I made it to con thief in July of 1969 I was with first battalion twelfth marines whiskey battery , a 4.2 inch mortar . It was still a dangerous place but no where as dangerous as in 67 . What amazed me was the ground was still covered with rusted shrapnel. Those Marines in 67 sure took a beating . I take my hat off to them
Was there with 3Bn 9th Marines sept/oct 67. Incoming was nasty. Ran every where and especially to the shitter. I never shit so fast in my life! Choppers come in and mortars were hitting everywhere! If the wind was favorable you had a head start to a hole. Big guns in the north were bad too.
@@carmeloburgaretta3209 Thanks for the reply, I was with 106's. Will never forget that stretch and how it wounded and killed a lot of brothers. Semper Fi forever!! When I got back stateside I ended up at Quantico, then an early out!! Be healthy and stay safe always!
I was there. Dying Delta 1/9. We sure left a lot of our buddies on this cursed hill -- and in the Marketplace. Every inch of 561 and the surrounding area is burned into my mind, and I guess at 74 it will never leave. We used to say, "You can leave, but you'll never escape." Although we only half believed it, who would have thought some one of us would go back and look at this?! Capt. Sasek...Top Rivers...all of you, God bless you and I'll see you soon!.
I was with 2/9 when you guys got hit at the marketplace. Glad you made it back. We went up to the banks of the Ben hai river a few weeks later. Got hit on the way back the next morning on the same dirt road we went up.
I was a Corpsman there with 3rd Tanks for two months in early 69. It was like living in a dust or mud hole. It was worse before I got there but I thank my Marine brothers for working so hard to keep me alive so I could work hard to keep them alive. Semper Fi to all who served, are serving and will serve.
@ I was at Con Thien after Jan. 1968 and the motor fire was accurate hitting around our under ground bunker, one was a front direct hit, lucky I was on my knees crawling, I hear underground picking at night. The enemy was digging under the ground. I heard movement at night, while I was on watch duty at night. I shot up a fare, and three shots from my left front. I stay cover, and there was no movement. I told some season Marine what was happening or things I noticed. We were on the line the next night, but the enemy did not attack. I gave a call, the motor fire was directed, in the northern side, next morning and all was discover was some blood, and no dead bodies. I went out on a listen post outside of Con Thien, some Marines went to sleep, and we were in large bomb hole. I heard Vietnamese voices on the other side of a large bomb hole. We only had a 45 caliber.The senior Marine had the 45 caliber, and did not pass the 45 around and when he learn the watch was compromise, he led us by the area where we left Con Thien. He forgot where the return entrance was momently, but made the right choice. If I had the 45 caliber I could have shot the 2 Vietnamese or they would have surprised us, and shot us, looking over the rim of the large bomb hole. I went out with sniper in the night. We were supposed to protect his flank, nothing happen that night. Later we went outside on our first patrol company size. I was assigned to the 3rd platoon. I was was told to watch on the the left flank, where the attack would take place. I saw a black wire cord in a area. I stop and got Lt. Burgess to review what I had noted. It did not fit, and strange in the ground area. He told me to go back to my left flank. I do not know why Lt. Burgess pulled the black wire cable. It blew up, and knock him down. Then the motor fire started in the striking or killing zone. I was hit with metal in my arm. cheek face, and chest. I notice the ground opening from a distant, and a rife muzzle showing up, but no firing. Then some command was giving to move up forward as to get out of the killing zone. I was removed to Phi Bui thereafter. I was in Hotel 2/1. I did later learned that the bunker I was in, the ground open up, and a fire fight started, the Marine got shot in one of his lungs, but lived, and later he was awarded the silver star, he did not hear the order to withdraw from the bunker where I heard the underground picking. Before that 2 marines and myself was by the trench line talking or bunching up. I heard a shot fired, all you could do is duck, I even saw dust break up or raise up dirt from the ground from the ground, and the bullet hit. The NVA were monitoring us all the time. Just like on patrol, outside Con Thien they knew our exact location. There was a number of Marines wounded, that I did not know, but Lt. Burgess had a lot of wounds in his chest. That could have been me . If I had pulled that black wire cord device. When other Marines came to aid of Lt. Burgess, the motor rounds were hitting the area, and I heard zinging in the air of the area, and then moaning, and crying..
Con Thein I was stationed there for a while in 1968. While I was there mortar fire was fired into the base every day. I saw air strikes many times while I was stationed at the location.
I have the utmost respect for the Marines. These guys are attention to detail motherfuckers. I don't know how they train um but they're fuckin sharp man, and mean.
I’m a Vietnam vet served down south of con thien in the three core area with the 25th infantry division along the Cambodian border had many friends who were marines in the DMZ area that area was a hell hole iam glad most of them made it home some were killed from my high school in those battles…never understood the rules of engagement were so weird over there fire zone no fire zone..when our marines were being killed from those artillery attacks why the B-52s couldn’t take out those NVA positions…just saying..
Fox 2/12 Marines, at Con Thien, April, August and October 1967. Early '67 not too bad, got progressively worse later in the year. They tried to shoot us off the hill in September, a thousand rounds a day, every day for a whole freaking month. By October it had gotten so strewn with shrapnel you could hardly help cutting yourself to shreds when you had to get down quickly because of the incessant incoming. By November they were rotating units off the hill every thirty days because nobody could stand up under the pounding. Semper Fi.
