DON'T MEAN NOTHIN'

[Frisco-Kid]

But of course, it did. This was a phrase used to shrug off things that DID mean somethin', or to at least minimize them, or to defuse them. To bring things into perspective. A buffer. It was a universal phrase used in every unit, mostly by grunts. I don't know how or when it started, but it was in use in the 101st when I got there in JUN66.

17OCT66, somewhere around Tuy Hoa. SP/4 Horton S. Coker was on my left, at about 10 o'clock, as we made our way towards the treeline. A couple of gunships had shown up, lighting up Charlie, but we were still taking some small arms fire. I saw him go down about 20yds. from me. I heard that dull splat sound as the round hit him and I just knew he was dead, laying there in the elephant grass. The tracers from the gunship had set the grass on fire and it was spreading to where he was laying. All I remember thinking was that I didn't want his mother to see him all burned up, so I went after him. I ran in a crouch through the grass and found him. He had been shot once through the heart and he looked peaceful as hell. I grabbed him by the shirt collar and started running like hell, dragging him clear of the fire.

DON'T MEAN NOTHIN'.

 

[Frisbee]

DON'T MEAN NOTHIN'


It was still being said when I arrived in country Sept. 68'


We were in a short but fierce firefight , the third one in as many days , and took an NVA Major prisoner ( at least he was wearing a Maj.'s uniform ).
There was a LZ nearby so a chopper was called to come get the POW. We setup a defensive perimeter while Willie guided in the helicopter. The POW was picked up and the chopper had just cleared the treetops when the LZ erupted with an explosion and we started getting SA fire. The NVA had command detonated a 250 LB. bomb they had buried under the LZ. There was nothing left of Willie except a piece of his boot.

DON'T MEAN NOTHIN'

 

[rotorwash]

Summer 68, a hunter killer team of an OH-23 and 2 gunships flew into an ambush of 3 12.7's. The 23 caught fire and burned, one gunner was trapped in the wreckage. Another gunner and the pilot were thrown free, the pilot still alive. Both gunships were driven off with wounded crewmen. The pilot played dead while NVA shot up the others. Our ships were near, just finishing up a combat assault. One of our slicks went in and rescued the pilot, our crewchief and gunner picking him up under fire. One of our gunships, crewed by my best friend, landed and picked up the dead gunner, our ships were covering so close they were splattered with our rocket fragments. When they picked up the body the flesh came off the bones. They carried it on board and the ship took off, the body spewing fluid from the lungs that sprayed all around the ship. After the ship had dropped off the body and shut down, no one had stomach enough left to clean it up. Finally I volunteered and washed up the blood and gore. My buddy paid me five bucks. I took it because it made him feel better. Nothing chopper crews feared more then fire.

Don't mean nothin.

 

[Zofo]

Powerful stuff Gentlemen, thank you.

 

[Frisco-Kid]

Bringing this forward.

 

[Advisor]

Though not in a combat unit, we still used it quite a bit. Even our O4. I know I used it when I felt that events were out of my control..some new brainstorm from some REMF in Danang, another change in the rules of engagement, orders to cooperate (assist) with blatant governmental corruption, a childhood friend piling his C-130 into the side of a mountain about 100 miles south of me. Don't mean nuthin' just means good or bad, I'm not in control. Still use it today, tho without the preface we used back then..'F**k it, don't mean nuthin'

 

[Frisbee]

Claudie Fowler

Claude Fowler

The day the battle for Hill 996 started, on July 11th 1969, my platoon was on a narrow ledge trying to get setup for the assault. We started to take sporadic incoming small arms fire from our right flank. We radioed our CO about the fire and he said it was probably stray rounds from Bravo Company who were in contact. Bravo Company was on another side of the hill and bullets don’t go around corners so we knew better and it was decided to send my squad with the M-60 gun team up the side of the hill some and to the east to see if the enemy on our flank could be spotted and taken under attack to break up his flanking maneuver and also get the gun into a better position to cover our assault when ordered to commence it. We got about 300 meters up the hill when the NVA opened up on us from fortified bunkers with RPGs, MGs and SA fire while at the same time rolling grenades down the hillside at us. In the initial barrage of fire, Brian Rapp, the gunner, and Vance Wimberly, his assistant gunner were hit. We tried to get to them but the fire was too intense so we broke contact and withdrew back to the ledge with the rest of our platoon. While we were getting a plan together to use fire and maneuver tactics to go and get Brian and Vance and therefore assault the bunkers, Claude just jumped up and raced up the hill. We gave him as much covering fire we could and he was able to reach Brian and drag him back down to our medic Doc Daniels. Without a seconds hesitation he bolted back up to get Vance. He didn’t get far at all, just a few meters and was hit. I crawled up the short distance to him and brought him back to Doc but he was already gone. He was hit with a round in his forehead. Claude gave no thought to his own safety and went to his downed brothers aid. I saw that a lot during my tour.

