See you in the next life!!!!! 1: physical position (in the field / column) No combat assignments for another year of service in Vietnam or get out in about a month. They run into the fire to help the wounded and many get wounded or killed. In France, the bars were as hard as the frozen soil. I was a point man, M60 Gunner and squad leader. Pararescue U.S. Air Force pararescuemen and a simulated 'survivor' watch as an HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter comes in for a landing. The 11X program challenges new recruits with the option of becoming MOS 11B or MOS 11C. For example, infantry units directed to disrupt German lines in Les Vosges in January 1945 had no idea they were preventing the reinforcement of troops involved in the Battle of the Bulge. I was one of the many others I rode river boats in the Mekong Jan 68 to 69. Roger Loves you too, Im sure. As I carried a PRC25 radio for over seven-months in the > Nam, I was curious to find out what I did RIGHT to surv >, One MOS I figured was a sure short timer was POL{Fuel} Truck Driver. Soldiers must meet a very heavy strength requirement and physical profile requirement of 111221. 2 (January 1944) What the Soldier Thinks, no. Men in the field soon learned to carry as many extras as they could, frequently stuffing them under their shirts and in empty pockets. If the enemy was near, we never saw any. Related Article Air Force Combat Controller (CCT) (1C2X1): Career Details. AS LEADERS IN AMERICAS SERVICES WE MUST BE PROFICIENT AND READY TO ACCOMPLISH OUR MISSIONS- LUCK pure LUCK. Additionally, soldiers might record operational information on maps. In previous American wars volunteer units were often composed of men from the same communities, but not in World War II, when a typical squad included members from all over the United States. Cameron Rogers from 1st Battalion, 66th Armored Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, plots points on a map during the fire . The needs of the Army will dictate which MOS youre assigned. I served in A Company 3/22 of the 3rd Brigade 4th Infantry 12/66, then Hq Co 2/12 of the 3rd Brigade 25th Inf until the night of the TET offensive end of January 1968 and returned home July 18 1968. Basic training and advanced job training are combined into a single course. The ration packs also included tablets for the purification of water they encountered in the field from streams, ponds, and even wells, since it was unknown if the Germans had taken any steps to contaminate wells as they withdrew. It doesnt make any sense statistically/mathematically it is impossible. They endured faulty equipment, inadequate clothing, the errors of logistics and judgment which found them being delivered winter boots in summer and the opposite in cold weather. Axes were useful, but not all men in the squad needed to carry one. The Thompson .45 caliber submachine gun was sometimes carried by a non-com to give a squad more firepower in the field, but it was not deployed as heavily as films and television depict due to its poor penetrating power and its weight. Toothbrushes and tooth powder were included in ration packs, and the teeth could be brushed using water in canteens, except for during the colder periods of the winter of 1944-45 when the canteens froze solid. The higher the score on the ASVAB, the better your odds at becoming MOS 11B. A Co, 1/5 Cav, 1 Cav Division. When the reserves moved up the troops which had been in combat were withdrawn, and what luxuries the Army could offer were enjoyed. 2: role (MOS?). Thank You Roger!!! We can all hold our heads high and be proud of our service. I packed my own radio and got a Thank you from his Mom. We observed the rules of the Geneva Convention while the bad guys had no interest in doing so. After heavy fighting across France and the Low Countries, it was believed by the Allied High Command that the Germans lacked the ability or the will to launch an assault in the Ardennes, and the troops were there to rest through Christmas. Well he didnt make it. The US Army needs to get this correct for the soldiers and Marines. of what was usually 5 or 6 going in and many times the leads would find traps, punji pits or the VC waiting. RIght there and the NVA we were usually up against knew this. Sure but so was everyone else who went 12 months without getting killed or wounded. 