@@kenkal1829 I remember you guys. Do you remember two guys being killed crossing over too close behind one of your guns? It was two lieutenants, I think. Anyway, one of them was Jerry Bennett a good friend of mine. Glad you made it back, hope life has treated you kindly. Semper Fi!!
@@michaelryerson1315 I was at Con Thien late September 67 to late October. Rotation was a great idea on the hill. Can't imagine staying longer! I remember they had a Chaplin come around one day to tell us he was praying for us! We wondered why. Then we found out intelligence people expected a big assault in a couple of days!! Thank God it never happened but it sure made your nerves jumpy! I think we slept about five hours in 3 days!! Don't remember any accidents like you mentioned. We had a kid get a little shook up from the back blast one nite, don't remember Lts though! Were you there at that time? We left there and went to the Rockpile then LZ Stud, Calu etc. Then a few operations! I did all right comparing to some guys. Little shrapnel and malaria but otherwise I was very lucky!! Was a long time ago! But some memories I'll never forget!! I Retired as a detective in NJ. How about you? Make it all right?
@@kenkal1829 Yeah, one piece, mostly. Shrapnel feet and legs, delta med for a few weeks and then back to the field. Bullet wound right thigh but luckily was a ricochet, missed my knee by about three inches. Little limp. I think Lt. Bennett was killed around the middle of Sept. Captain Browne was KIA in July also at Con Thien. Rotated back to Charlie 2. Came home in February of '68. Tet was going on when I came out. Screwed around for a couple years, did some drinking. Just generally fucked around. Got married in '76. We're still together. One son, one grandson and another grandchild on the way. Life is good. Welcome home. I wrote and read this: th-cam.com/video/qH2vbYs6ebc/w-d-xo.html
@@michaelryerson1315 I got married while stationed at Quantico Dec.68. Then discharged thru the early out system in June. They let us out early but still tried to get us to reenlist! No way baby, I'm outta here! My first child was born a couple of months after I got out! BUT I had to pay for our baby!! Con Tien was the worst month of the whole tour! Can't fight an artillery shell, you just hit the deck and hope! I watched your video, it was very well done! Now I have 5 grand kids one is married and trying to make me a great grandfather! I watched your video it was very well done. I always scan these videos hoping I see someone I served with! So far no help. Thanks for the comeback Mike, Godspeed and Semper Fi forever!!!
That would be Johnsons and McNamaras idea. In addition McNamera wanted to clear 2-300 yards of vegetation along the entire DMZ and have out posts to monitor if anyone came across. This at the time tied down several battalians of engineers as well as troops to guard the engineers while they tried to build it. It was a massive failure and waste of troops.
I WAS WITH LIMA CO. 3rd BN 4th MARINES , CON THIEN , VIETNAM NOV 22,1966--67.... WE HAD " M14'S " THEN ... I WHEN BACK MARCH 2014 , JUST A COFFEE PLANTATION NOW ........
Thx for trying Soldier , it all looked pretty exciting when I was a kid watching from Rocket Ship 7's broadcasting region just north of Buffalo N.Y...CANADA , no I was NOT A DRAFT DODGER , butt fcUK , one ran over my friend in Hamilton.. KIA...I REMEMBER JOEY BALANEY , that WAR reached a long ways , DESTROYED HIS MOM.
I remember reading life magazine and the cover story was about Con Thien .this was before Hue, Khe Sanh and Tet. Two years later I was in Chu Lai with Marine Air Group 12. I always referred to our living and working area as Dodge City because our hooches and roads looked like a old west mining town but Con Thien was hell on earth
Thank you for serving (everyone one here). My Father was a Grunt in India Company 3/4 Marines in 66/67. Then My Uncle was with B BTRY, MACG-18, 1ST MAW, 2ND LAAM BN, III MAF When he was killed in Chu Lai in February of 1968. Eglin, Chuck/Chuckie
@@thomaseglin7103 The Marines set up Chu Lai in 1965 when they put a in a short takeoff and landing runway where A-4 Skyhawks had to use JATO packs to take off because they weren't equipted with afterburners. During that same time they had the battle of Chu Lai cleaning out NVA and Viet Cong units that were all over the place.Pretty brutal battle like Con Thien. Sorry about your uncle but he was killed during the Tet Offense when the whole country was lit up..Things were realitivly quite when I first got there in Nov. 69 a few rockets and motars now and then but when we invaded Cambodia in May 1970 the NVA started attacking bases all over the country and Chu Lai got hit hard with 122mm rockets.Had some KIAs and quite a few wounded. A good friend of mine was stationed in Da Nang and he told me years later that they spotted a NVA rocket battation in the hills outside Da Nang sent out aircraft to destroy them but they think they a went into a cave then popped up 50 km south at Chu Lai.,Hard to belive that was 52 years ago but that experience stays with you until the day you die.
Our country was at war with itself. In the end we lost a lot of good young men for a very poor reason. To win a war you have to be willing to do anything to reach that goal. We had little incentive to do just that ,a lesson that should have been learned in Korea.
You have to love politics. The NVA could shell Con Thien but the Marines couldn't go into N. Vietnam to knock the guns out. Now THAT is logic. Logic from someone sitting in a comfy leather chair in DC while these poor Marines pay for their incompetence.