Don't mean nothin'

 

[Frisbee]

George Fry

George's act saved numerous lives...including my own

I will let George's Silver Star Citation tell his story

DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
Headquarters 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile)
APO San Francisco 96383
12 November 1969

GENERAL ORDERS
NUMBER 13633
AWARD OF THE SILVER STAR (POSTHUMOUS)
1. TC 320. The following AWARD is announced.
FRY, GEORGE H. 130-24-0945 SPECIALIST FOUR
Company D 1st Battalion (Airmobile) 506th Infantry
Awarded: The Silver Star (posthumous)
Effective month: NA
Date Action: 11 July 1969
Theater: Republic of Vietnam
Reason: For gallantry in action in the Republic of Vietnam on 11 July 1969.


Specialist Fry distinguished himself while serving as a radio-telephone operator in Company D, 1st Battalion (Airmobile), 506th Infantry, during combat operations in the A Shau Valley, Republic of Vietnam. At approximately 1230 hours on the cited date, Company D was advancing along a trail when it encountered a heavy volume of enemy small arms, automatic weapons, and rocket propelled greade fire from an unknown size enemy force in well-fortified positions. During the ensuing battle two battalion radio-telephone operators were killed and their radios destroyed. Then Company D lost contact with one of its platoons because of the uneven terrain. Realizing that control was impossible without effective communication, Specialist Fry climbed a nearby ridge in an attempt to make communication with all the company's platoons. He remained fully unprotected from the enemy fire and effectively established radio contact within the company and to the Battalion Command Post, allowing the Company Commander to maneuver his elements and to coordinate with the Battalion S-3 element. Disregarding the hostile fire, Specialist Fry held his ground in order to relay messages. It was while relaying one of Company D's messages that he was mortally wounded by the intense enemy fire. Specialist Fry's personal bravery and devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.
Authority:
By direction of the President of the United States under the provisions of the Act of Congress, approved 25 July 1963.
FOR THE COMMANDER:
HUGH A. MACDONALD
Colonel, GS
Chief of Staff
OFFICIAL:
DALE H. HAYES
LTC, AGC
Adjutant General

Don't mean nothin'

 

[Zofo]

The individual stories here are moving as I remarked a year or so ago.
RW, what happened to your book we Brits were all suggesting you write? Bill, your sense of the ordinary in the extraordinary is humbling and Tom, thanks for starting and indeed, keeping the ball rolling. Your description of a round hitting is chilling.

 

[DMZ-LT]

In the relpacement depot a guy who was going home after a year in the bush came into our replacement hooch and yelled who was going to be a combat platoon leader. Guy had that 1000 yard stare and looked wild. I had volunterred for Viet Nam and a combat unit so I knew I was going to be one and told him that. He pulled out what he said was a emergency aviation strobe light and gave it to me. Said if I had to call in choppers at night to drop the strobe down the barrel of an M-79 gernade launcher and point it at the chopper. That way the NVA couldn't see it but the choppers could. Couple of days later I was flown out to take over the platoon on a mountain top about 1600 hrs , just before dusk we got pounded by 120 mm mortors. Over 1/2 the platoon was dead or wounded and I hardly knew their names. It could have been much worse but a lot of their rounds were duds. Then we took a large volume of small arms fire. It got dark and the fire let up. I called for medivac choppers to get the wounded out. They came and I took out my strobe light and dropped it in a thumper and pointed it at the choppers and they said they could see it but they were seeing other movement around us and taking heavy ground fire. Too heavy gunfire for them to come pick up my wounded , they would have to wait till first light to get in . The people able to fire a weapon manned a small perimeter cause we were sure we were going to get overrun . The wounded and dead were gathered inside the circle and they moaned and cried out all night. A wounded soldier bled to death that night and screamed for his Mother right before he died. The choppers came with gunships at first light and took the dead and wounded away . With artillery fire on both sides of us we came off the mountain top to a base camp. I had hoped I was a good enough platoon leader to help save some of my mens lives but their bodies keep haunting me , even today. 34 years later I went to a reunion and met 3 guys who were in my platoon. They all said I had done good and they would follow me to hell and back .... again. With their help I was finally able to go up to the Wall and say Hello to those brothers we lost so many years ago. DON'T MEAN NOTHING.

 

[03Fox2/1]

I wonder if this latest spammer-hacker is choosing the threads he posts to on here at random or if their is a more devious plan at work. His disrespect for this thread and the thread about PTSD is totally ignoring the heartfelt words of these men that are trying to share with the world events and deeds by themselves, as survivors of combat and others who no longer have the ability to speak for themselves. This hacker is a coward in the worst way and I do hope there is some way to track him down and reveal his true identity.
Semper Fi

 

[Bombardier]

Most hackers do not even see the threads they post to as it is done automatically using software. They are no more than a waste of space and any posts made by them will be deleted and the user banned as soon as they are found by me or Droney, please take absolutely no notice of them and treat the posts they make with the contempt they deserve.

 

[GunBunnyInaMAB]

"DON'T MEAN NOTHIN" definately means somethin'. I missed Vietnam by 2 years, enlisting in the US Army Field Artillery in 1977. All of my NON-COM's were Vietnam veterans. All of you that were there have my thanks and respect! I continue to serve my country in the American Legion.