Vietnam Shotgun Fun..

[elmosdad]

There wasn't a damn thing fun about it.........................

 

[poopdaddy]

yep
my dad talks all the time about the fun he had.... only once has he ever talked about the bad. its the only time i ever have seen him cry.i'm 45.

 

[CQB27]

I remember reading an article in Soldier of Fortune magazine, about 10-15 years ago, by a Vietnam veteran, who said that he really enjoyed his Vietnam experience because he was a gun and weapons buff and by being over there he got to shoot all kinds of stuff that he'd never get to use as an American civilian. He enjoyed shooting M16s and AK's, and tossing grenades (I assume he means in practice, not in the heat of combat). He went out of his way to make sure he got to try out RPGs and recoilless rifles and other big anti-armor weapons. He loved it.

Even the weapons he didn't fire personally-- he said he enjoyed watching them work. Seeing cluster-bombs pepper the side of a hill where the enemy was believed to be.
Watching artillery shoot, and the big guns shake the ground and blow leaves off the trees around the fire base.

He said in the article that he knows it will sound bad for him to say he enjoyed much of his time over there, but that aspect of it was very pleasing to him, and that's just how it was (for him) -- he's not going to hide it or lie about his feelings or water his story down for SOF readers' sensibilities.

Again, this was written by a combat vet of Vietnam.

Oh, will you people calm down?? Take the OP's post in context. Those dudes were engaged in recreational drug use, grinning, and having a good ol' time.

Certainly there were some fun times, back at the base, when no offensive or defensive action was going on or even anticipated.
Don't be a bunch of drama queens. Yeah, we know that at OTHER TIMES, these same people experienced horror and terror and sadness, etc.
The OP's comment is not about those times.


During WWI, for the first Christmas the troops themselves (not their generals!) declared a Christmas truce and played soccer and exchanged gifts. That was fun.

My dad was a WWII pilot. When he wasn't shooting things or being shot it, but was just flying recon missions or doing message drops, he had FUN. Sometimes he'd swoop down low and buzz the fields or fly through canyons and do a barrel roll-- just for FUN.

I've seen pictures of U.S. soldiers in Iraq and Kuwait in 1991, playing like little kids in the sand, throwing little parachutes in the air (leftover from used flares?) and catching them as they came floating down again.

FUN.
It exists in a lot of places, even during trying times.

Guess how I know you have never been in combat?
Sure there are brief moments of humor, but as the years fade, that's not what a man remembers.
Just my own personal experience....your perception may certainly vary.

Edit to add: Combat conducted from the air really can't be compared to combat on the ground. They are far more different than they are alike.

 

[Targetmaster]

I remember reading an article in Soldier of Fortune magazine, about 10-15 years ago, by a Vietnam veteran, who said that he really enjoyed his Vietnam experience because he was a gun and weapons buff and by being over there he got to shoot all kinds of stuff that he'd never get to use as an American civilian. He enjoyed shooting M16s and AK's, and tossing grenades (I assume he means in practice, not in the heat of combat). He went out of his way to make sure he got to try out RPGs and recoilless rifles and other big anti-armor weapons. He loved it.

Even the weapons he didn't fire personally-- he said he enjoyed watching them work. Seeing cluster-bombs pepper the side of a hill where the enemy was believed to be.
Watching artillery shoot, and the big guns shake the ground and blow leaves off the trees around the fire base.

He said in the article that he knows it will sound bad for him to say he enjoyed much of his time over there, but that aspect of it was very pleasing to him, and that's just how it was (for him) -- he's not going to hide it or lie about his feelings or water his story down for SOF readers' sensibilities.

Again, this was written by a combat vet of Vietnam.

Outside my hooch was a battery of 105's which in the few times I got to sleep in base camp, kept me awake all night returning fire from incoming mortor & rocket rounds. I jump like hell even now when lighting strikes close by and scare the wife by yelling "in coming" LOL..

 

[Durango00]

Hmmm, let me see, I put two different Medics on dust offs, which left me as Platoon Sgt to take over as Medic also, then I lost three men to a Booby trap a couple of days later, one lost half his head, then as we were attacking a wood line, a guy from another Company took a direct hit from a mortor round and disintergrated and splatter me with blood, body parts and brain tissue. Then we did an all night cross jungle march thru the Delta swamps to support another Company caught in an ambush which killed about twenty or so and I used my poncho to wrap one of the bodies, because we didn't have any body bags, then on the night of Feb 20th 1968 after surviving most of the TET got hit by two Companies of NVA and took two bullet wounds and as I was still standing Commanding my Platoon took a direct hit from a 122mm Rocket round which almost blew my left leg & Arm off and sent me to Walter Reed for almost a Year. Yep, it was fun & Games, would I go back?, Hmmmmm yep, I guess I would, you're never more alive than on the Day you might die. That and I miss all them crazy Grunts who would share their last can of C Rats with you

Respect, bro

 

[Falcon1]

Hmmm, let me see, I put two different Medics on dust offs, which left me as Platoon Sgt to take over as Medic also, then I lost three men to a Booby trap a couple of days later, one lost half his head, then as we were attacking a wood line, a guy from another Company took a direct hit from a mortor round and disintergrated and splatter me with blood, body parts and brain tissue. Then we did an all night cross jungle march thru the Delta swamps to support another Company caught in an ambush which killed about twenty or so and I used my poncho to wrap one of the bodies, because we didn't have any body bags, then on the night of Feb 20th 1968 after surviving most of the TET got hit by two Companies of NVA and took two bullet wounds and as I was still standing Commanding my Platoon took a direct hit from a 122mm Rocket round which almost blew my left leg & Arm off and sent me to Walter Reed for almost a Year. Yep, it was fun & Games, would I go back?, Hmmmmm yep, I guess I would, you're never more alive than on the Day you might die. That and I miss all them crazy Grunts who would share their last can of C Rats with you

You are a living, breathing American hero, I thank you. As someone who has never served I couldn't even imagine the things that those of you that have endured.

 

[Targetmaster]

You are a living, breathing American hero, I thank you. As someone who has never served I couldn't even imagine the things that those of you that have endured.

Thanks Bro, but not a hero, those are my Brothers under Granite Tombstones, God Rest their souls

 

[SouthernSlammed]

it is clear in that video that Vietnam was not fun...

What you may be describing as "fun", was most likely a tool to deal with the absolute that was going on over there!

I would encourage OP to take some time the Christmas and work with some Nam Vets...

 

[kuduboss]

You probably didn't mean it to come out like that Eric. Maybe you should start over. Put down your bong and little video games and read a book playa.
"Drama Queens" GAgunlaw? Some of us have listened to this for 45 years and maybe over react a little when it comes from inside our own group. Anywhere else we've learned to ignore it. Lately, all we've heard are thank you's and welcome home's and we started to believe or kid ourselves that finally they've realized their mistake after all these years and are trying to make up for their ignorance when all of a sudden out of nowhere ... more ignorance. Doesn't bother me either way because I've always said it was all just lip service. When you understand it that way then nothing from anyone who wasn't there matters.

 

[Shortcut]

ALL i would like to say is THANK YOU to evryone who did and is serving. God bless all those who did not come back!