10 Answers Out of thousands of men that invaded that town in southern Afghanistan, we have lost 19. If a battle ensued, a triumphant army would lose 5% of its men but a defeated army would usually lose around 15% of its force. Here are ten examples of what life was like for the combat infantryman of the Second World War. The squad became the infantrymans family, social system, and workgroup. Interesting reading. Each rifle squad had one man assigned to carry a Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) while the rest of them carried rifles, usually the Garand M1 rifle. Each was an unknown quantity to the other. Of the American combat troops which served on the continent of Europe during the Second World War about 15% were frontline infantry. Foxholes were dug by individuals, with each man responsible for his own hole, or in the case of weapons teams, dug together for joint occupancy. means: 1 gets killed the 1st second, another one after 9 seconds avg. Every mission, I had the same thought. The rifle automatically ejected an exhausted clip, emitting an audible and distinctive ping. I was wounded 3 times during the 10 1/2 months I was in-country before being medevacd out in Apr of 68. They saw burned-out tanks and other vehicles, bombed-out villages and towns, civilian refugees with all of their remaining belonging in carts or on their backs. There is also training provided on advanced land navigation (day and night) as well as opportunities for leadership positions that are extremely beneficial both in the Army, and with future civilian opportunities. Military-friendly employers are known for being large corporations that seek experienced and trained veterans for the skills they attain while in the U.S. Army. My bud, Price took over as RTO. In the absence of hard information, speculation and rumors spread, and the experienced infantryman learned to ignore the rumors and keep his mind on his job. Motorized elements of the division and the supporting logistics facilities traveled by road. /. Photography by James Salzano. During some periods of intense combat more than a month could go by without clean clothes or a shower. A Civil War soldier would find that modern axiom very familiar. The TOTAL number of CIB and CMB awarded would give you the answer !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Different jobs have different life expectancy. In total, the United States military lost in Vietnam almost 10,000 aircraft, helicopters and UAVs (3,744 planes, 5,607 helicopters and 578 UAVs). Lo in France. Infantrymen in the Second World War quickly learned that everything they needed to know to survive in the field was not part of the training curriculum in basic infantry school. This is excellent! The rifle was accessorized to become a grenade launcher, firing the Mk 7 grenade with the addition of a modified sight. Non-divisional aeromedical evacuation units went by the callsign DUSTOFF. As mentioned, who kept track of that in the first place? Some reported not having the ability to shower for as long as several weeks. I think what is missing is the fact that the life expectancy of those firing at us was much shorter than those that they were firing at. Our 5th night there, the AMMO area started burning / blowing up. An infantryman carried on his back and in equipment bags and pockets everything he needed to survive in the field during a patrol or while en route to an ordered destination. Your article was quite interesting. The US Army Combat Lifesaver Course is an official medical training course conducted by the US Army. Of all the gear he carried, other than his weapons and ammunition, none was more important to him than clean socks. Usually, these transfers led to the men being ordered to remove the insignia identifying their division from their uniforms, to deny the information to the Germans. I never thought of it that way before but have many times since. In the case of a night attack, the men could not exit the bags quickly, and most infantrymen quit sleeping in them, preferring to stay on top of the bag and cover themselves with their overcoat or blanket. I quit trying to make sense of all the numbers that have been generated about Vietnam. What were the life expectancies of soldiers during the Vietnam War? Some embarkation ports were near major military installations, such as Norfolk, Virginia. If there was anything to this life expectancy of a few minutes then myself and many of my friends that are still alive today would be a long time dead. The next morning, the blasting could still be, heard. Troops were moved to the front to prepare for another offensive in the autumn of 1944, and then redeployed in response to the surprise German counteroffensive. Really? The basic unit for any infantryman in the United States Army was his squad. Photo above is of Stanley Kober with RTO, John Scheur. However, you do receive added pay bonuses for rank and years of service. That was supposed to be 58, 220. but wait, there are more numbers for the same story. Through it all, he carried