Dnt make sense it's war if a enemy is n a church fire at me and the church is in Geneva convention protection. Sorry I'm knock that church out or what ever I have to do to kill that VC-NVA troop that's trying to kill me. So Gov wanna send my wifey telegram saying your huaband was KIA frm a VC/NVA troop that was firing at him frm inside a church but your huaband couldnt react due to Geneva Convention act 123: 4 They out they mine court marshal my ass but atleast I would b alive to talk about it. I agree with your comment
L/Cpl Kenneth Plumadore of Syracuse, NY was killed at Con Thien on 9/21/67. Only his jawbone is buried at the Onondaga County Veteran's Cemetery (if it really is his, because even that is in doubt). I visit his grave often. Semper Fi.
What's that line? Ha Ha...I have a dream? I agree. Not in our lifetimes for sure. Gross mismanagement is a nice term. Anyway....... can't believe it was 40+ years ago when I was watching the war on the nightly news. I was lucky......no wars when I was in my prime drafting range. Today, I would be part of the home guard ha ha. I would be the civilian speed bump marching out to front a few miles from the capital - like the Berliners in the spring of '45.
I just finished the Book Con thien, by James Coan. I found myself getting very angry at the Higher up, the people who gave these suicide orders, and I dont know how many times I read where resupply brought in shells for artillery, and the marines were low on 5.56, this happened numerous times, throughout this reading, the Marines and Navy Corpman were left out to fight for their lives and many times they were over run. Breaks my heart , I felt very emotional throughout this reading, knowing someones son, or brother, dad, husband, was told to give their life and it didnt matter to our government le alone our Generals, Colonel. Like I have heard over and over you men were fighting to save one another.
We were true americans carrying on what our fathers did during ww11 ,, but years later realized it was all for no constructive reason Co/b/3rd of the 1st infantry batillion 11th brigade Americal division 1969
LOL, it would be nice , but not likely in our lifetimes. Not always the case though. I do blame Johnson and McNamera for "gross" mismanagement of the war.
Nail on head…….all the big boys scared of the ooks, forgot how too attack, screw the politicals! Plus the chi-coms at home, all them bastards running the country……take a big breath and look at it now, it’s just great isn’t it!
General Westmoreland was absolutely correct in everything he said about the situation in Vietnam and the home front. He should have stayed as Commander of American Forces in Vietnam and not been replaced.
The American armed forces unleashed against NVA less than 1% of their true power.Had they unleashed 50%,North Vietnam would have become a wasteland,just a name in the History books.
Yeah and what did that do for American freedom, security and safety. Vietnam was no threat to us. They did nothing to us. They were just sick and tired of foreigners running their county and they were fighting to be rid of them.
What did Gandhi say? An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind. I'm glad I haven't been put in a position where I had to take a human life - whether or not I was the small yellow man under western colonialism or eastern communism or the super power imposing it's will. Your weapon analogy hits at the heart of the gun debate. What's more dangerous - the mind or the weapon? The mind? Then the violence in video games/movies make a huge contribution to the problem. Oh well.....
LOL, yeah you have to admit the likes of Dan Rather, Peter Arnet, Mike Wallace, Walter Cronkite, and Bill Moyers were the "A" team for the north. Ho couldn't have asked for better. "Hey soldier I see two of your best friends just got killed in that battle, how do you feel about US presence in the war? You think it sucks? Take it away Peter, and now back to the folks at home."
The same type assholes ruining the country today, sleeping with the CCP. Now the fight is here on American soil, supported by traitors, US born commies….to all enjoy!
... claim that we lost a war that was over for us 2 years before Saigon fell. Called us losers when they did a piss poor job of reporting the whole thing. Only reporting the bad and ignoring the good. WTF!
Why couldn't the American land forces cross the dmz to kill the attackers that were shelling them? That's the craziest way of fighting a war that I've ever heard of.
Ah yes, the rubik's cube-like situation. Trying to find the right combination of movements that aligned Politics with Military Necessity with Public Opinion. Can't help feeling that so many of our brave men were casualties of the poor decisions made in Washington DC by those safely away from harm. Always the case. Unfortunately, all of our servicemen and women are assets in the grand scheme of things. Don't know how you can change that unless you can wave a wand and all weapons disappear.
We should have known we would lose the war when the grunts were making more sense than the generals. West Moreland will go down as one of the worst since Gen. George McClellon.
@@1aaace Not hardly. The public turned against the war. The military trained the ARVN to take over and slowly the US soldiers were to come back home. There was a treaty that if N Vietnam broke Nixon would begin bombing them again. Nixon got tangled with the Watergate scandal and couldn't do nothing. Congress wrote off S. Vietnam and sent minimal supplies. Try learning some history.
Many lives could have been saved if they had been allowed to just go in and bomb the North. But as other comments state, the troopers there had their hand tied behind their backs. Such a waste. Have a nice Memorial day, and remember those lost. Greetings from Alaska.
This is how ppl of power have ZFUCKED US ALL IN SOMEWAY,,,,FUCKEM ALL ,,,I'm starting,,yeah just now,to HATE MOTHERFUCKIN POWERS THAT BE,,another black man killed by PIGS whom murdered the man,,,,knee on his neck,,,.leaning to put more weight on him,,,sorry went off track,,,GOD BLESS ALL VIETNAM VETERANS
they did bomb the north. Alot. The problem was the nva could put long artillary in caves which could reach bases near the dmz but could not be hit by airstrikes or captured by troops
5 ปีที่แล้ว +1
Pretty clear to John Laurence as to how stupid Con Thien was.
