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Position:Home>History> What was the jungle life like for American soldiers during Vietnam?Question: What was the jungle life like for American soldiers during Vietnam!? This is what i know, anything else!?
The American soldiers had to go through a jungle territory where they knew nothing of it or the animals in it!. The had to rely on their allies, but that was not always reliable!. The Viet Cong would hide along the roadsides and trails just to ambush the American soldier!. Soldiers became very tense, stressed and exhausted from the thick jungle and rice paddiesWww@QuestionHome@Com Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: As one who served in Vietnam and wounded, I can tell you that it was sheer horror!. The jungles were so dense that in someplaces you could not see the sky nor the man in front of you no more than 5 yards away!. During the day, the heat would hit 110-120!. During the rainey season it rained daily!. When it stopped the humidty was a killer!. Wading in creeks or crossing rivers you always got some leeches on you!. When out on patrol you rarely slept for more than 2-3 hours!. At night we would setup Claymore mines around our perimeter andCharlie use to turn them around so they faced us!. Each day when you woke up you first thanked The Lord for giving you another day, then checked off another day on what was called a "shor-timers" calender!. (A typical short timer calender was a drawing of a young American female with the days numbered on the drawing!.) The man who I dislike the most and feel he was the worse general in American history was 4 star Gen!. Wm!. Westmoreland!. His stragtegy killed/wounded more Americans than was necessary!. His stratgey did not fit the type of warfare we were fighting!. His Intel officers never gave him accurate info!. For example, they would "think" or "suspect" any enemy unit was in a given area but often times didn't know its size!. In order to determine just how large the enemy force was, he would order a company of men (approx!. 130) into a drop zone to draw fire and based on that, he would execute his battle plan!. That is how I was wounded!. Jumping ten feet off a helicopter into elephant grass in a hot LZ!. Our unit was platoon size (33 men) we lost 17 KIA and 9 wounded!. The real angels in Nam were (1) our unit's medic who treated us while under fire, (2) the medi-vac helicopter pilots who disregarded their own safety to come in under intense fire to pull us out, and (3) but not least important were the nurses who stayed with us, nursed us, gave us hope, calmed our emotions and held our hands!. These women were a God sent angel!. You just can't stay enough about all of these people!. The terrorists in Iraq studied, learned and improved the VC strategy!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Hmm!.!.!. They were frustrated by the stupid guns that they were issued; they jammed while the VC were killing them!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Go to your local VA hospital and visit with the Americans that are still there!Www@QuestionHome@Com Get yourself as dirty and filthy as you possibly can and then multiply it by about 5 and your there in the jungle in wonderful tropical Viet Nam!.Www@QuestionHome@Com bugs and did not know who was Friend or foe hot sweaty nights screaming crying!.your worst nightmare!.Www@QuestionHome@Com well what you know is nothing, ask a vet their the only ones that knew what went on over thereWww@QuestionHome@Com Dawg said it better than most could have!. Welcome home brother!.Www@QuestionHome@Com We used to set up ambushes of our own to catch the VC!. You almost answered your own question in the statement!.Www@QuestionHome@Com |