11-4-1970

[mjollnir]

Sorry you feel that way. Maybe you are used to tellin war stories to people who don't understand the system. If you want to tell the world how poorly trained you were you should expect criticism from people who were better trained.

I'm sure the typing pool was poorer for your absence when you left, Tinkerbell.

I guess you have me confused with Al Gore. Maybe I over reacted but I knew guys who were smart and well trained but were killed because other guys couldn't figure how to get off a chopper and secure an LZ and it still pisses me off.

I don't give a good goddamn who you knew. It was war. People die.

Perhaps you might ask yourself why we were there in the first place.

 

[Sallow]

If OldGuy was makin' sh*t up wouldn't he make himself out to be the hero in some way?

The dude wants to tell his story so just let him.

Those are the kinds of stories I heard from my friends who had served in Vietnam. But this was written so damned well.

 

[whitehall]

I'm sure the typing pool was poorer for your absence when you left, Tinkerbell.

I guess you have me confused with Al Gore. Maybe I over reacted but I knew guys who were smart and well trained but were killed because other guys couldn't figure how to get off a chopper and secure an LZ and it still pisses me off.

I don't give a good goddamn who you knew. It was war. People die.

Perhaps you might ask yourself why we were there in the first place.

People die in war. More people died in accidents during WW2 than the whole Viet Nam war. Shit happens but here's the deal. Even after forty years I am so tired of the Viet Nam anti-hero who apologizes because he is such a jerk and relates stories about how he can't figure it out and found himself in a confusing situation and... ain't it funny. I knew people who were better trained and knew what they were doing and don't talk about the war like it was an awkward situation and they were high school freshmen who suddenly found themselves on a helicopter. Our guys were better than that and still are.

 

[mjollnir]

I guess you have me confused with Al Gore. Maybe I over reacted but I knew guys who were smart and well trained but were killed because other guys couldn't figure how to get off a chopper and secure an LZ and it still pisses me off.

I don't give a good goddamn who you knew. It was war. People die.

Perhaps you might ask yourself why we were there in the first place.

People die in war. More people died in accidents during WW2 than the whole Viet Nam war. Shit happens but here's the deal. Even after forty years I am so tired of the Viet Nam anti-hero who apologizes because he is such a jerk and relates stories about how he can't figure it out and found himself in a confusing situation and... ain't it funny. I knew people who were better trained and knew what they were doing and don't talk about the war like it was an awkward situation and they were high school freshmen who suddenly found themselves on a helicopter.

So what? That has nothing to do with what I said.

Our guys were better than that and still are.

Our guys lost in VN, Sport. Suck it up and get over it.

 

[Oldguy]

Sorry you feel that way. Maybe you are used to tellin war stories to people who don't understand the system. If you want to tell the world how poorly trained you were you should expect criticism from people who were better trained.

I'm sure the typing pool was poorer for your absence when you left, Tinkerbell.

I guess you have me confused with Al Gore. Maybe I over reacted but I knew guys who were smart and well trained but were killed because other guys couldn't figure how to get off a chopper and secure an LZ and it still pisses me off.

Yeah, yeah. We've heard it all before. The Marines are so much better trained, so much better soldiers. Hell, they're probably even better people! Maybe that's why the Marines provided about 1/10th of the total troop strength in Vietnam, yet accounted for about 1/4th of the casualties. Better training, ya see?

And, by the way Sport, just what IS the proper procedure for getting off a helicopter when it's 6 feet off the ground?

 

[9thIDdoc]

May '70. Cambodia. Ham&eggs.

 

[Oldguy]

May '70. Cambodia. Ham&eggs.

I eventually learned to love the things after I burnt a can of them once, which added crunchiness, and mixed in a good shot of Tabasco.

Yum yum.