I won’t give this a “thumbs up” simply because the Marines understood that their command was afraid to stand up to U.S. government who had no understanding of what war really was about. 🧐
9:20 to 11:12 perspective interviewing youthful soldiers mainly of my personal genetic type attitude and behaviours presumingly every human beings are unique equal relatively except skin colours. F.M Lt. Gen. Wango Yima Dima ( military rank and weaponry rank Light Machine gun, Mortar RPG Propeller and Personal Pistol bundling backup in fatal brutal assault combats.)
My uncle drove truck up there for a little bit until the nva closed the Rd . This shotgun was kill one night and he had to dive all night with this buddy die in the truck . He told me he was never the same after that . My uncle die of agent orange. Rip Leroy .
just had to camp down 2 miles from the DMZ an uncontrollable "Pucker Factor" no cover except "holes in the ground" we "Pucked Up" his Ops... "just another meatgrinder"" stepping stone to Kah Sagn they rained their shit across...but our hands were tied !!! thank God for the BUFF's!!! 68-69 Central Highlands
20:34 genetic personality type of this perspective interviewing soldier reminding me of my small brother who was born next behind me since during the Sudan country government of Late President Jafar Nimeir. Ancestry genealogy records we are investigating first superior human racial groups of government activists therefore my beloved parents and grandparents are firstly category ranking permanently yet preferring myself somehow neglected of not having a girlfriend was a simple alienation. "EkkE AGE MAKE" in genealogically ancestry family bloodline groups?
I'm a Vietnam Draft resistor. I talked to an Air Force F4 Phantom pilot who did a video on TH-cam. He had 180 missions throughout Indochina. He said, "Who said we were supposed to win the war". He knew as a pilot he wasn't there to win b/c of all the insane regulations he had to observe in warfare. He said he knew the war was being lengthened for "someone" and "something".
This is so fascninating. I imagine it's the last war waged by Americans where the truth could be told by reporters on the ground. The PR spin from the army is totally different from what the cameras were showing on the ground. It's heartbreaking to hear the story of a grunt who lost his friend mere hours after combat. I highly recommend to anyone unfamiliar with Christopher Hitchens to read his book-long essay called the Trial of Henry Kissinger. Hitchens lays out in great detail how the war crimes of the U.S. can be laid at the feet of Kissenger and other top-ranking members of the presidential inner-circle. It is truly saddening to watch these videos depicting young men get slaughtered for no reason whatsoever. p.s. Edited to add that the media were in many ways part of the U.S. military propaganda machine.
My Dad, SFC Manuel “Go-Go” Gomez was one of the Special Forces Casualties! He almost died! Awarded the Silver Star Medal!
I was there on May 8th, 67 with 11 engineers and 1/4. 40+ KIA and 100+ wia. Definitely a time I will never forget.
g
God bless you, Marine. Will see you soon.
Hey from 🇨🇦. Did you meet any Canadians there ? Apparently about 20,000 volunteerd. Hope you're doing good bud.
I made it to con thief in July of 1969 I was with first battalion twelfth marines whiskey battery , a 4.2 inch mortar . It was still a dangerous place but no where as dangerous as in 67 . What amazed me was the ground was still covered with rusted shrapnel. Those Marines in 67 sure took a beating . I take my hat off to them
Was there with 3Bn 9th Marines sept/oct 67. Incoming was nasty. Ran every where and especially to the shitter. I never shit so fast in my life! Choppers come in and mortars were hitting everywhere! If the wind was favorable you had a head start to a hole. Big guns in the north were bad too.
@@kenkal1829 i was there in Sept 67 with I 3/9 con thien (hill of angels) one day we received 1000 artillery & rocket lost buddies sad
@@carmeloburgaretta3209 Thanks for the reply, I was with 106's. Will never forget that stretch and how it wounded and killed a lot of brothers. Semper Fi forever!! When I got back stateside I ended up at Quantico, then an early out!! Be healthy and stay safe always!
🎉I stayed on artillery base n they All nite
Thank you
I was there. Dying Delta 1/9. We sure left a lot of our buddies on this cursed hill -- and in the Marketplace. Every inch of 561 and the surrounding area is burned into my mind, and I guess at 74 it will never leave. We used to say, "You can leave, but you'll never escape." Although we only half believed it, who would have thought some one of us would go back and look at this?! Capt. Sasek...Top Rivers...all of you, God bless you and I'll see you soon!.
1/9........walking dead
Thank you for all that you did.. Respect.. Semper Fi
I was with 2/9 when you guys got hit at the marketplace. Glad you made it back. We went up to the banks of the Ben hai river a few weeks later. Got hit on the way back the next morning on the same dirt road we went up.
God bless you
Thank you for your service
I was a Corpsman there with 3rd Tanks for two months in early 69. It was like living in a dust or mud hole. It was worse before I got there but I thank my Marine brothers for working so hard to keep me alive so I could work hard to keep them alive. Semper Fi to all who served, are serving and will serve.
Them boys was Jarheads...they stood up and did their duty. Angel Fire Memorial remembers them.
I was there and all we wanted to do is live. Delta 2/9.
Much respect to you sir!!!
Much respect..
Strong words welcome home.
