Emotional tales from a Vietnam veteran: Part 1 (The Mango Grove)
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 พ.ย. 2017
- Prescott, Arizona, resident Robert Lynn Pedigo served as a lieutenant combat engineer during the Vietnam War in 1970.
He and his troop of 20 men were assigned the mission to clear the jungle of all foliage and aerial view obstruction within designated areas.
They accomplished this using armored bulldozers, wiping out everything and anything that crossed their path.
Being in the front line of uncleared territory, they regularly set off booby traps and explosives. Only seven of his 20 men made it out of Vietnam without being medically evacuated.
This story is the first of a short series told by Mr. Pedigo about some of the more traumatic experiences he encountered in the field and how they have affected him throughout his life.
![[Watch Party] RoV APL 2024 Bacon VS Earena](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/I5XAoIs-r6o/mqdefault.jpg)
He almost cried but held it back bye laughing respect bro
it's the kind of "desperate laughter" when you were in hell. I know that very well... I'm married for over 40 years.....
The insanity of war does have a weird sense of humor about it.
This is the kind of story that restores my faith in my fellow human beings, as a sufferer of PTSD (ex forces UK) his story gives me hope. Love light and Peace to all.
Your a GOOD Man Mr. Pedigo…..God Bless ALL you Vietnam combat Vets....Thank You SIR....and WELCOME HOME !!
The laughing is a kind of shield from the pain.
My best friend was in the Vietnam war. He says some of the nicest guys he fought along side with left as ass*oles that didn't care anymore but as for himself, it was opposite. He started off as a big tough guy wanting to fight and came back as a more tame person, more reserved and more regard for his fellow man. He also said that the most graphic movies we can think of don't even begin to come close to the horrors he experienced. He had lost so many brothers that he volunteered for the most dangerous jobs in hopes he would get killed and he never had an injury at all until years later he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes caused by agent orange. Now hes 70 and I'm watching as he falls apart. The VA will finish him off with their negligesce and recklessness and until then he lives in total poverty. I don't think any of them did well in Vietnam. They were boys robbed of their inner spark of innocence and joy, of their safety, their lives, really. Ken has a very difficult time in life. What I hope for both of you (and everyone, really) is that the universe sends you angels in the form of humans that are trustworthy, pure of heart, soft, loving, and joyful. I want someone to lightly touch your hair and say it's all okay no matter what as you drift off into a peaceful deep sleep feeling full of love.
Yes it is my brother, but the Pain is right out there where we can see, and feel it. Talk about Survivors, these guys were CHAMPIONS who were used as Pawns by some Very Evil people. The things folks are called "Hero" for nowadays do not even come close to their sacrifice and courage. Our soldiers then were Blamed and Disrespected for the sins of those evil people. We who lived through those terrible times remember, and know who those demons were. The same things still continue today in our current "government" many times over, and some of those same demons are still at work.
Please don’t make a statement as if you know what’s in his heart and soul. It’s arrogant of you.
@@dalesfailssagaofasuslord783
And that is your feelings toward mine.
Have a blessed day.
What fucking pain? Went over there for no goddamn reason and always acted like y’all suffered. It wasn’t your war. Get over it.
PTSD always expresses itself in laughter. The ultimate defence mechanism.
...you either laugh or you don’t...
@@cosmicman621 sigma
As a Vietnam Veteran myself(July 69 - September 70) I served in A battery 2nd battalion 94th field artillery n was a gunner on a 8 inch SP Howitzer in the very Northern I Corp of Vietnam n we have a saying " You may have left Vietnam BUT Vietnam doesn't leave you" n 50 years later it's in my head 24/7. So remember this when you send your family members n friends off to war THEY Will NEVER Be the same again. It's hard to explain unless you served so Please keep ALL Veterans in your prayers. Welcome Home
My heart breaks.
❤
Did you get abuse from people when you got home? Because you fought in the war?
@@wexfordrob I had friends that I had not seen in awhile walk away from me whilst I told them I just got back from 14 months in Vietnam n just a little abuse from other's. But it's in the past. But I tell people today I n most Vietnam Veterans prefer Welcome Home instead of the other bs
At 2:45 you can see the dude literally reliving that moment like it was the day before. Insane how much your eyes can convey, some heavy shit
Fr bro life’s crazy
One can only begin to describe horror!!!
I'm married for over 40 years.... let's talk about hell again.