all of the gear he needed to survive in the field, protect himself from the elements, and defend himself from the enemy. The differing calibers of the two main weapons carried by the infantryman presented a problem. I carried the PRC-25 for most of a year. We walked the mountains and rice patties all thru Tu Thien Province. Thanks for the reply. Additionally, you must complete a Combat (CO) ASVAB score of 87. No high security clearance is required to become an Army Infantryman. I remember hearing a Lieutenant (Kennedy) say to one of his two platoon RTOs My RTO is Foxtrot Uniform. No trees or anything on the ground. Related Article Marine Corps Scout Sniper (MOS 0317): Career Details. I was to have that experience two more times before it was over. Soldiers also learn basic combative training including hand-to-hand combat and tactical combat casualty care (TCCC). While the platoon was commanded by a commissioned officer, usually a Second Lieutenant, the squad was led by a non-commissioned officer, usually, a Staff Sergeant serving as squad leader, assisted by a corporal. Quickly learned to control rate of fire. They were marched or trucked to holding areas, where they encamped in accordance with their division procedures to await the arrival of their heavy equipment and logistics facilities. I was an Artillery Forward Observer with the Infantry. My good friend who was a RTO was killed. There must have been a real mathematician to come up with those calculations. Here are our sources: Company A, 276th Infantry in World War II, by Frank H. Lowry, 1991, Life in the Infantry, by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, The War, PBS online, 2007, Command Decisions: The 90 Division Gamble, by Maurice Matloff, Center for Military History, Department of the Army, 1960, online, The Infantry Organization for Combat, by Hugh Foster, April 26, 2000, online, The European Theater of Operations, ed. Both served in A 2/18 1st Infantry Division. What were the life expectancies of soldiers during the Vietnam War. Sorry,I was one of your Brothers in Arms that helped talk you out of enlisting for another year in Vietnam. Since the shower and clothing issue often took place in the dead of winter and outdoors, it was an invigorating experience, but a not very frequent one. Tony told me that either he or I would greet all incoming troops and we did- and here is the speech we gave to them. I was a cmbt engr demolition specialist carried a 45 auto and an M70 grenade launcher in addition to the C-4 and Det Cord. Their officers traveled on the same train, but in passenger cars, which were marginally more comfortable but also unheated. We did interdictions, blocks and other fun things on the river. I was a helicopter pilot I remember hearing somewhere about an RTO who wasnt getting the info out correctly and the Lieutenant (Kennedy) grabbed the mic and said My RTO Is Foxtrot Uniform. They used the callsign MEDIVAC and were armed. *The U.S. Army recently expanded upon its Infantry Training in 2019 to introduce more combative courses, lifesaver courses, day and night land navigation, and different weapons qualifications. Soldier,this is a wardont forget that, and anytime we are in a fight we will be toughest SOBs in the fight!! Take out the power center, youve got the edge. Housing: Allowances for living expenses, utilities, and maintenance. Made by the Hershey Company, the chocolate was laced with paraffin, which helped keep it from melting in the tropical heat. Access to the field kitchens provided the men not engaged in combat with hot meals, though complaining about the food in all situations was a time-honored tradition, as in all armies. While waiting for their orders for deployment the food was at least usually hot and plentiful, opportunities to fraternize with the welcoming French were frequent, and the mail arrived regularly bringing news from home. The trailer for Fury claims that the average life expectancy of an Holding approximately 36 gallons of water, the bag was suspended about five feet above the ground. The names of the towns and villages were meaningless to the men, most of whom had no knowledge of French geography nor what their destination was. As I made it back to the road I remember seeing the If it was your day to get hit or die, it happened. Most Dangerous Military Jobs - Hardest Job in the Military | FRG Walking wounded were usually treated at aid stations manned by the medical personnel of their own unit. I assisted Vessey and Capt Cartwright by helping prepare the Bee Hive Rounds (first time they were ever used), firing 4 rounds at proximity 0 range into a human wave attack on or weak side after 5 hours of relentless attacks on the