@ I was at Con Thien after Jan. 1968 and the motor fire was accurate hitting around our under ground bunker, one was a front direct hit, lucky I was on my knees crawling, I hear underground picking at night. The enemy was digging under the ground. I heard movement at night, while I was on watch duty at night. I shot up a fare, and three shots from my left front. I stay cover, and there was no movement. I told some season Marine what was happening or things I noticed. We were on the line the next night, but the enemy did not attack. I gave a call, the motor fire was directed, in the northern side, next morning and all was discover was some blood, and no dead bodies.
I went out on a listen post outside of Con Thien, some Marines went to sleep, and we were in large bomb hole. I heard Vietnamese voices on the other side of a large bomb hole. We only had a 45 caliber.The senior Marine had the 45 caliber, and did not pass the 45 around and when he learn the watch was compromise, he led us by the area where we left Con Thien. He forgot where the return entrance was momently, but made the right choice. If I had the 45 caliber I could have shot the 2 Vietnamese or they would have surprised us, and shot us, looking over the rim of the large bomb hole. I went out with sniper in the night. We were supposed to protect his flank, nothing happen that night.
Later we went outside on our first patrol company size. I was assigned to the 3rd platoon. I was was told to watch on the the left flank, where the attack would take place. I saw a black wire cord in a area. I stop and got Lt. Burgess to review what I had noted. It did not fit, and strange in the ground area. He told me to go back to my left flank. I do not know why Lt. Burgess pulled the black wire cable. It blew up, and knock him down. Then the motor fire started in the striking or killing zone. I was hit with metal in my arm. cheek face, and chest. I notice the ground opening from a distant, and a rife muzzle showing up, but no firing. Then some command was giving to move up forward as to get out of the killing zone. I was removed to Phi Bui thereafter. I was in Hotel 2/1. I did later learned that the bunker I was in, the ground open up, and a fire fight started, the Marine got shot in one of his lungs, but lived, and later he was awarded the silver star, he did not hear the order to withdraw from the bunker where I heard the underground picking.
Before that 2 marines and myself was by the trench line talking or bunching up. I heard a shot fired, all you could do is duck, I even saw dust break up or raise up dirt from the ground from the ground, and the bullet hit. The NVA were monitoring us all the time. Just like on patrol, outside Con Thien they knew our exact location. There was a number of Marines wounded, that I did not know, but Lt. Burgess had a lot of wounds in his chest. That could have been me . If I had pulled that black wire cord device. When other Marines came to aid of Lt. Burgess, the motor rounds were hitting the area, and I heard zinging in the air of the area, and then moaning, and crying..
Thank you for your service
Con Thein I was stationed there for a while in 1968. While I was there mortar fire was fired into the base every day. I saw air strikes many times while I was stationed at the location.
god bless the u.s. marines!! from an old u.s.army grunt!!!!!80's
I have the utmost respect for the Marines. These guys are attention to detail motherfuckers. I don't know how they train um but they're fuckin sharp man, and mean.
I’m a Vietnam vet served down south of con thien in the three core area with the 25th infantry division along the Cambodian border had many friends who were marines in the DMZ area that area was a hell hole iam glad most of them made it home some were killed from my high school in those battles…never understood the rules of engagement were so weird over there fire zone no fire zone..when our marines were being killed from those artillery attacks why the B-52s couldn’t take out those NVA positions…just saying..
Because even heavy bombing has limits. “More” isn’t always a viable strategy.
We haven't learned much still today.
My cousin PFC Andre Latessa lost his life there 8/18/67. He was 19 years old
My cousin Lcpl Raymond Lapointe died defending Con Tien on 9/10/67. He was 19 years old.
What unit? I was 3/9 3rd Bn.
@@kenkal1829 LCPL Ray LaPointe was in the Weapons Platoon of Kilo Company, Third Battalion, Twenty-Sixth Marine Regiment.
@@johnperry1863 Thanks! Con Thien was the worst especially sept/oct 67. We were kids. So sorry but you can be proud of your cousin!
Fox 2/12 Marines, at Con Thien, April, August and October 1967. Early '67 not too bad, got progressively worse later in the year. They tried to shoot us off the hill in September, a thousand rounds a day, every day for a whole freaking month. By October it had gotten so strewn with shrapnel you could hardly help cutting yourself to shreds when you had to get down quickly because of the incessant incoming. By November they were rotating units off the hill every thirty days because nobody could stand up under the pounding. Semper Fi.
Was with 3/9 106's beginning in September 67! On the line behind the HQ bunker. Our CO Major Cook went on RR just before we got there! Semper Fi!!!
@@kenkal1829 I remember you guys. Do you remember two guys being killed crossing over too close behind one of your guns? It was two lieutenants, I think. Anyway, one of them was Jerry Bennett a good friend of mine. Glad you made it back, hope life has treated you kindly. Semper Fi!!
@@michaelryerson1315 I was at Con Thien late September 67 to late October. Rotation was a great idea on the hill. Can't imagine staying longer! I remember they had a Chaplin come around one day to tell us he was praying for us! We wondered why. Then we found out intelligence people expected a big assault in a couple of days!! Thank God it never happened but it sure made your nerves jumpy! I think we slept about five hours in 3 days!! Don't remember any accidents like you mentioned. We had a kid get a little shook up from the back blast one nite, don't remember Lts though! Were you there at that time? We left there and went to the Rockpile then LZ Stud, Calu etc. Then a few operations! I did all right comparing to some guys. Little shrapnel and malaria but otherwise I was very lucky!! Was a long time ago! But some memories I'll never forget!! I Retired as a detective in NJ. How about you? Make it all right?
