would force the round into the chamber causing jams . Housing: Allowances for living expenses, utilities, and maintenance. I quit trying to make sense of all the numbers that have been generated about Vietnam. US Army. All of these tasks for MOS 11B are not possible without excellent communication skills as well as an advanced understanding of terrain, methods of warfare, and combat strategies. In combat they treated the wounded in the field, wearing helmets which were clearly marked with a Red Cross. Operation Military Kids was founded to be a resource for teens and young adults who are interested in joining the military, but don't know where to begin. When they first arrived in Europe the squads had often been together since their basic infantry training, but casualties and replacements inevitably changed their composition. Two points: 1) at least in Army units, Medevacs (dust offs) flew unarmed aircraft. The first thing my platoon sgt. During the Second World War in all theaters, it was the infantry which bore the brunt of combat, be it ground units of the US Army or the Marines. Spent my year in a Recon platoon 2/35th 4th ID. Most infantrymen did not carry additional ammunition for the .45, which was considered a defensive weapon of last resort, and those that did typically carried only one or two preloaded magazines. I think the number of Army and Hospital Corpsmen serving with the Marine Corp was very high, with the ratio of the number of them over there. The Americans put about twenty men in each car when they moved by train, since with their full loads of equipment they could not fit in anymore, but conditions were still crowded. The Republic of Vietnam lost 1,018 aircraft and helicopters from January 1964 to September 1973. Transportation was provided, and troops were not allowed to wear unit insignia outside the camp, nor discuss their unit or the camp with civilians. We were in2dBn 503d . It means, IF (!) Ha Ha always enjoyed being a volunteer! Related Article Air Force Combat Controller (CCT) (1C2X1): Career Details. is sharing facts, thats truly good, keep up writing. 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). How they got there depended on the condition of the roads and railroads between their consolidation point and where they were needed. Ive always considered myself damn lucky to make it out alive. Although the men were usually informed of such a move, their immediate officers and non-coms remained in place, as seldom was a transfer of less than company strength. happened. Wow I was 31.8 Gun shot Carried model 1200 Winchester shot gun WIA May 68 Article was great. 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. Loaded 0%. 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.. 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. Lived too tell about it. The prestigious badge, offered only to infantry and Special Forces Soldiers . Some Brothers said why spend another year in this hellhole???? Les Scates U.S. Army (Ret.) The system made the success of American infantry operations almost wholly dependent on the ability of the squad leaders to direct their men in the field. There is a demand to know how to operate in an NBC contaminated area as well as construct field expedient firing aids. A typical Patrol Boat River (PBR) was about 31 feet long and had twin 50s forward an M 60 midships and a 50 aft. For the most part, the members of the squad had no idea of the overall strategic situation or even the local tactical situation. Whenever and wherever possible, infantrymen in France traded with the civilians for food such as eggs and vegetables. RTO, John Scheur. I agree with all of the comments, however I would add Tunnel Rats to the group I was one and saw many of my friends die in those tunnels I was very fortunate or very lucky and was never a lead but was at the tail end. First thing we did was, Set up a complete circular perimeter. Belton Cooper, a soldier who supported an armored unit, recalled that the high number of tanker casualties forced the Army to hastily retrain infantry replacements as tankers. Infantry OSUT is 22 weeks. A lister bag was a large canvas bag with a shower head attached to the bottom. The cars were antiquated, dating back to before World War I, and were unheated. At age 55, World War 2 Veterans Take out the power center, youve got the edge. Digging in was an exercise which added to sore backs blistered hands as the entrenching tool chipped away frozen ground. The article was interesting. Here are ten examples of what life was like for the combat infantryman of the Second World War. I was a 2nd Lt. Infantry platoon Leader. No trees or anything on the ground. located on the South End of, the Post. Education: Army members can earn full-tuition, merit-based scholarships, allowances for books and fees, plus annual stipend for living expenses. . Learned a lot from him. They also learned to never forgo any opportunity to rest. 2) by my research, medics suffered 93% casualties with about 33% deaths. Shaving could be accomplished in the field during lulls in the fighting, often with water heated inside a helmet, using a camp stove or the heat canister from a rations pack as the heating source. We took fire all the time and responded. Soldiers must meet a very heavy strength requirement and physical profile requirement of 111221. We walked the mountains and rice patties all thru Tu Thien Province. Their experience as front-line combat infantry was invaluable in training new recruits in what they could expect when it became their turn at the front. He also carried a weapon. 