opposite side of the perimeter Those 4 rounds killed @ 400 enemy soldiers, of the 881 total enemy losss John Vessey later became a 4 Star general and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs appointed by Reagan 1983, and at retirement became Chair of the POW MIA Commission for 14 years, Passing away in August 2016 just 6 months before our 50th Reunion. Welcome Home Roger. EIB - A day in the life of an infantryman. There are a number of civilian job opportunities for an Army Infantryman (11B) following discharge from the U.S. Military. Really no mention of the regular rifleman. If you would like to get a copy, and cant find it, let me know, and I will make sure you get one. Staying alive was kinda of important. The 10 Most Dangerous Jobs in the US Military | Military.com The overwhelming majority of the combat infantrymen deployed during the Second World War carried as their primary weapon the Garand M1 rifle. My second tour was as the S3 for LTC Anthony Herbertone of Americas greatest leaders and WARRIORS OF ALL TIME. They endured the monotonous rations, lack of hygiene, bombardment by the enemy, accidental bombardment by their own artillery, constant tension, and the constant loss of friends because they were there to protect themselves and their fellow squad members, finish the job and go home. I was told my life expectancy was about 45 secs during a fire fight because of the weapons and demo I carried. Here is an 18 On the march, they saw first-hand the horrors of the war they were fighting, dead and maimed bodies of Allies and the enemy, many of them scarcely recognizable as human. PDF Mortality Rates and Life Expectancy of Veterans - Veterans Affairs Saw from mostly safe distance almost all the weapons systems that where there used. I personally believe and agree with previous posts that when its your time, not much you can do. The Infantry makes up approximately 15% of the Armys total force. There are a number of standards and qualifications you need to meet to become MOS 11B, especially since the Army expanded its OSUT training in 2019. Life of the Civil War Soldier in the Army - American Battlefield Trust PDF Mortality Rates and Life Expectancy of Veterans from 1980 to 2017, and Nor was treating wounded their only duty, they were responsible for the overall health of the men in their company, treating them for dysentery, routine illnesses such as colds and flu, blisters, sprains and broken bones, and other miseries encountered by the men. I have a fried Who is killed in Vietnam six months before I got there cause of death was other how would I find out since his parents are long gone, Do a search for his name n Coffeltdatabase.org, Sir, would you mind me translating this into Spanish and getting it posted in our blog? When you think of the U.S. Army, probably the first job you think of within the branch is an Army Infantryman MOS 11B. Soldiers that are assigned to Bradley or Stryker units also must learn how to drive and perform maintenance on their assigned vehicles. my left and saw this rice paddie farmer and his ox and I was trying to motion him to get down he just looks at me and starts They didnt know it, but they were about 60 miles from the Rhine River, which lay to the North, and less than one hundred miles east of Stuttgart, Germany. I would carry when on ambush. Me, a vehicle mechanic with Btry E, 41st Arty Quads 1970. Life of the Civil War Soldier in Camp | American Battlefield Trust Were talking averages, obviously so, an RTO, with an expectancy of 5 seconds (!) I never understood why they didnt put M60s on Medevacs (once the VC shot them down) but then, we now know they never intended to win that war in the first place. ASVAB Scores For Air Force Jobs: All 130+ For 2022, How To Choose The Right Military Branch For You, Marine Machine Gunner (MOS 0331): Job Description And Summary, strength requirement and physical profile, Correctable vision must be 20/20 in one eye, Air Force Combat Controller (CCT) (1C2X1): Career Details, Marine Corps Infantry Assault (MOS 0351): Career Details, Army Combat Engineer (MOS 12B): Career Details, Marine Corps Tow Gunner (MOS 0352): Career Details, Marine Corps Scout Sniper (MOS 0317): Career Details, https://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-jobs/browse-career-and-job-categories/combat/infantryman-11b.html, https://www.indeed.com/cmp/U.S.-Army/reviews?fjobtitle=Infantryman, Gas Turbine Systems Technician (GSM and GSE): Career Details, Good Conduct Medal & Ribbon Explained For All 5 Branches, Sea Service Ribbon: All 5 Military Branches Explained, Overseas Service Ribbon Explained For All 6 Military Branches.
?>
life expectancy of an infantry soldier in combat