@@kenkal1829 Yeah, one piece, mostly. Shrapnel feet and legs, delta med for a few weeks and then back to the field. Bullet wound right thigh but luckily was a ricochet, missed my knee by about three inches. Little limp. I think Lt. Bennett was killed around the middle of Sept. Captain Browne was KIA in July also at Con Thien. Rotated back to Charlie 2. Came home in February of '68. Tet was going on when I came out. Screwed around for a couple years, did some drinking. Just generally fucked around. Got married in '76. We're still together. One son, one grandson and another grandchild on the way. Life is good. Welcome home. I wrote and read this:
th-cam.com/video/qH2vbYs6ebc/w-d-xo.html
@@michaelryerson1315 I got married while stationed at Quantico Dec.68. Then discharged thru the early out system in June. They let us out early but still tried to get us to reenlist! No way baby, I'm outta here! My first child was born a couple of months after I got out! BUT I had to pay for our baby!! Con Tien was the worst month of the whole tour! Can't fight an artillery shell, you just hit the deck and hope! I watched your video, it was very well done! Now I have 5 grand kids one is married and trying to make me a great grandfather! I watched your video it was very well done. I always scan these videos hoping I see someone I served with! So far no help. Thanks for the comeback Mike, Godspeed and Semper Fi forever!!!
That would be Johnsons and McNamaras idea. In addition McNamera wanted to clear 2-300 yards of vegetation along the entire DMZ and have out posts to monitor if anyone came across. This at the time tied down several battalians of engineers as well as troops to guard the engineers while they tried to build it. It was a massive failure and waste of troops.
Yý
That was a stupid idea, build a wall while under artillery,mortar and rocket fire.
I WAS WITH LIMA CO. 3rd BN 4th MARINES , CON THIEN , VIETNAM NOV 22,1966--67.... WE HAD " M14'S " THEN ... I WHEN BACK MARCH 2014 , JUST A COFFEE PLANTATION NOW ........
Thx for trying Soldier , it all looked pretty exciting when I was a kid watching from Rocket Ship 7's broadcasting region just north of Buffalo N.Y...CANADA , no I was NOT A DRAFT DODGER , butt fcUK , one ran over my friend in Hamilton.. KIA...I REMEMBER JOEY BALANEY , that WAR reached a long ways , DESTROYED HIS MOM.
Did you know PFC Walter Babbitt, Jr?
I was with L 3/4 Jan66-Jul67 extended 6 months to stay with Lima Co
THANKS AMERICAN PATRIOT!!!!!
You couldn't pay me to go back, E/2/1 1st Mar Div. '66-'67.
I remember reading life magazine and the cover story was about Con Thien .this was before Hue, Khe Sanh and Tet. Two years later I was in Chu Lai with Marine Air Group 12. I always referred to our living and working area as Dodge City because our hooches and roads looked like a old west mining town but Con Thien was hell on earth
Thank you for serving (everyone one here). My Father was a Grunt in India Company 3/4 Marines in 66/67. Then My Uncle was with B BTRY, MACG-18, 1ST MAW, 2ND LAAM BN, III MAF When he was killed in Chu Lai in February of 1968. Eglin, Chuck/Chuckie
@@thomaseglin7103 The Marines set up Chu Lai in 1965 when they put a in a short takeoff and landing runway where A-4 Skyhawks had to use JATO packs to take off because they weren't equipted with afterburners. During that same time they had the battle of Chu Lai cleaning out NVA and Viet Cong units that were all over the place.Pretty brutal battle like Con Thien. Sorry about your uncle but he was killed during the Tet Offense when the whole country was lit up..Things were realitivly quite when I first got there in Nov. 69 a few rockets and motars now and then but when we invaded Cambodia in May 1970 the NVA started attacking bases all over the country and Chu Lai got hit hard with 122mm rockets.Had some KIAs and quite a few wounded. A good friend of mine was stationed in Da Nang and he told me years later that they spotted a NVA rocket battation in the hills outside Da Nang sent out aircraft to destroy them but they think they a went into a cave then popped up 50 km south at Chu Lai.,Hard to belive that was 52 years ago but that experience stays with you until the day you die.
Our country was at war with itself. In the end we lost a lot of good young men for a very poor reason. To win a war you have to be willing to do anything to reach that goal. We had little incentive to do just that ,a lesson that should have been learned in Korea.
MacNamara and his Fuking electronic fence. Was about as effective as the Sniffer missions I operated along the Cambodian border in III Corps.
You have to love politics. The NVA could shell Con Thien but the Marines couldn't go into N. Vietnam to knock the guns out. Now THAT is logic. Logic from someone sitting in a comfy leather chair in DC while these poor Marines pay for their incompetence.
Dnt make sense it's war if a enemy is n a church fire at me and the church is in Geneva convention protection. Sorry I'm knock that church out or what ever I have to do to kill that VC-NVA troop that's trying to kill me. So Gov wanna send my wifey telegram saying your huaband was KIA frm a VC/NVA troop that was firing at him frm inside a church but your huaband couldnt react due to Geneva Convention act 123: 4 They out they mine court marshal my ass but atleast I would b alive to talk about it. I agree with your comment
Take care yourself veterans of Vietnam i'm french
My dad Master Sargent Robert Dambeck was killed in Con Thien on July 7th 1967
L/Cpl Kenneth Plumadore of Syracuse, NY was killed at Con Thien on 9/21/67. Only his jawbone is buried at the Onondaga County Veteran's Cemetery (if it really is his, because even that is in doubt). I visit his grave often. Semper Fi.