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. If you have other information let me know. Cluster F, SNAFU and FUBAR fer sur. I never saw any correlation as to what MOS a soldier was and their survival rate. Training to become MOS 11B is open to both men and women. John Doever More severely wounded were sent, by ambulance or by rail, to forward surgical posts. The needs of the Army will dictate which MOS youre assigned. As they approached and entered the Alsace region this welcome became less enthusiastic. The theory is the longer you serve in the U.S. Army the more you will make. Had multiple Ks and Ws. The other group of aeromedical evacuation were divisional, i.e. Units which were depleted from battle casualties received replacements both while they were on the line and during periods of rest and recreation. Additionally, you will learn to handle a large volume of weapons, military vehicles, as well as Prisoners of War (POWs). I told by RTO that i could carry my own radio, When he agreed he was humping ammo. I met a Marine a few years ago who was stationed North of Da Nang. This Battle changed his life and his future, had it not been for his actions, every man on this FSB Gold would have died. It was only in the direst of circumstances that an entire division was engaged in combat simultaneously, usually several units were held in reserve. They also had a 12 gauge, and a M 79 grenade launcher and M 16. Quickly learned to control rate of fire. Got hit inside 15 minutes, first ambush we walked up too. Both served in A 2/18 1st Infantry Division. It is an important role of MOS 11B and just one of their many responsibilities. They were also in a circular formation. 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. we were getting it with machine gun and mortars. Prayers for all. I too never understood survivor quilt, Enjoyed your article. While at the front he faced not only a determined enemy, but ice, snow, rain, mud, bitter cold and stifling heat. 10 Answers Out of thousands of men that invaded that town in southern Afghanistan, we have lost 19. Ernest, Im glad that your first tour with the VN airborne was rewarding. 5 seconds. The lowest rated category on Indeed for Army Infantryman is work-life balance which makes sense as having a family while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces is far from easy. We killed a lot of the enemy but we took few serious casualties. year old Marine thinking this is my last day on earth. Regardless, several civilian jobs are comparable such as: Soldiers should consider enrolling in the Army PaYS program following retirement. 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. Its just (bad) luck, fate, randomness theres no right or wrong, no justice or fairness, no reasoning. 1st Platoon, C Company, 2nd Battalion 327th Infantry. My bud, Price took over as RTO. There must have been a real mathematician to come up with those calculations. 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. EIB - A day in the life of an infantryman. 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. I have a fried Who is killed in Vietnam six months before I got there cause of death was other how would I find out since his parents are long gone, Do a search for his name n Coffeltdatabase.org, Sir, would you mind me translating this into Spanish and getting it posted in our blog? 2: role (MOS?). Nor was treating wounded their only duty, they were responsible for the overall health of the men in their company, treating them for dysentery, routine illnesses such as colds and flu, blisters, sprains and broken bones, and other miseries encountered by the men. I was one of the many others I rode river boats in the Mekong Jan 68 to 69. It was more or less next man up . Color Vision discrimination for MOS 11B is red/green. THE MAN I INHERITED THE GUN FROM WASNT SO LUCKY. Staying alive was kinda of important. Roger Loves you too, Im sure. Four platoons in a rifle company. The liners had been gutted and great rows of tiered bunks filled their hulls. Different type units, different locations, different opinions on dangers. If a battle ensued, a triumphant army would lose 5% of its men but a defeated army would usually lose around 15% of its force. All that other stuff about seconds and minutes were story tellers, embellishing things to impress some listeners back home. Most of us have memories of these kind of experiences. well I wonder how long your going to last lieutenant? Your article was quite interesting. He said when they were ambushed they took defensive positions, returned fire, called for assistance when needed, and retreated when necessary. II 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. HOOAH!!! We were probably not too far away on that day. In my humble opiniona maneven leaders should often recalculate their adversaries capabilities and limitations and his own limitations as wellwhen 10,000 miles from home against a determined worthy foein a strange landThe objective of Lam Son 719? Just published my book The Last Goodbye by John Fratangelo, available on line on Barnes and Noble and Amazon Prime Books, Getting great reviews. In Vietnam 70% 0f the casualties were Infantry BUT it might be 70% of ALL the Infantry that served in Vietnam. Just to show that its hard to get an accurate number, note my typo of 56,220. waving then I realized they Werent shooting at him only at the 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. A wounded American soldier is loaded into a halftrack converted to serve as an ambulance in Germany in early 1945. A Civil War soldier would find that modern axiom very familiar. In Fury, starring Brad Pitt and Shia leBeouf, we follow the story of five American soldiers, a crew serving in one tank in Germany, 1945. *The U.S. Army recently expanded upon its Infantry Training in 2019 to introduce more combative courses, lifesaver courses, day and night land navigation, and different weapons qualifications. As I made it back to the road I remember seeing the Either way, thats a lot of soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and coast guardsmen, male and female that made the ultimate sacrifice for our country, and there are still people dying as a result of their wounds receiver so very long ago in a place called Vietnam. The US Army needs to get this correct for the soldiers and Marines. 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. US Army. 58,148 were killed and 304,000 wounded out of 2.7 million who served. 