You made an AMAZING and HUMANE decision in the face of an obviously insane move by YOUR higher-up's and you, through what YOU felt like was an act of lunacy, can look back and say, "Yeah...Yeah! I did the right thing that day. I didn't allow blind hatred to rule my behavior that day." Good job! More importantly, WELCOME HOME, my friend! Thank you for your service in Vietnam! You men were and still are amazing men! For what it's worth, I'm proud of you for putting a 1911 in that pilot's face and demanding she be taken to a hospital. What happened from there, good or bad, IS NOT your fault, sir! YOU DID THE RIGHT THING! Decisions made beyond that point are, and were then, out of your control as much as bulldozing the mango grove was! Please, hold your head high! YOU weren't the problem! YOU were LIGHT in the midst of darkness! I know the general event, as a whole, is a painful memory, but try to focus on the fact that, in the face of it all, YOU DID THE RIGHT THING! God Bless you, my friend! Much love from me to you and all the others who served! -Peter Shaw, 43 and young enough to be your son, former army Combat Medic and Amateur Extra Class radio operator (KX4LB).
I cried. I’ve never served but this man made me feel like I did. Thank you for what you did and sharing what many keep inside that the rest of us would never know.
It's tough to see how his strong emotions come out in the form of laughter, I guess this is just the way his brain has learnt to cope with his horrific war memories. I feel for him and the Vietnamese woman who got hurt.
The duality of humans is insane.
God bless you man
Randall Johnston much love comrade
Damn, I had a hard time watching all of that. Too much pain. Incredible courage to be able to talk about such monstrous experiences. My dad went twice as a Marine coming back the second time after being wounded in a firefight and I did not understand why they were even there. (until later) God Bless this man because "he has already been through Hell".
really ??? ............... WHY were they there ??
What do you think they were there for? Honest question. I cant figure it out. Drugs? Territory? What?
I respect and have love for all veterans, especially Vietnam vets. I have issue with the "why they were there part" though; sadly, they were used, unwitting kids for God's sake, for the agendas of those in power. Please don't throw the fear mongering of "we were fighting Communism" into this. We should never have been there and that's my humble opinion. God bless your father and everyone whom suffered, and will suffer for the rest of their lives due to this conflict, including all of the innocent Vietnamese civilians. One big, tragic, hell on earth that never should have happened.
@@LM01234 American politicians stats war to provide ''democracy'' to other countries, as it always been.
he still cannot believe it actually happened. it's right in front of him. every day. everyday. thanks for sharing this story - takes courage to relive it with fidelity for the future.
Thanks for sharing your experience. We're sorry for your pain, but glad you made it home.
That is what being called a man is. A real hero.
The humane side of war...mercy
You're a good man and thanks for your service.
What a story and thanks for uploading. 👍🇺🇲
I just prayed for you. God bless you and from the bottom of my heart, I thank you for your service. You boys went through a lot and were made to do an ugly job. War is ugly. Thank you for sharing your experience so we will never forget. PS. Welcome home!
Thank you for your service, I feel your pain my friend. Talking about it helps all of us heal.
Thank you for your service sir, we all owe you our respect and support, again thank you.
I got it!!! The soldier or grunt was on the low end of the totem pole. He took orders & he adjusted.
A lot of good people like you found themselves entangled in circumstances that defied their conceptions of morality. I sincerely hope you can find some measure of peace and relief.
GOD BLESS THIS MAN, And thank you for sharing your horrific memories. Sharing IS caring
My heart breaks for you and this situation. You are a good man, I'm so sorry this happened. God BLESS you.
Even now, decades later, its raw. This is a good man.
Welcome Home , thank you for your service !
Wow wild thankyou for sharing. incomprehensible war
Made me tear up...and I am no soft touch...nuff said.
Poor guy...ill keep you in my prayers sir...
Thank you sir and I hope you find peace. Semper Fidelis
Wow.that effected me deeply.i can imagine.
For whatever its worth im very grateful for him and the actions he took to save the lady. 🙏
His emotional pain is all I had to see and hear to believe that this man was suffering deeply. It’s the deep pain you usually don’t see. This brought tears to my eyes. All the best to this man.
This gives me a new perspective
Thank you for sharing your story. I am a young 30 year old man, who always wanted to serve my country - in the respect of the young men who fought in Vietnam. I never had the chance to serve - due to my physical weight issues... which sucked. But in spirit, I appreciate you and all the men who served. God bless you.
Yes . Thanks for saying that Steve as it restores mine too .
God Bless you Brother
One of the few good ones
My heart really goes out to you and all the others
I hope that includes the Vietnamese People as well.
He was probably 18 or 19 years old.Thats a whole lot for a kid to go through.
If he was an Lt he was probably early 20s. Still pretty young.
Shit try dealing with the same level of violence at 18 but your in America your own homeland inside of prison where your supposed to be rehabilitated but your turned into a killer.
CYCOlogist I don’t no if he was an officer or not,I think of my own father who got drafted in 66,I can only imagine what all he went through and saw.I could not imagine being only 18 or 19 years old and having to face death on a daily basis.I’m thankful me and my generation never had to fight or sacrifice for my way of life.