❤🤺💔✊
what is the date of this? I was in India Battery 3/12 in 66/67 and fired in support of many operations but cannot remember them all..lol..(thankfully)
18:11 resolve? what resolve? BS.
I was there in a tank unit.
What's that line? Ha Ha...I have a dream? I agree. Not in our lifetimes for sure. Gross mismanagement is a nice term. Anyway....... can't believe it was 40+ years ago when I was watching the war on the nightly news. I was lucky......no wars when I was in my prime drafting range. Today, I would be part of the home guard ha ha. I would be the civilian speed bump marching out to front a few miles from the capital - like the Berliners in the spring of '45.
I hate to hear when Generals tell just how it will be..never boots on the ground til the fighting is over RVN 68..USMC
I just finished the Book Con thien, by James Coan. I found myself getting very angry at the Higher up, the people who gave these suicide orders, and I dont know how many times I read where resupply brought in shells for artillery, and the marines were low on 5.56, this happened numerous times, throughout this reading, the Marines and Navy Corpman were left out to fight for their lives and many times they were over run. Breaks my heart , I felt very emotional throughout this reading, knowing someones son, or brother, dad, husband, was told to give their life and it didnt matter to our government le alone our Generals, Colonel. Like I have heard over and over you men were fighting to save one another.
We were true americans carrying on what our fathers did during ww11 ,, but years later realized it was all for no constructive reason Co/b/3rd of the 1st infantry batillion 11th brigade Americal division 1969
LOL, it would be nice , but not likely in our lifetimes. Not always the case though. I do blame Johnson and McNamera for "gross" mismanagement of the war.
Nail on head…….all the big boys scared of the ooks, forgot how too attack, screw the politicals! Plus the chi-coms at home, all them bastards running the country……take a big breath and look at it now, it’s just great isn’t it!
General Westmoreland was absolutely correct in everything he said about the situation in Vietnam and the home front. He should have stayed as Commander of American Forces
in Vietnam and not been replaced.
The American armed forces unleashed against NVA less than 1% of their true power.Had they unleashed 50%,North Vietnam would have become a wasteland,just a name in the History books.
Yeah and what did that do for American freedom, security and safety. Vietnam was no threat to us. They did nothing to us. They were just sick and tired of foreigners running their county and they were fighting to be rid of them.
This is just a cope to deflect from the fact that America was beaten by a bunch of rice farmers who fought against invaders.
What ever. We lost!
@@DN-nf9pc
Remember the NVA didn't occupy Washington DC.
@@robertisham5279Exactly. In all these comments, I’ve been trying to find what it was the US was trying to “win.”
Turns out CHUCK was a lot tougher than 1st thought , 200 yrs of REAL WAR had them in tune for a DUST UP avec anyone.
Hell of a way to fight a war.
That would make the US troops the "A" team helping the South Vietnamese. Do you understand the difference?
What did Gandhi say? An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind. I'm glad I haven't been put in a position where I had to take a human life - whether or not I was the small yellow man under western colonialism or eastern communism or the super power imposing it's will. Your weapon analogy hits at the heart of the gun debate. What's more dangerous - the mind or the weapon? The mind? Then the violence in video games/movies make a huge contribution to the problem. Oh well.....
God Almighty bless the United States Marines.
LOL, yeah you have to admit the likes of Dan Rather, Peter Arnet, Mike Wallace, Walter Cronkite, and Bill Moyers were the "A" team for the north. Ho couldn't have asked for better. "Hey soldier I see two of your best friends just got killed in that battle, how do you feel about US presence in the war? You think it sucks? Take it away Peter, and now back to the folks at home."
You never see the assholes who sent them there in the first place.
The same type assholes ruining the country today, sleeping with the CCP. Now the fight is here on American soil, supported by traitors, US born commies….to all enjoy!
My father was there in '67. LCPl Don Weaver
My Dad was there in May67, Lt Clyde Baker, got shot up when NVA tried overrun them in May.
The Cat from Hue.
What kind of good did you think they should be reporting about?
How to lose a war. Saluting all who served and sacrified there.
Very good soldiers
Alot of good men lived and died on them hills!
... claim that we lost a war that was over for us 2 years before Saigon fell. Called us losers when they did a piss poor job of reporting the whole thing. Only reporting the bad and ignoring the good. WTF!
Why couldn't the American land forces cross the dmz to kill the attackers that were shelling them? That's the craziest way of fighting a war that I've ever heard of.
Was there
I was there for a while then i went back to 11th mar. 1st mar Div
where abouts were they in this video?
The south Vietnamese army went through this and much , much worse for 21 years
If they were the A team for the north, what did that make you guys?
Ah yes, the rubik's cube-like situation. Trying to find the right combination of movements that aligned Politics with Military Necessity with Public Opinion. Can't help feeling that so many of our brave men were casualties of the poor decisions made in Washington DC by those safely away from harm. Always the case. Unfortunately, all of our servicemen and women are assets in the grand scheme of things. Don't know how you can change that unless you can wave a wand and all weapons disappear.
First war televised into peoples homes
Direct from the battlefield
Which caused its unpopularity!
Americans military is the best they can endure the worst and keep fighting 🇺🇸
We should have known we would lose the war when the grunts were making more sense than the generals. West Moreland will go down as one of the worst since Gen. George McClellon.
