Vietnam photos

NCWayne · Aug 20, 2014

I just found the following link on another site I get on occasionally.

I know a lot of you guys on here are Vietnam veterans, and many more of us on here are veterans of other conflicts, and some, ((((like my Dad who got his draft notice the day Mom found out she was pregnant with me and got disqualified for that reason)))) never had the opportunity, or need to serve. In any case the pics at the link below can give all of us a real appreciation for what our military guys go through, or have gone through, and make us all realize that even though "war is hell", they continue to do their jobs regardless of what's thrown at them.

Personally I served in Desert Storm aboard the USS America. I know we all had a part to play, but given what the guys who weren't sitting aboard a ship, miles off shore, had to go through I will never feel like I did anything close to my share. So, for all those in the pics, and for those that never made the pics, all I can do is offer up a true heartfelt THANK YOU for all you did.
Horst Faas Vietnam photos

bill mart · Aug 20, 2014

never saw these before. Thanks for posting. Bill

fixerupper · Aug 20, 2014

I was never on the service. My number was high in 1969 so I was never called up. I do appreciate what you who did serve have done for our nation. A week ago I was in a truck stop in Wyoming waiting my turn at the cash register. Ahead of me was a gentleman who had Vietnam Vet on his cap. When he finished his business at the register I asked him if he was a Vietnam vet. He said yes but he looked very surprised, almost scared. I told him I want to shake your hand so we shook hands and went our different ways and that was the end of it. I had the instant impression he was expecting me to chew him out for serving in the conflict but my intention was quite the opposite. Jim

Fergienewbee · Aug 20, 2014

Thank you for posting. Were we really that young once? A special thanks to all you guys who beat the bush so I could sleep in a bed and get three hots and a shower at night. You were the heroes.

Larry

Rich Iowa · Aug 20, 2014

Thanks for sharing, never seen those photos before. My dad served over there during '70-71 as a gunner on a Huey. My brother served with the 3rd Inantry in Iraq and many of my friends have served in Iraq and Afghanistan 1,2, up to 3 tours as well. Asthma kept me out of the service, biggest regret of my life is also the one I have no control over. I have deep respect for those who have served this county in all conflicts.

Wheatfarmer · Aug 20, 2014

Thanks for posting. I have to go through them again. I was there 7-65 to 3-66. 18th Inf, Big Red 1. Was at some of those location. What a waste. All my photos are on slides.

Goose · Aug 20, 2014

Powerful photos!

Even though I was on active duty in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War, the Corps saw fit to have me occupied elsewhere and I was never "in country".

Maybe only another Marine will understand, but I've always felt like I missed out on something important, kind of like a starting football player who is forced to sit out a playoff game for reasons beyond his control.

Billy Shafer · Aug 20, 2014

I was on the USS Saratoga CVA-60 in 1972. Tonkin gulf. Lost some good pilot friends over nam.I have five landings and four take offs from the carrier. They will make your butt grab seat.

Craig45 · Aug 20, 2014

Thanks for the memories. I was there from Nov. 67 to Nov. 68

old popper · Aug 20, 2014

Powerful photos! I did my active duty time in Europe (Germany) June 1964 till December 1966.

Mike in Mn. · Aug 20, 2014

Seems like yesterday, those images have been playing over and over in my head ever since.

Goose · Aug 20, 2014

I think I've mentioned this before. I was in a Marine fighter squadron on the Sara for carrier quals in the fall of 1956 when she was brand new and still in shakedown.

Smalltowner · Aug 20, 2014

I recommend the book "A Better War" by Lewis Sorley if any of you have an interest in the big picture of that war....we won that war by 1970, but the politicians bailed on us. Westmoreland fought it old school, then Abrams took over and saw what would have to happen in order to ever get the US out of it....and he and our wonderful guys got it done. Then Nixon bowed to public opinion etc etc, you know the story. A good historic read.

37chief · Aug 20, 2014

Wow, pictures I have never seen before. I did see a great picture of a Sky Rader dropping fire on the enemy. The Navy school I attended had those planes to work on. I spent some time there, but was never around the stuff in the pictures, and am thanlful for that. Every one who was in the service did their part. A lot of people also do their part, rather in the service or not. Dad was never drafted in WW2, probably because he was a farmer. I am sure a lot of GI's ate some of his lima beans. It's hard to believe that carnage is going on now in Iraq. Stan

W_B · Aug 20, 2014

(quoted from post at 12:45:45 08/20/14) I was never on the service. My number was high in 1969 so I was never called up. I do appreciate what you who did serve have done for our nation. Jim

Same for me Jim but my year was 1973, and things were winding down a bit over there then, as I recall (you guys who were there probably remember differently however!). Always hated how the protesters treated people that returned, if they did, some were my friends and family. Still despise liberals and hippies to this day because of that, they've never apologized for what they did. And I despise those in Congress who abandoned our allies to the Communists.