@@johndeere8594 It says right there in the description he was a Lieutenant so obviously he was an officer which means he would have been at least 21 or 22 at youngest by the time he got his commission. Either way that's still pretty young.
@@cycologist7069 Still a kid.
Amazing
The "fog of war" tragic what these boys went through, regardless they are our American heroes. Thank you for your service Robert.
Wow, I guess things haven't changed much since Vietnam. What an act of humanity in a time and place that was so very inhumane. Same thing used to happen in Afghanistan, refusing medical care or logistical support for collateral damages. Never saw anyone draw on superiors although we did have to ignore do not shoot orders and other procedures that were risk multipliers and force dividing.
I remember when I would remember my humanity for moments and just become further alienated from my command. A lot of us had lost faith in the efficacy of our tactics and strategy; it was my peers and subordinates, other lower enlisted as well, that keeps you performing on some level of effectiveness; I wonder if that is how other vets see things.
War is hell. Vietnam was the worst of it. Their adolescence yanked from them with nothing but horrific memories. The way this country has treated Vietnam veterans is beyond disgusting. May they find some sort of peace.
Bless this man.....my God....🙏
These guys who fought were brave ..they just didnt know what they were getting into. It breaks my heart to see how they got treated by they're own country when they came back. Thank you , Mr Pedigo. And welcome home.
God bless his soul..
What Memories.....most important is,from my Point of view,this Man asks himself:what do we do here?
Achilles in Vietnam is an essential read. I hope this vet has recovered and is well.
War is hell. It's not just the fighting that fucks with you.
Good on you bro
This is a very nice guy.
Truth heroes! Truth fighters for democracy and freedom!
“That one really affected me deeply”.
Jesus! I can tell man.
I’m 38 years old. I think I can handle shit.
I can’t.
Fucking hell.
Being an enlisted around Mac V HQ was very informative. The brass did understand that the war was unwinnable. They knew the situation as well as anybody. So they used it as the best promotion opportunity of the career path. None had the guts enough to go to civilian authority and tell them the truth. They just made sure it created as many high rank positions as possible.
I'm proud to say I had 3 uncle's in the nam my uncle rainbow done his tour,my uncle Alpine was a paratrooper got shot up before he hits the ground gets sent home, and my uncle Richard, he was a green beret, on his 3rd tour a mission in North Vietnam went bad, he was caught as a p.o.w for 7 years, he spent 10 years in Vietnam
Awww. What a nightmare. It sounds like he did the best that he could.
The best he could do was to not go fight people who have never done anything to him. What all Americans should have done. You don't get to be the good guy after all that misery your inflicted on people by your poor decisions, just because you're now sorry.
@@benmaghsoodi2067 you understand how a draft works?
@@notapplicable328 yes, I also know how excuses work.
@@benmaghsoodi2067 how is that an excuse? You’re ridiculous. I’m not happy about the Vietnam war either but the people to blame are not the individual soldiers who were FORCED into it. It’s the people sending them over there for their own political agenda and self righteousness. These men were mostly poor, 18-19 year olds that got a letter saying they are to report for war. Don’t blame the kids that had to see their buddies face down in the mud. Don’t blame the kids that got their legs and arms and heads blown off. Blame the big fat politicians that thought it was so very important for us to be there for whatever fucking reason.
@@notapplicable328 I blame both. Everyone is responsible for what they do. If you murder people that have done nothing to you in their village across the world, you can't avoid responsibility and say I got a letter that said I should do this. He was an adult, so what he did was on him. He and his buddies enabled those fat politicians to continue this senseless war and ruin people's lives.
Welcome home
PTSD is a living hell
The brain tends to etch permanently things that are out of the ordinary. Most of what they saw, was out of the ordinary.
Laughter is good. I laughed with ya brother. War hurts and makes no fuckin sense.
Should have promoted you to General the same day. Curious, whatever happened the chopper pilot?
You did what no one else had the ball's to do or say...you acted like a human being with empathy when no one else would
Who put the bomb there that blew off the woman’s legs? Genuine question, I’m confused about why they were cutting mango trees and who put the bomb there.
the viet cong, claymore was probably just a general term he used considering claymores are remote detonated or have strings attached...doubt she wouldve tripped a claymore since it would have been visible.
@@user-lc9vr3bf2e Ohhh ok, thank you for your reply.
I’d be interested in knowing what unit he was with, and what time frame. A few things just don’t add up. I’m not doubting that this happened, but it would not have gone down like that in northern I Corps in 1969/70.
There were free fire zones, but all civilians were removed from them and relocated in refugee camps before the free fire zone was designated. There should have been no civilians living there.