I'm related to Gen George McClellan and I couldn't agree more!
The US did NOT lose the war. They walked away.
The political this ,, the political betrayed everyone
If that's how you want to word it. Meanwhile, the NVA won in real life.😊
They RAN away.
@@1aaace Not hardly. The public turned against the war. The military trained the ARVN to take over and slowly the US soldiers were to come back home. There was a treaty that if N Vietnam broke Nixon would begin bombing them again. Nixon got tangled with the Watergate scandal and couldn't do nothing. Congress wrote off S. Vietnam and sent minimal supplies. Try learning some history.
@@Ryan-vg4wn Really? What battle did the NVA win against the US?
Many lives could have been saved if they had been allowed to just go in and bomb the North. But as other comments state, the troopers there had their hand tied behind their backs. Such a waste. Have a nice Memorial day, and remember those lost. Greetings from Alaska.
This is how ppl of power have ZFUCKED US ALL IN SOMEWAY,,,,FUCKEM ALL ,,,I'm starting,,yeah just now,to HATE MOTHERFUCKIN POWERS THAT BE,,another black man killed by PIGS whom murdered the man,,,,knee on his neck,,,.leaning to put more weight on him,,,sorry went off track,,,GOD BLESS ALL VIETNAM VETERANS
they did bomb the north. Alot. The problem was the nva could put long artillary in caves which could reach bases near the dmz but could not be hit by airstrikes or captured by troops
Pretty clear to John Laurence as to how stupid Con Thien was.
And he was an early proponent of the war.
Still not sure what we were dying for in that war
Ego?
I won’t give this a “thumbs up” simply because the Marines understood that their command was afraid to stand up to U.S. government who had no understanding of what war really was about. 🧐
9:20 to 11:12 perspective interviewing youthful soldiers mainly of my personal genetic type attitude and behaviours presumingly every human beings are unique equal relatively except skin colours.
F.M Lt. Gen. Wango Yima Dima ( military rank and weaponry rank Light Machine gun, Mortar RPG Propeller and Personal Pistol bundling backup in fatal brutal assault combats.)
VNCH👍👍👍👍👍👍🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
these Americans were existing at one point
8:46
That's you?
Firepower ; The jets B52s, where are they?
My uncle drove truck up there for a little bit until the nva closed the Rd . This shotgun was kill one night and he had to dive all night with this buddy die in the truck . He told me he was never the same after that . My uncle die of agent orange. Rip Leroy .
The morale was low. Can't blame them.
11:50-12:33
just had to camp down 2 miles from the DMZ an uncontrollable "Pucker Factor" no cover except "holes in the
ground" we "Pucked Up" his Ops... "just another meatgrinder"" stepping stone to Kah Sagn they rained their shit
across...but our hands were tied !!! thank God for the BUFF's!!! 68-69 Central Highlands
VERY BAD...POOR USE OF AMERICAN PATRIOTS!11111 america is in TROUBLE.......CALL THEY LYING SHIT.OBUMMER...CCP DUCK!!!!!! OBUMMER FYOU!!!
Americans love their battles.
Where were B 52. ???
where were CBU 20,000 pounds bomb
drop thousands CBU bomb over the north need no men on the ground
35,000 NVA congregated near the DMZ? Fly over and carpet bomb
General Wastemoreland. What a pathetic figure.
Our parents came home from WWII and then send their sons to die in SE Asia for no good reason. FUBAR
Thank goodness video technology did not get stuck the way it was in this video. Almost painful to look at.
bullshit there teenage minds uderstand perfectly the futility of the war
i was a tunnel rat
Thanks for your service.
20:34 genetic personality type of this perspective interviewing soldier reminding me of my small brother who was born next behind me since during the Sudan country government of Late President Jafar Nimeir. Ancestry genealogy records we are investigating first superior human racial groups of government activists therefore my beloved parents and grandparents are firstly category ranking permanently yet preferring myself somehow neglected of not having a girlfriend was a simple alienation. "EkkE AGE MAKE" in genealogically ancestry family bloodline groups?
Listen to the general then Listen to everyone else it's clear it's a lose
Where in the hell are the air strikes . B-52's to knocked out their N V A heavy guns .
I'm a Vietnam Draft resistor. I talked to an Air Force F4 Phantom pilot who did a video on TH-cam. He had 180 missions throughout Indochina. He said, "Who said we were supposed to win the war". He knew as a pilot he wasn't there to win b/c of all the insane regulations he had to observe in warfare. He said he knew the war was being lengthened for "someone" and "something".
God bless Vietnam.
I believe history tells us that would be Goebels.
C'est pas comme dans les films
Les balles sont réelles.
This is so fascninating. I imagine it's the last war waged by Americans where the truth could be told by reporters on the ground. The PR spin from the army is totally different from what the cameras were showing on the ground. It's heartbreaking to hear the story of a grunt who lost his friend mere hours after combat. I highly recommend to anyone unfamiliar with Christopher Hitchens to read his book-long essay called the Trial of Henry Kissinger. Hitchens lays out in great detail how the war crimes of the U.S. can be laid at the feet of Kissenger and other top-ranking members of the presidential inner-circle. It is truly saddening to watch these videos depicting young men get slaughtered for no reason whatsoever. p.s. Edited to add that the media were in many ways part of the U.S. military propaganda machine.
RIP Mike Wallace.