Thanks for posting the pictures, have my own memories of the time, as it happened, also.

AzPeapicker · Aug 20, 2014

Thanks Wayne
I enjoyed the pictures , not that they were fun to look at , but what they went thru.

John in az.
Az.peapicker

Agri King · Aug 20, 2014

Goose, My father in law served as a Marine in Vietnam also. My wife knew very little about what he went through, so one time over some beers I asked him about it. He is a very quiet to himself man who went on to do quite well in life. But what he told me was unreal...A living hell...just like the photos...he has some great stories & wicked scars to prove it.

Pete Hall · Aug 20, 2014

Stan
I was there in 68 and 69,I probably ate some of your fathers lima beans as some of our C-rats were dated in the 40s
We called them Ham and mother-------
Pretty good eating!!!!

DH in Carolina · Aug 20, 2014

Thanks for posting Brings back a lot of memories. Me at Camp Eagle 69-70. DH

FarmerZeb · Aug 20, 2014

thank you for all of you who came before me

i am currently deployed on my 4th combat deployment

paul

Nancy Howell · Aug 20, 2014

That"s tough. I sincerely hope its your last combat deployment. Time for you to be stateside.

Thank you.

NCWayne · Aug 20, 2014

That"s kind of how I felt about the Gulf War. I had been gung ho Marine Corps until they found out I had a color deficiency in my eyesight and only offered me infantry. So, when the Navy stepped up with a better offer I decided to get the training I wanted and then try out for the SEAL teams. Unfortunately the recruiter had lied to me and the rate I went into didn"t teach any skills needed on either the SEAL teams or the Special Boat Units. So, I served my time standing watch in an air conditioned control room watching over the main turbines in an aircraft carrier, and sleeping in a rack in an air conditioned space. Ultimately I know the steam we made launched all of the planes, that dropped the bombs, that helped the guys on the ground and saved a lot of lives, but I still never felt like I did as much as I should have.

I guess regardless of how you feel about things, the old saying is right, "All gave some, but some gave all....."

Mike (WA) · Aug 20, 2014

I did 6 years in the National Guard, '69 to '75- in those days, guard units were seldom deployed, like they are now. My thanks to those who were "in country".

El Toro · Aug 20, 2014

My nephew was killed there in 1970. He's buried at Arlington. Some pictures from Ft Bragg taken in 1953 when I was a medic in an artillery battery that supported an Airborne Infantry unit.
Hal

JerryS · Aug 20, 2014

Seems that every generation of American men has "their war"; my war would have been Vietnam, had I gone. When the draft started breathing down my neck in 1964-65 I decided to go in on my own terms: I enlisted, but with the provision that I would go to officer candidate school. Took and passed all the IQ/psych tests. Gave notice at work and was preparing to ship out. Couple of weeks passed; my recruiter called and said I had been rejected for the OCS program because of a weak knee. Still good enough for cannon fodder, though. "Skru that", says I, and I joined the Army Reserve.

Like Goose below, I sometimes wonder about how my life would have been different if I had gone on in to active duty. How would I have stood up to combat? I don't know--does anybody? Anyway, I have tremendous respect for those who did meet the challenge with courage and honor.

preacher man · Aug 20, 2014

Thanks for the pictures. Like others, mine are all on slides. I had them transferred to disc a few years ago and gave them to my kids for Christmas along with a letter about my year "in country". Sad part was, I really couldn't remember much about it. I would look at the pictures and it looked familiar but I couldn't remember any information about it. I guess God removes some things from our memory so we are not consumed by it. I was there in 67-68 including the Tet Offensive.

Tim Barnes · Aug 20, 2014

Preacher, I was there from 08/67-08/68. I recall Tet very well. I looked at a few of the pics but quit. I would like to get a goods nights' sleep and don't need any help in having bad dreams. My cousin was killed in country, 1966 and I volunteered to go. From the way things are looking in this ol' World, we didn't learn much from V/N. We used Case tractors for tugs to move our aircraft, to stay on topic. [/img]

Indiana George · Aug 20, 2014

I was there in 1966, in that same rubber plantation, my company got ambush, we lost 8 young men on that day.Brings back a lot of bad memories.
Was there with 196th light infantry brigade.

Billy Shafer · Aug 20, 2014

I have a picture of the Sara leaving on her first deployment. With all eight five inch guns on board.Only four left when I went aboard in 1968.

Vietnam photos

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