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. Marching through rain and mud, or in snow, soaked the feet, making them susceptible to blisters and trench foot. We had 5 kias and roughly 50 wounded in our company so about one in three got hit. We used to provide cover for these guys. Needless too say I depended on Sgt. Additionally, you must complete a Combat (CO) ASVAB score of 87. Land navigation is also a point of emphasis for U.S. Army Infantrymen. Never knew they had life expectancy stats. Others were encampments such as Camp Myles Standish, outside of Boston, Massachusetts. The rifle automatically ejected an exhausted clip, emitting an audible and distinctive ping. It was mostly used by specialty units rather than infantry. I was an RTO for 9-1/2 months for Hawk Recon 2/327 101AB from dec, 1969 to sept 70. I was a helicopter pilot The Army continues to build upon its training for fire team members with more time in the field, including tactical training that focuses more on squad formations. Such protracted exposure to the elements boded ill for his life expectancy. American troops disembarked in ports in England and Scotland, Iceland, and North Africa, and as the war went on, directly on the continent in Marseille and Toulon in the Mediterranean, and Cherbourg and other Channel ports. In his work The 1865 Customs of Service for Non-Commissioned Officers and Soldiers, August V. Kautz writes that a soldier "should learn to wait: a soldier's life is made up in waiting for the critical moments.". Some very close calls but I am alive at age 74. OSUT training takes place at Fort Benning in Georgia. They were marched or trucked to holding areas, where they encamped in accordance with their division procedures to await the arrival of their heavy equipment and logistics facilities. Some gave all. Forget the statistics, we all had a job to do, we went where we were told. News about the war was disseminated in newspapers such as Stars and Stripes, but few found their way to the front, and when they did they were often several weeks old. Different strokes for different folks in war fer sure. Rest and recovery could be at the level of any of the units of command, or as little as the squad level. There is also training provided on advanced land navigation (day and night) as well as opportunities for leadership positions that are extremely beneficial both in the Army, and with future civilian opportunities. His entrenching tool could be used as a pick and a spade, but the often frozen ground encountered in late 1944 resisted his efforts stubbornly. Camp Standish was both a staging area for embarking troops and a prisoner of war camp. Remember he wanted to reenlist for one more year in Vietnam. Of all the gear he carried, other than his weapons and ammunition, none was more important to him than clean socks. 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. Rules may have changed, I was in the Delta region. I was a REMF but Ive heard of 05Cs that were stuck out in the boonies on a firebase. The British lost 704,208 dead in the Great War, and if they were to form up in three ranks and march at the standard British army speed of 120 thirty-inch paces to the minute, they would pass in one day, fifteen hours and seven minutes. They saw burned-out tanks and other vehicles, bombed-out villages and towns, civilian refugees with all of their remaining belonging in carts or on their backs. They were great patriots fighting for their families and their homeland. National Archives. It doesnt make any sense statistically/mathematically it is impossible. US Army. 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 was up to the squad leaders to keep them fighting in brutal weather, without asking why. I was also told that the Radio did put a target on my back. We were discussing the different units and dangers of each. Welcome Home Brothers ! Bloody May 1968 Mini TET. Id had a premonition, and asked the LT to let me trade off to become the AG. The one number that is really important is 56,220 and we all know what that number represents. Tony told me that either he or I would greet all incoming troops and we did- and here is the speech we gave to them. US Army. US Army. During combat, soldiers need to request, observe, and adjust direct supporting fire. I was an Artillery Forward Observer with the Infantry. Fortunately, it was recorded on Spotify and can be listened to here: Your email address will not be published. 101st Airborne Division. He used. Infantrymen must protect the country against any threat by land. Were talking averages, obviously so, an RTO, with an expectancy of 5 seconds (!) The shower usually occurred at the same time as an opportunity to obtain fresh clothing, and the soldier would run from the shower to the clothing distribution center to receive an issue of clean clothes. Fellow members soon learned the strengths and weaknesses of each other, who could be relied on and who would shirk his duties. By February 1944 the US Army discontinued purchasing the Thompson, after approximately 1.5 million units had been obtained by the Army and Marine Corps. An infantry platoon commander in combat had an average of 6 weeks life expectancy. 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. Results When comparing life spans of service veterans, there was no statistically significant reduction for the average life span of the 234 combat-exposed veterans in our sample from the 28th (Mori) Battalion (66.7 years), relative to the Mori veterans from two non-combat cohorts: the 132 personnel in the 15th Reinforcements (67.2 years) and the 147 personnel in Jayforce (66.9 years). I got shot on a mission with 45 days left. Since the shower and clothing issue often took place in the dead of winter and outdoors, it was an invigorating experience, but a not very frequent one. The higher the score on the ASVAB, the better your odds at becoming MOS 11B. Be glad you served with a soldiers soldier like LTC Herbert. 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 flew Dustoff and our unit did not have M60s for protection, nor did any other Dustoff unit that Im aware of. From Cam Rahn, we kept flying north to, a Landing Zone near QUANG TRI. Infantrymen are universal and fearless soldiers who must be ready for any operation, which means that they can be sent to a hot spot at any time. To an, open area. 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. 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. Yes, I made E4 at graduation, that was considered a NCO then. It was the infantry which carried the fight to the infantry of the enemy, battled the elements while out in the open, and carried on the grunt work of the advancing army. Army Infantrymen (11B) are the main land combat force, and known as Eleven Bravo..

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