Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: redcatcherb412 on January 30, 2014, 08:26:25 AM
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Today and tomorrow is the 46th anniversary of the 1968 Vietnam TET offensive. I was a proud member of the 'Redcatchers' of the 199th Light Infantry Brigades 4th Battalion 12th Infantry during this battle. Even though we were considered an Air Mobile Assault group used mainly in jungle fighting, we had to on the spot revert to urban combat to save our Brigade base.
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http://signal439.tripod.com/redcatcher199lib/tet.html
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Even after 46 years moments like these are burned in my mind and I am amazed to have lived through it. Pivotal events like this take place in all wars. WW1 Argonnes, WW2 Normandy, Koreas Porkchop Hill, Middle East Fallujah battles. Salute to all AH warriors that have indelible memories from their service.
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Sights like these (I turned 18 3 months before this night) are unforgettable and frozen in time.
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(http://i62.tinypic.com/k0h946.jpg)
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(http://i62.tinypic.com/qx6z9e.jpg)
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:salute
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One of the greatest military victories in our proud History. :salute
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:salute
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In the first picture, is that outgoing artillery, or incoming rocket/mortars?
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Thanks for your service and also the reminder.
:salute
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:salute
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:salute and thanks
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In the first picture, is that outgoing artillery, or incoming rocket/mortars?
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Incoming 122mm's, the smaller streaks at the right of the picture I believe was a UH1 gunship firing 2.75 rockets.
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That view was nothing compared to the Long Binh Ammo dump next door to the 199th camp going up after sappers snuck thru the wire. 20 4th of July's wrapped into 1
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oh my god thats horrific.. salute to a young warrior
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:rock :salute
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:salute
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:salute
My dad stepped off the plane 1 month after the first Tet Offensive on to the tarmac at Phu Cat AFB. He said him and guy he walked off the plane next too said aloud almost in unison: "Holy toejamz its hot!"
Other then being shelled once a week or so, and sniped at once in awhile, Phu Cat AFB was quiet. For fun, a few of the guys used to take a truck up and over the hill and watch the valley below when word got around that a bombing mission was inbound. Evidently that valley was a key route for enemy activity. Dad said they also would go up there and watch the red and green tracer fire light up the night once in awhile too.
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:salute
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:salute
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:salute
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:salute
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:salute
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:salute
Didn't forget on purpose, my post was made kinda unit specific.
In acknowledgement and never forgotten
As bad as III Corps in the south was, the TET offensive in the North
Specifically Khe San and Hue where the US Marines fought against
horrible odds against the NVA. The NVA supply lines were so short
up north they could bring full Divisions and heavy artillery to bear
on the Gyrenes. The Marine defeat of the NVA in both engagements are legendary.
The Air Force brought its assets to bear all across the battlefield
killing NVA and VC by the thousands and preventing any NVA or VC
Victory. The after action reports in the first post link details the
amount of dependence and response of the Air Force. I can personally
attest to Air Force pilots skills. In the 2nd phase of TET in May '68
I watched F100s (beyootiful birds) skimming just hundreds of feet up
dropping 500lb bombs with speed retard fins, those bombs screamed what seemed like
just feet over our heads impacting sometimes just 300-500 feet from our positions.
:salute
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there are some cool looking pics of mortars and rockets from Vietnam. My dad served with the Wolfhounds Co. A 1/27 from 70-71. He has told me some of the stuff he did over there. His books are neat to look at, and enjoy hearing about his stories from over there. :salute
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My friend Doug and I enlisted for armor on the buddy system in October 1966. The luckiest day of my life was when we got to the induction center I was told my eyes were not good enough for armor. The options that I was given were infantry, clerk, cook and last was air defense missiles which I took.
After basic training Doug went to Airborne and then fort Knox. I went to Fort Bliss and then to another school at Redstone arsenal. Doug was asigned to the 25th infantry division, where he received the purple heart, silver star" am not sure if he got the bronze." The final year of my enlistment I was stationed near Baumholder Germany and Doug was in Berlin. I am told that they were so strict in Berlin that they actually cleaned their armored vehicles with tooth brushes. I have often wondered why he deserted after surviving Vietnam that last year should have been easy,
So yes I remember Tet 1968 and the friend that I never saw again.