I have never heard of any unit which did not have a dedicated air ambulance unit providing coverage. Sometimes all the designated air ambulance aircraft were busy elsewhere, so another helicopter would respond like the one in his story, but usually the designated Medevac air ambulance unit had an aircraft available. The Medevac helicopters and US military hospitals provided emergency treatment for anyone and everyone who was brought in. US soldiers, South Vietnamese soldiers, VC, NVA, or civilians. True, if the patient was a civilian or ARVN, they would be transferred to a Vietnamese hospital once they were stable, and the VC or NVA would probably be taken to an ARVN hospital unless they appeared to be in possession of critical information that US interrogators wanted.
The whole system was well developed by the late 1960s.
Sometimes things did not work as they should have, and the leadership was better in some units than in others, but this unfortunate incident was not typical in my experience.
Jim G - Agree that this man is relating a real incident, but civilians in a free-fire zone doesn't make sense. He seems to be somewhat confused about his terminology e.g.stating that a claymore mine was responsible for maiming the mamasan. Those were above ground anti-personnel devices & not body-pressure activated. He also states that every night he would contact battalion. As a lieutenant, wouldn't the proper chain of command be for him to contact the company, which would then contact battalion?
May this gentleman find peace. Welcome home.
OMG what an awful thing to witness. Such a decent, kind man, so much respect and love for him. I'm sure people have told him he kind of looks and speaks like Peter Fonda.
Lest we forget.
I think I wouldve ended my life sometime after that. That crazy story most likely wouldve got stuck in my head everyday.
TO LIFE THANK YOU A mARINE SGT TO A BROTHERS
Vietnam Veterans are American Heroes. Sent by our Country, they served.
Sorry u had to go tho that shit mate you are a good soul
I was born 92 I’m sorry . Thank you now I have the right to serve and I am going into basic soon
I don’t know how I would have survived if I’d been sent over - I was born after the war was already done
Welcome Home brother - Vietnam 1969-1971 _
Why did they need to cut the trees?
Free Fire zone if it had V.C. Or N.V.A activity they could use the mangos for food or cover.
Don’t agree with idea at all as the Vietnamese are farmers this just creates more potential V.C. due loss of livelihood & the death or crippling of a family member.
Feel sorry for this guy as he put in an awful position.
@@jaybot303functionerror4 - - The farmers were probably due to be moved out by the American or the south to deny the enemy food & people support.
the wounds aren't physical. They're wounds to what makes you human
That was a close clay-more
Few things are more persuasive than a 1911 pointed in someone's face.
Colt 1911...a beautiful handgun!
OHHH the atrocities
who the fuck downvotes a video like this ?
Poor fella.
Why was there claymores in the trees your about to take down??
To secure the area you idiot did you not get the memo?
Nikki Lamb Interesting and vile perspective you have there
Bet the sight or even smell of a mango would give him flashbacks. ..a humane gentleman.
So much suffering, the human condition is fucked up. I hope all find peace and happiness.
Imagine a world where governments don’t fight new wars for the contracts and profits they produce.
DID They save the mangos or wete They cut. cliffhanger.
Do you not understand English? Clear as day he states they bulldozed the mango grave.
Humanity and morality, if you loose those two things, you might as well already be dead
Poor fucking guy at least he made it home.
A mango tree then a olive tree now
A both evil and moronic war
I was in RVN 69/70 in Bon Song area building Highway 1 north. There was absolutely no value on Vietnamese life. ARVNs were not allowed on our LZ under any circumstance. Our drivers and equipment operators were constantly hitting Vietnamese vehicles and personnel occasionally killing or maiming the Vietnamese. The local village chiefs would meet and complain to the battalion commander. The results were insurance payments (solarium payments) to the locals They were paid more for a water Buffalo than a child. Clearly demonstrated our opinion of the Vietnamese. The Army personnel were rarely prosecuted.
trust is a blessed and sacrosanct thing, If you believe in a cause enough to receive or inflict mortal injury - you must trust in the motives and morals of those who direct and control the violence you are directed to use. That trust, built up in WW! and appealed to in WW2 - was squandered in Vietnam: War aims must reflect a coherent and achievable political goals - in military terms they were never realistic because the political doctrine could never be translated into a military action that could achieve those aims.
Trust and faith in High Command took a bit hit though, eventually, most of the Military moved on but people like me look the black wall of remembrance and ask - why?
What the hell were men sent to cut down fuc#!n mango trees that were poor villagers livelihood?
Nikki lamb,humanity is what makes us superior to the enemy, but it sounds like she was just an inoffensive innocent lady,!?why the anger did you put time in ?
Gef Leigh Nikki Lamb’s brain is infected by demons
That laughter is holding back the tears, but if I had to put money on it I'd say those are tears from the fact he knows he would've shot that guy if he hadn't taken the woman.
She wanted to save those mangos, but also keep you guys away from the claymores.
Possibly...
Scott adams
Then he came home to America spat on and called a war criminal, how sad